Nothing could be more stressful for a woman than not being able to start a family due to infertility. You could have spent years avoiding getting pregnant and the time you decide to get pregnant, the body lets you down.
There are various reasons for pregnancy failure and food allergies could be one of them. Here is why:
Immunological Infertility
A conception will always arouse an immune response because the body will perceive the embryo as a foreign material. The immune system may ‘over-react’ and launches a defense mechanism against the developing embryo.
This may damage the embryo and possibly lead to a miscarriage. One of the leading causes of immunological infertility is food allergies.
What’s more, constant immune assault from allergens may also turn the body against itself, creating auto-immune antibodies and other conditions that cause infertility.
Inflammation and Infertility
Another possible connection between infertility and food allergy comes as a side effect of the body’s interaction with food allergens. Inflammation occurs when the food allergen reaches the stomach.
Such inflammations, if heightened, can damage the ovary and the fallopian tubes. Therefore, allergies may prime the female body for infertility.
Gluten Allergy
Doctors are convinced that how the immune system responds to gluten intolerance and celiac disease has a negative impact on the menstrual cycle, disrupting ovulation.
Past studies have suggested that incidences of celiac are generally under-diagnosed and they could be 3-5% more prevalent in women experiencing unexplained infertility.
High prolactin amounts turn off the production of brain chemicals that are associated with both the production and release of eggs.
Several studies have also shown that gluten sensitive men may also experience problems with sperm production. This includes producing defective sperms, a case that can often contribute to unexplained infertility in couples.
Food Enhancers
Apart from food allergies, consuming certain foods and beverages can also lead to infertility. For instance, food additives such as Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA), Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), yellow dyes, potassium bromate, monosodium glutamate, benzoates, sulfites, aspartame, nitrates and nitrites, cause allergic reactions that can also contribute to infertility.
One study has also shown that Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) lowers pregnancy success. BHA and BHT are often used for preserving baked food, bacon, margarine, canned goods, powdered soup, etc. BHA and BHT have similar negative effects on conception just like Monosodium Glutamate.
MSG is a commonly used flavor enhancer in many products like gelatin, packet soup, crisps, crackers, tortillas, milk, noodles, candy, sauces, gravies, soy sauce, etc.
Conclusion
A healthy body forms a key step toward improving fertility. It doesn’t matter whether you are struggling with infertility or just preparing for fertility, getting your body into peak condition is crucial. Addressing any possibility of underlying food sensitivities can optimize your health and body making conceiving much easier.
Because over 65% of the body’s immune system actually lives in the gut, you should not be surprised at how your health and fertility is affected by what you eat. This is why you need to know what you are eating, and the most conclusive way of finding out whether your body has any good allergies is through a comprehensive food allergy test.