Selenium, like zinc, is another important nutrient for boosting your fertility and the fertility of your partner. This mineral is used to make antioxidants called selenoproteins which help protect your body from free radical damage – very important in the process of cell division. With its protective effect selenium can prevent chromosome breakage which is known to cause birth defects and miscarriages. Deficiency in women has been linked to a higher risk of miscarriage.

Good levels of selenium are also essential for sperm formation and testosterone production in men. A lack of selenium in men is associated with sperm that cannot move properly, because selenium is essential for making sperm’s strong whiplash tails. In one double blind trial selenium supplementation resulted in an increase in fertility from 17.5 to 35.1 per cent in sub-fertile men. Other studies show that blood selenium levels are lower in men with low sperm counts.

 

Research suggests that the antioxidant activity of selenium may even make sperm more fertile. An interesting study looked at men with good sperm counts but low fertilisation rates during IVF treatments. These men were given selenium and vitamin E supplements each day. One month after starting treatment the fertility rate increased from 19 percent to 29 percent.

 

Selenium should be found in the soil where we grow our food but you can’t rely on this anymore, and as there are no obvious signs of deficiency you won’t know if you are getting enough or not, so supplementing is safer and wiser.

 

If you are trying for a baby you and your partner should both aim for 100 mcg of selenium a day.  (This amount of selenium is contained in the Fertility Plus for Women and the Fertility Plus for Men, see the Resources Page).

Q: Please could you tell me if there’s a limit on the amount of time I should use Agnus castus for my irregular periods?

A: Agnus castus is the herb I typically recommend for menstrual irregularity as studies have shown it can help balance hormones and encourage regularity. Take it regularly over three to six months and your periods should become more regular.  Once they are regular you would take a break from the herb and see if your cycle remains regular, which is what you are aiming to happen.  If the symptoms return then take it again until they go, then try again without it. The idea is that your hormones will remain in balance once they’ve been put right, but some people are very prone to imbalance and so need to take further courses. There is no ill effect from taking it long term, but I obviously prefer you not to be taking it if you don’t need it. 

Q: I’ve recently been diagnosed with fibroids. Are there any foods and supplements and natural therapies you can recommend?

A: One woman in five may develop fibroids.  Fibroids, which are non-cancerous growths, vary in size from as small as a pea to as large as a eight month old foetus. They sometimes run in families and are most common in women between the age of 30 and the menopause. After the menopause they shrink.

 

A large fibroid can cause heavy periods and/or bleeding between periods. The heavy period is caused by the fibroids making the womb bigger and increasing the surface of the womb lining that has to bleed. Many women experience low backache and painful periods and sex but some women experience heavy periods without pain. In some cases there may be no symptoms at all and the first indication that there may be fibroids is when there is trouble getting pregnant. Fibroids can enlarge and distort the womb, making it difficult for a fertilised egg to implant.

 

Although fibroids are very common, no one knows for sure what the cause is but we do know that they are sensitive to oestrogen.   Fibroids are also more likely in overweight women because their fat cells manufacture more oestrogen.

 

If you think you may have fibroids visit your doctor to get a proper diagnosis, preferably with an ultrasound scan, to rule out other problems. Fibroids can be removed surgically and the procedure is called a myomectomy.   

 

If your doctor suggests a hysterectomy, I would suggest that you only consider this as the last resort as it is a major surgical procedure. Although there are situations in which surgery may be the best answer for fibroids, a woman with mild symptoms has another option and that is to simply to watch and wait, and try the following natural solutions below, as many fibroids stop growing or shrink of their own accord.

 

During this watching and waiting period it is extremely important to eat a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet as this will help balance your hormones. Buy organic produce as much as possible if you suffer from fibroids. This will help you avoid xenoestrogens from the environment that can encourage the growth of fibroids.

 

Coffee and products containing caffeine should be avoided because they increase menstrual flow.

 

Limit your intake of saturated fats (mainly found in animal products, such as dairy and meat) as well because they block the absorption of essential fats and increase oestrogen levels.  Don’t cut down on fish though because beneficial prostaglandins that can ease heavy periods are produced from foods, like oily fish, nuts and seeds that contain certain essential fatty acids.

 

Avoid any substance that can compromise your liver, such as alcohol, tobacco, drugs such as paracetamol and ibuprofen. Your liver processes the hormones that your body produces and renders them harmless. If your liver is not functioning well this can cause a build up of unwanted oestrogen which can encourage the growth of fibroids.

 

Eat plenty of foods rich in fibre because a fibre rich diet helps to eliminate unwanted oestrogen from your body. Whole grains, such as brown rice, oats, rye and fresh fruit and vegetables are great sources of fibre. Foods that are high in phytoestrogens, such as soya and legumes, can be very beneficial. Phytoestrogens boost the production of a protein called sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) that controls how much oestrogen is circulating in your blood.

 

Regular exercise (30 minutes a day) is also beneficial as it will exercise can boost circulation to your womb.

 

Agnus Castus has a good reputation as an herb that can help to balance female hormones and reduce excess oestrogen which may be stimulating the growth of fibroids.

 

Milk thistle is a liver tonic and boosts your body’s natural detoxification process by helping to deactivate and excrete unwanted, or ‘old,’ oestrogen out of your body.  (See Agnus Castus Plus on the Resources Page which also contains milk thistle).

 

For more information on the medical treatment of fibroids and other herbs which can be useful for heavy bleeding then see my book Nutritional Health Handbook for Women.

 

If you aren’t suffering unduly before deciding on any drugs or surgery remind yourself that fibroids are not life-threatening and that the natural approach can often help ease fibroids.