Fertility Updates and Information:

1.Folic Acid Supports Sperm
A study analyzed nutrient intake and sperm health in 89 healthy men. Those with the highest folate intake had the lowest incidence of chromosomally-abnormal sperm - up to 30 percent less than the low folate group. This is one of the first studies to find a relationship between folate intake and male reproductive health. Other nutrients, including beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc had no effect on chromosome defects.

Young SS, Eskenazi B, Marchetti FM, et al. The association of folate, zinc and antioxidant intake with sperm aneuploidy in healthy non-smoking men. Human Reproduction 2008; p 1-9.


Pregnancy

1. Caffeine Doubles Miscarriage Risk.
Women who drink 200mg or more per day of caffeine during pregnancy have almost double the risk of miscarriage compared to women who stay away from such drinks. The link between caffeine and the risk for miscarriage is not new. In fact, there have been more than a dozen studies on the issue in recent years

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.


2.  Maternal DHA Intake Supports Fetal and Infant  Neurodevelopment
The supply of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) important for fetal/infant neurodevelopment, depends on the maternal fatty acid status. A dose of 200 mg/day DHA from mid-pregnancy through lactation seems appropriate to improve the DHA status of mothers and infants

Bergmann, RL. et al. Supplementation with 200 mg/Day Docosahexaenoic Acid from Mid-Pregnancy through Lactation Improves the Docosahexaenoic Acid Status of Mothers with a Habitually Low Fish Intake and of Their Infants. Ann Nutr Metab.2008 Apr 29;52(2):157-166.