Hormone Imbalance
The proper interactions between hormones are so important for our general health, but especially when it comes to fertility, and this is not just for the women, men have hormones too! Hormonal imbalance may be triggered by several different causes and these include some medical conditions such as an underactive thyroid or diabetes. Dietary and lifestyle factors are also common causes of hormonal imbalance as a poor diet may bring about deficiencies in the vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are vitally important in the production of hormones. Smoking, excess alcohol consumption and recreational drugs are also very detrimental to the production of these precious substances.
A well-balanced diet can really improve your fertility status, while junk food is detrimental to fertility because it is low in nutrients and high in pollutants and preservatives.
Believe it or not your weight may have an effect on your hormones. Being overweight can lead to excess oestrogen and will prevent ovulation. Fat cells will continually release oestrogen which will affect the pituitary gland and interfere with the release of FSH (follicle stimulating hormone). Losing even a small amount of weight could restore the hormonal balance and stimulate ovulation. Equally being underweight can also prevent ovulation and contribute to infertility. Too little body fat will cause oestrogen levels to be reduced and will interfere with ovulation and also with the menstrual cycle. A BMI (body mass index) of 20 -25 is considered normal while a BMI of 24 is the optimum weight for fertility. Being overweight will also affect male fertility and male hormones having a detrimental effect on sperm quantity and quality
