Diet, Spinal Health and Fertility

Small Changes Make a Big Impact

Many couples experience the heartache of infertility. Approximately ten percent of all women experience difficulty getting pregnant or an inability to stay pregnant. And while many of those struggling with fertility issues will pursue a number of various treatment options, what most couples don’t know is that diet and spinal health are two of the biggest contributors to maintaining a healthy pregnancy, and often, small changes in diet and spinal health can make a big impact in achieving optimal fertility.

B Vitamins

When looking at the diet of most Americans today, we can see there are large deficiencies in some of the most necessary nutrients for pregnancy. B vitamins, mainly folate, are absolutely essential to carry a viable pregnancy. The standard American diet includes an overabundance of grains which are fortified with folic acid. Folic acid is a form of b vitamin that is not well absorbable in most people. Incidentally, having an overabundance of folic acid can lead to recurrent miscarriages and inability to get pregnant. When you are searching for a prenatal vitamin, make sure it does not contain folic acid, but instead contains folate, or methyl folate, which I suggest for anyone who is pregnant or trying to conceive.

Magnesium

A second nutrient most Americans are deficient in is magnesium. It is well known that magnesium deficiency contributes to muscle spasms, but what is often overlooked is that if a women is deficient in magnesium it can contribute to spasms in the fallopian tube, consequently making it difficult for the embryo to travel to the uterus for implantation. Magnesium deficiency is also linked to nausea, vomiting, miscarriages, preeclampsia, and premature labor.

Spinal Health

When it comes to infertility, the most important aspect of your health is spinal health. Most chiropractic patients come in with the usual symptoms: low back pain, headaches, hip pain, and digestive discomforts. But, many don’t know that chiropractic care can be useful towards optimizing fertility. With patients facing difficulty conceiving, I explain how the nervous system works: the same nerves that go to the muscles of the back and the lower digestive tract also go to the reproductive system. In many instances, the nerves in the lower back are not able to function properly due to an abnormal shift in the spine — the vertebra can shift out of alignment and put pressure on the nerves. This shuts down the body’s ability to communicate properly with the reproductive system. As patients explain their struggles with fertility, my excitement grows knowing that x-rays will expose any abnormal shift in the lower back which could affect the reproductive system, and treating the spinal shifts through chiropractic care can pave the way toward pregnancy.

For more information visit ICPA4kids.com for the latest research articles on pediatric and prenatal health.