Getting Pregnant Naturally_ Healthy Choi - Winifred Conkling [39]
Smoking saps the body of fertility-enhancing vitamin C, which appears to be one reason for the reduced sperm count among male smokers. Evidence indicates that smokers require at least twice as much vitamin C as nonsmokers. In one study, men with a pack-a-day habit were given either 0 milligrams, 200 milligrams, or 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C. After one month, the men in the 1,000-milligram group had a 140 percent increase in sperm count; those in the 200-milligram group had a 112 percent increase, and the men in the 0-milligram group had no change. More to the point, all the men in the vitamin C group got their partners pregnant within two months, while none of the men in the placebo group had conceived a child. If you smoke, take up to three grams of vitamin C a day (any your body doesn’t need will be excreted in your urine).
Be wary of secondhand smoke. Standing in a very smoky room for one hour will be as toxic to your lungs—and your fertility—as directly inhaling ten to fifteen cigarettes.
Stop Drinking Alcohol
Drinking alcohol—even in moderation—can affect the fertility of both women and men. In women, alcohol affects the liver’s ability to clear hormonal debris, disrupting hormone levels and interfering with egg production. While the amount of alcohol required to alter brain chemistry and hormone levels varies from woman to woman, evidence suggests that even moderate drinking can contribute to infertility. A 1994 study involving women who used alcohol moderately (one drink or less per day) found a strong correlation between drinking and ovulatory dysfunction and endometriosis. This was after adjustment for age, cigarette smoking, number of sexual partners, use of an intrauterine device, body mass index, and level of exercise.
In men, drinking three drinks a day can cause endocrine abnormalities, low testosterone levels and sperm counts, and an increase in abnormal sperm. Extreme alcohol use (more than five drinks a day) can cause impotence, as well as a temporary inability to ejaculate if an erection does occur.
Recent studies have found that the babies of fathers who drank as few as two drinks a day in the month prior to conception weighed 6.5 ounces less than the babies of teetotaling fathers. This link had nothing to do with whether the mother drank or smoked.
Don’t Use Recreational Drugs
There are plenty of good reasons not to use illegal drugs, and inhibiting fertility is just one of them.
Marijuana carries all the risks and negative side effects of cigarette smoking—and more. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, reduces the size of the uterus and ovaries in women; it lowers hormone levels and disrupts menstruation and ovulation. (Female marijuana smokers are three times more likely than nonusers to have irregular menstrual periods.) In men, marijuana use is linked to lowered sperm counts and chromosomally damaged sperm. Smoking marijuana also decreases the male sex drive.
Cocaine causes birth defects and can trigger miscarriage by stimulating the nervous system, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, and constricting blood vessels. In men, cocaine can raise the core body temperature and damage sperm; it can also cause hormonal imbalances that affect sperm production.
Hallucinatory drugs, amphetamines, barbiturates, and narcotics all interfere with hormone levels in both men and women, interfering with ovulation in women and sperm production in men.
Avoid the Use of Unnecessary Prescription and Over-the-Counter Drugs
A number of common prescription and nonprescription drugs can inhibit fertility. Stop taking any medications that aren’t absolutely necessary. If you’re not sure of the possible impact of a drug you’re taking, consult your pharmacist or doctor.
A number of drugs can interfere with fertility, including certain antibiotics, anti-seizure