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Reproductive

Menopause and Sleep Disturbances: Could Cannabis Help?

Menopause is a physiological change in menstruation emanating from fluctuations, and gradual down regulation, of ovarian hormonal activity.1 Hormonal fluctuations, also known as menopausal transition, can produce a plethora of symptoms to include depression, urinary incontinence, joint pain, palpitations, headaches, sexual concerns, night sweats, tiredness, and sleep disturbances.1(149) Most relevantly, sleep disturbances have been reported…

Bacterial Vaginosis: Support With St. John’s Wort

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition affecting approximately 21 million females between 14-44 years of age within the United States, with recurrence rates as high as 58%.1 The genesis of BV occurs from an imbalance of normal anaerobic lactobacillus populations relative to anaerobic bacteria in the vaginal fluid; a condition known as dysbiosis.2 Ultimately, if…

Infertility and Endocrine Disruptors: Nutrition and Exercise Interventions

Infertility can be defined as the inability to conceive a child within a 12-month timeframe, affecting men and women equally.1 Said condition affects approximately 12% of the American population, or 7.3 million people, and has influenced a precipitous decline in fertility rate.1(763) As a means of exploring natural interventions to improve fertility, the following will…

Increase Low Testosterone (Hypogonadism) With Zinc!

Zinc (Zn) is a trace mineral and essential cofactor in many enzymatic reactions to include carbonic dehydratase, alkaline phosphatase, and polymerases and is critical for DNA synthesis and cell division.1Deficiencies in Zn can cause several maladies such as increased risk of infections, impaired brain development, infertility, dermatitis, alopecia, impaired smell/taste, and low testosterone.1(1085)2Thus, adequate levels…

Selenium: Function, Deficiencies, and Best Sources

Selenium (Se) is a micronutrient that is a component of larger proteins (i.e., selenoproteins) involved in such processes as redox reactions, antioxidant activity, reproduction, immune function, and thyroid metabolism (Thomason, Chisholm, McLachlan, & Campbell, 2008). Deficiencies in Se have been associated with viral infections, inflammatory disorders, male infertility, altered immune function, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and…

Zinc: Function and Deficiencies

Zinc (Zn) is a micronutrient and essential cofactor/metal in many enzymes to include alkaline phosphatase, carbonic dehydratase, and polymerases and is obligatory for cell division and DNA synthesis (Crook, 2011). Deficiencies in Zn can cause several maladies such as increased risk of infections, infertility, impaired brain development, dermatitis, alopecia, low testosterone, and impaired smell/taste (Crook,…

Hemochromatosis, Supplementation, and a Tale of Caution

Micronutrient supplementation falls within an industry that generates substantial sums of revenue; Dagerman (2012) noted that in 2009, the aforementioned industry generated 26.7 billion dollars with 1,000 new supplements entering the consumer market yearly, and more than 29,000 supplements available for purchase in total. With such an array of choices, and a lack of quality…

Macronutrient Requirements During Pregnancy

Nutrient requirements during pregnancy are dynamic, and vary depending on several biomarkers of the female. Such markers include: current nutrient status, body size, physical activity levels, stage of pregnancy, and overall health status (Brown, 2014). As such, nutrient recommendations are largely unique to each individual. However, despite the specificity of said nutrient requirements, it is…

Celiac Disease, Infertility: Exploring Solutions

Gastrointestinal (GI) function is paramount in providing optimal health and a strong immune system. Ultimately, the GI tract acts as a gateway connecting the outside environment to the delicate internal systems of the human body. Thus, aberrations in gut barrier function and permeability can and does lead to disruptions in homeostasis, including fertility (Fasano &…

Erectile Dysfunction: Support With Nutrition and Exercise

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an inability to achieve and/or maintain an erection of adequate rigidity during sexual intercourse (Reisner & Reisner, 2017). The incidence of ED is on an increase, and is estimated to affect approximately 322 million men globally by the year 2025 (Eleazu, 2017). However, there are nutritional and lifestyle interventions that may…