Look out for more answers from Marilyn, the latest news, case studies from the Clinic, Monthly Meal Ideas and also:

 

– Shifting stubborn fat: Marilyn’s weight loss secrets

– Boosting immunity (continued!)

– Boost your libido naturally

– Create an herbal love bath for Valentines

– Your osteoporosis prevention exercise prescription

– Boosting fertility with Vitamin E

– Discovering herbs: Agnus Castus

 

And, as always, much, much more …

For many years now I’ve been urging pregnant women (and women aiming to conceive) to cut down or better still avoid caffeine altogether because even relatively small amounts of caffeine have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage. And now the Government Food Standard’s Agency (FSA) is warning women to limit their consumption of caffeine from three cups to two cups a day.

This warning coincides with a study linking caffeine to smaller babies. And earlier this year research in the US published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that drinking more than 200mg of coffee a day also doubled the risk of miscarriage.

Previously studies have indicated that more than three cups of coffee a day to an increased risk of miscarriage but now the FSA is lowering the recommended limit of 300 mg a day to 200 mg, the equivalent of two average sized mugs of instant or two cups of brewed coffee a day. It has also identified other products, such as tea, coffee and cola, containing caffeine that count towards the 200 mg.

Researchers from Leicester and Leeds universities monitored the daily caffeine intake of 2,500 pregnant women using questionnaires. They compared this with the birth weight of the baby, taking into account the weight and ethnic background of the mother. The research, published in the British Medical Journal found that women with a caffeine intake of more than 200mg a day were more likely to give birth to smaller babies.

There have also been studies linking just one cup of coffee a day with an increased risk of infertility so even though the FSA currently advises no more than two cups a day my advice to pregnant women and women trying to conceive remains the same: avoid caffeine altogether and replace with healthy alternatives such as herbal teas. It is also important to be aware that some coffee sold in coffee shop chains contains higher levels of caffeine than assumed in the FSA guidelines, which state that an average mug of coffee contains 100mg. A small cafe latte can contain as much as 240mg of caffeine, meaning a pregnant woman would exceed the recommended daily caffeine intake in one drink.

Previous studies have shown that vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin which is produced from sunshine and found in oily fish and eggs is important for a healthy pregnancy, but a new study shows that a deficiency may also affect sperm.

The research found that almost a third of men experiencing fertility problems had low levels of vitamin D. The University of Sydney findings presented at the Fertility Society Conference investigated DNA fragmentation of sperm, a significant factor in male infertility. DNA fragmentation of sperm is most often the result of cellular damage resulting from infection, smoking or advanced paternal age. 58% of the men had high levels of DNA fragmentation.  (If you are interested in this test, please see the Resources Page).  These findings add weight to a European study earlier this year that shows women’s vitamin D levels strongly correlate with their ability to conceive.

The results of this study once again show how beneficial for both male and female fertility positive diet and lifestyle changes can be. For most people just spending ten to twenty minutes outside in natural day light every day and eating two to three portions of oily fish a week is enough of a boost to vitamin D levels.