You are what you eat” is a very common saying. People use this line when discussing one's health or weight. Did you know what you ate could impact your fertility? Yes, your gut health can not only impact your weight gain or loss but plays a pivotal role in your fertility. Read on to know how.
Before we go into the connection between gut health and fertility, let’s first understand what gut health is exactly.
The gut includes the stomach, intestines, and colon. Gut health refers to the overall health of all these components of the gastrointestinal system. The gut contains various bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The delicate balance between all these determines gut health.
A healthy gut has more good bacteria than bad. The good microorganisms in the gut help keep the harmful ones in check and protect the body and overall health of the person. Gut health has a big influence on the organs and their pathways.
The gut microbiota interacts with insulin, androgens, estrogen, and other hormones. When the gut microbiota goes out of balance or suffers, it can change the pass on the impact to other factors it is in contact with. Various hormones, including sex hormones, can go out of balance, leading to complications in fertility as well as pregnancy.
Some ways in which your gut health can impact your fertility are:
● Inflammations – A healthy gut is essential for a healthy immune system. When the gut microbiota goes out of balance, it triggers low-grade inflammation throughout the body. When left unchecked, these inflammations can increase and start having a bigger impact on various parts of the body, including the reproductive organs.
● Hormone Imbalance – A disruption in the gut bacteria balance can interfere with the signaling in the body, causing hormonal imbalance. This in turn can lead to irregular menstrual cycles, ovulation issues, and also decreased sperm quality.
● Metabolism – The gut microbiota is responsible for the way the body breaks down the food you eat and absorbs the various nutrients from it. The gut bacteria produce essential vitamins and metabolize the hormones. When the body does not metabolize the food you eat to absorb essential nutrients like iron, folate, or vitamin D, it can cause deficiencies and affect your fertility.
● Estrogen Levels – Estrogen metabolises in the gut. When gut health suffers, it can impact this metabolising process and affect the quantity of estrogen the body produces. Too much or too little estrogen can cause various fertility issues, like low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, or even infertility.
● Mental Health – A direct connection between the brain and the gut exists. The communication between these two plays an important role in one’s mental health. An increase in stress levels can impact the gut microbiota, which in turn can influence hormone production, and affect both ovulation and sperm health.
If you are planning to get pregnant, addressing various aspects of your overall health is very crucial for a safe and healthy pregnancy. Here are a few ways in which you can improve your gut health:
Consuming a wide range of foods that includes all essential nutrients is the best way to heal and take care of your gut health. Plan your daily diet in such a way that you include yogurt, coloured fruits, and vegetables as well as a sufficient quantity of fibre. This will ensure your gut has more good bacteria than bad and enough fibre to aid digestion.
When your diet includes a variety of foods, it will prevent you from binge eating certain food items due to cravings. As you won’t be avoiding any food completely, your body will not crave it. When you consume something unhealthy, the good bacteria in your gut can handle it and protect your overall gut health.
Physical activities and movements have a great impact on gut health. Exercising can improve blood flow throughout the body and also aid in intestinal motility. Together, they protect and enhance gut function, leading to better gut health.
Regular exercise is also essential for hormonal balance, which in turn can affect fertility. So, regular moderate exercise can improve fertility in both partners and keep many pregnancy-related issues at bay.
Erratic schedules, untimely meals, or insufficient sleep can cause havoc in both your gut as well as hormonal balance. Follow a healthy routine to ensure you eat on time, sleep well, and have an active lifestyle. This can help improve your overall health in addition to your gut health. A healthy routine can help improve hormone balance as well as sex drive, which are crucial for fertility as well.
Probiotics are live good bacteria found in certain food items (yogurt, fermented foods). Probiotics are not essential nutrients but are very important to maintain the gut health and balance between the good and bad bacteria. You can take probiotics for fertility through supplements as well.
Prebiotics are a type of dietary fibre that feeds the good bacteria present in the gut. So, prebiotics are important for increasing and keeping the good bacteria strong. You can find prebiotics in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Including them in your regular diet can ensure the existing good bacteria in your gut stay strong and do not get replaced by the bad bacteria. Even if you consume a lot of probiotics, you need prebiotics to retain those good bacteria you get from the probiotics.
Studies show that excess alcohol consumption can increase the pressure on the GI tract and liver. The inflammatory nature of alcohol can increase the stress on the gut and impact the microbiome negatively. So limit your alcohol consumption if you are facing fertility issues.
A lot of factors affect your fertility. Your gut health is central to your overall health and taking care of it is very important for your fertility as well. With conscious effort and some changes in your lifestyle, you can get your gut health back on track and prevent it from affecting your fertility.
● An unhealthy gut can cause inflammation in the digestive tract and other health issues. This, in turn, can cause mental stress and hormonal imbalance, both of which can affect fertility in both males and females.
● The connection between the gut and the brain is crucial for all humans. High stress levels can induce inflammation and cause hormonal imbalance. Both of these can affect one’s fertility and make it harder to conceive.
● Yes, the gut microbiome can cause inflammation in the body, which can induce an insulin response and the immune system. This response, along with the gastrointestinal hormones, can affect sperm production and motility, thus impacting male fertility.