Infertility: When You’re Not Expecting

A new French study finds that men who are overweight or obese to have a greater risk of infertility. Overweight and obese men were found to have a low sperm count and more likely to have weaker sperm. The findings of the new study will help explain why infertility trends closely resemble the global obesity epidemic.

Dr. Sébastien Czernichow and his colleagues at Ambroise Paré University Hospital in Paris gathered data from 14 previous studies that included 10,000 men. The researchers looked at participant’s body mass index (BMI) and correlated it to sperm levels. BMI is calculated based on the height and weight ratio. Men with a BMI of 25 have been considered overweight while 30 or more indicates obesity. BMI is also an accurate indicator for many chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.

24 percent of men who were normal weight had a low sperm count and 2.6 percent had no viable sperm. Among overweight men, 25.6 percent suffered from low sperm and 4.7 had no viable. The shocking findings include men who were obese. 32.4 percent had a low sperm count and 6.9 percent had no viable. Obesity is now classified epidemic and the 8.4 percent difference will impact hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Links Now Discovered

They believe that they have found the missing links between obesity and infertility. The fatty tissues of the body have been found to act as a sponge and absorb toxins. Obesity is a long-term problem—it takes time to gain weight. The accumulation of toxins over time has been found to damage hormones of the body and convert male testosterone into female estrogen. The more fat, the more estrogens produced.

The hormone leptin that is made in fat cells is also damaged. Leptin tells the brain to stop eating, controls metabolism and has been found to damage sperm cells. The accumulation of fatty tissue commonly increases the body temperature which has been found to be another key indicator in the link between obesity, infertility and sperm damage.

The ability to attain and sustain an erection depends on a complex inter-working of nerves and blood vessels. Obesity and hormonal imbalances is a common cause in the breakdown of the sequence of events required to make it happen. Erectile dysfunction can be reversed with weight modification.

A bulging belly was once considered a sign of prosperity but is now sign of disease. Severe health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and infertility has been linked to BMI especially in females.

Obesity Causes Ovary Dysfunction

Ovulatory dysfunction is a major causative factor in the infertility of women. The primary mechanism of dysfunction is caused by hormonal imbalances that contributed to gaining the weight. Irregularities in other hormones such as estrogen and progesterone can significantly effect a female’s menstrual cycle and ability to conceive.

The balance of these hormones is what allows a pregnancy to begin and develop. Excess fat deposits in the ovaries can cause damage to new eggs, make them prone to not survive and ultimately result in miscarriage. Additional body fat has been found to compress and damage the fallopian tubes that transport eggs from the ovary. Think of pinching off a straw while you try to drink.

Obesity Causes Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition at which small fluid filled cysts appear in the ovaries. This is an abnormal condition and is caused by hormonal imbalances. The hormonal imbalances are the same hormones that cause one to gain weight, stay overweight, produce disease and contribute to infertility.

A cyst’s size is dependent on the level of hormonal imbalance. The greater the imbalance, the greater the size of the cyst. Cysts expand and can compress vital reproductive organs such as the fallopian tubes which will contribute to infertility. Imagine adding a cyst the size of a grapefruit around your ovaries.

The 43 Percent Study

A study published in Human Reproduction concluded that obese women have significantly higher rates of infertility in comparison to leaner women. The study of more than 3,000 women also looked at body mass index as an indicator of infertility. 26-43 percent of women that were obese were not able to become pregnant over a course of a year.

Obesity and infertility has now been linked to insulin—another hormone. A study published in the journal Cell Metabolism found that large fluctuations in insulin levels will throw havoc on ovulation. The hormone leptin was also identified as another culprit in the production of disease. Type 2 diabetes is the diagnosis when blood sugar is too high due to poor insulin control. Large fluctuations especially occur with poor dietary choices.

Don’t Be Hormonal

Infertility conditions are common for both sexes. The contributing and causative factors are nearly the same. Hormones play a significant role in the management of our weight, our ability to engage in sexual activity and the ability to create a family. Erectile dysfunction, diabetes, heart disease, and most health conditions are affected by our hormones. To prevent or reverse hormonal imbalances one must engage in activities that promote healthy hormones.

Exercise is the one of the ways to maintain your health, balance hormones and avoid disease. The type of exercise is important however. The classic low intensity, long duration exercise has been found to have hormonal unbalancing effects, versus balancing. Classic exercises include aerobics, running and biking for more than 30 minutes in duration.

Research has found the intensity of the exercise to be the most important factor in generating the ideal hormonal response. This hormonal response causes you to lose or maintain a healthy weight, improve lean muscle mass and improve insulin control.

When you eat real food, you get real nutrients. It has been found that people that have real food in their diet have improved hormonal balance. Eating not-real food has the exact opposite effects. It causes you to add weight and have hormonal problems. Foods that are highly processed and found in a box or a can have high amounts of white sugars and flour that have no nutritional value and should be avoided.

Living naturally means no smoking, alcohol abuse, or overindulging in sweets. Stick to a real food diet that is based on fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and lean meats. Get plenty of exercise and focus on family and community. Another part of living naturally is controlling your mindset. If you allow the world to control your mindset, you will get what the world has to offer; a short life.