“Only when we acknowledge our power, we can embody the strength of our mothers, grandmothers, and of all those women who came before us”
Gut health and oocyte quality: what is the link?
Ever since I became a nutritionist, it was very clear to me that digestive health is at the root of all health. It has lately become even more evident that nutrition has a huge impact on oocyte (egg) quality, yet what happens if your gut is a mess?
If that is the case, then you are likely not absorbing your nutrients effectively, and if you have undiscovered and underlying food sensitivities, then gut hyperpermeability (also known as leaky gut) and resulting inflammation are really complicating the picture.
If we don’t fix the gut to help your body’s ability to absorb all of those precious micronutrients coming from food, a downward spiral cascade unfolds where your liver cannot detoxify properly because it doesn’t have the nutrients it needs to do so (and may also be overburdened as a result), leading to more inflammation and the inability to resolve co-existing health issues. This often also results in the erratic function of the immune system which can put a growing embryo in danger of a miscarriage.
We know that fertility challenges are often a result of long standing chronic states of dis-ease resulting from gut health issues leading to malabsorption, causing immune system dysregulation and inflammation. If you are not getting pregnant, it may be a sign that your body doesn’t have all it needs to thrive and hence have the resources to make an other human.
So how do we know if gut inflammation or immune dysfunction (and subsequent systemic inflammation) may be at the root of you not being able to conceive? We can run a quick scan through the following symptoms:
Anxiety and Depression
Digestive issues (gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux)
Skin issues (acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes)
Frequent colds/sinus congestion/allergies
Brain fog
Fatigue
Body aches
Recurrent miscarriage
TTC for 2 yrs with no success and/or multiple failed ART’s
Diagnoses autoimmune/inflammatory conditions
We have to manage autoimmunity and inflammation and support the body to come back to homeostasis so it can be less hostile and more welcoming. Some quick advice is to begin to focus on a nutrient dense gut healing diet (remember that every person is different and it is ideal to have someone properly assess your condition):
Remove dietary and immune triggers such as dairy and gluten (other possible ones are corn, soy, eggs, nightshades, or foods high in histamines)
Remove inflammatory foods such as sugar, alcohol, inflammatory seed and grain oils
Add gut healing foods such as bone broths and probiotic rich foods
Eat plentiful fruits and steamed or salted veggies
Don’t forget about good quality protein and wild caught fish
Healing fats like avocado, coconut, nuts and seeds, ghee (clarified butter)
Minimize environmental toxins and opt for environmentally friendly beauty and cleaning products.
I focus my treatments on reducing systemic inflammation, improving blood flow and optimizing nutrition and absorption to improve the cellular quality of your eggs and improving your chances of having a healthy pregnancy. Through acupuncture, supplements and dietary/lifestyle advice, we make sure to correct any and all imbalances in your body to make sure that you are sleeping well, you are having regular bowel movements, you have no digestive distress, have optimal energy levels and that your emotions are in harmony.
If you are interested to learn more about how we can help you, you can book an initial consultation or a 15 min discovery call with me.
In health,
Mariana