Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/869597
Page 60 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com • Eczema • Acid reflux (also called heartburn or GERD) • Eosinophilic esophagi s • Crohn's disease or ulcera ve coli s • Nutri onal deficiencies including anemia (iron deficiency), B-vitamin, vitamin D, and calcium • Osteopenia or osteoporosis due to nutri onal deficiencies (calcium, vitamin D) • Weight loss • Fa gue • Hair loss or bri leness • Joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, muscle aches and pains • Numbness and ngling in your hands, feet, or other areas • Hashimoto's thyroidi s, Rheumatoid arthri s, Type 1 diabetes, and other autoimmune condi ons • Depression, anxiety, suicidal feelings, and other mental health problems • Migraine headaches • Elevated liver func on tests • Menstrual problems • Infer lity Celiac disease can also cause pregnancy problems including miscarriage and gesta onal diabetes, the la er which can cause serious medical problems for mom, increases your risk of cesarean, and increases your baby's life me risks of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. It is possible that severe gluten intolerance in the absence of celiac disease can cause similar problems. Since going gluten free is a rela vely easy thing to do, why not try it? It's an affordable, easy step to take. How Does Gluten Intolerance Interfere with Fertility? There are 4 primary ways that gluten intolerance and celiac interferes with fer lity (and, also op mal pregnancy health): 1. Chronic Inflamma on: Gluten intolerance and celiac cause inflamma on not just in the gut, but as a result, throughout the body. The chemicals that are produced when your body is in a chronic state of inflamma on tell your body that it's in a danger zone and so not a great me to get pregnant. Chronic inflamma on is also associated with condi ons that can interfere with ge ng pregnant – for example, endometriosis, which has also been associated with celiac disease. Inflamma on is also associated with pregnancy problems, including gesta onal diabetes, high blood pressure, and preterm labor, so it's important to get a handle on it before you get pregnant. Going gluten free and healing your diges ve system, as described later in this ar cle, will help you to do this! 2. Nutri onal deficiencies: Your diges ve system keeps you healthy in numerous ways, perhaps most obviously, through the diges on of food to provide you with nutri on. When you have gluten intolerance, inflamma on develops in the lining of the small intes ne that interferes with nutrient absorp on. When the lining of our gut is damaged, for example by irrita on due to gluten intolerance, the body is less effec ve at absorbing nutrients, including the ones needed for healthy concep on. This includes protein, fats, zinc, vitamin D, iron, and selenium – all-important for concep on and healthy pregnancy. 3. Gut "dysbiosis": It's amazing how much our bodies mirror the natural world. In the human body, there are layers of gut lining that, like soil in a garden, provide a home that feeds and nourishes the op mal bacteria, our micro biome, that we need to metabolize our food, break down, and absorb our nutrients, as well as get rid of waste. The health of the vaginal flora is also dependent on the health of the gut flora. Like in garden soil, healthy microorganisms keep down the "bad bacteria" and other bugs in the soil that can harm the plant's roots, damaging the whole plant. In the vagina, the good flora keeps the vaginal environment at the right pH and sugar level at concep on to support the passage of the sperm, and thus, facilitate concep on. When the good flora isn't hanging around in adequate numbers, the not-so- good guys that can contribute to or cause fer lity problems become out of control. The wrong kind of gut flora can prevent concep on, might reduce the effec veness of IVF, and can lead to preterm birth when you do get pregnant, so now's the me to get those flora in order. If you get regular vaginal infec ons, this is a sure sign that things are out of order down there, but even without those, if you are struggling to get pregnant, take an oral probio c with Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. You can addi onally use these in the form of a vaginal suppository a few mes weekly while trying to get pregnant. I recommend that my pa ents insert the capsules at night before bed; they will dissolve while you sleep.