Fertilité
Limiting the impact of the environment on your fertility: the importance of acting early
The decision to have a child is often a major step in a couple's life. However, fertility is steadily declining. Diet, air quality, and daily lifestyle can all have a real impact on fertility, in both women and men.
Summary
The preconception period, the six months preceding pregnancy, is particularly sensitive. During this phase, certain environmental factors can disrupt gene expression, thus influencing the health of the unborn child and subsequent generations. Despite this, current recommendations still focus primarily on the pregnancy itself. It is therefore essential to better inform expectant parents and to take preventative action, particularly through the use of natural and personalized solutions.
Understanding the impact of the environment on fertility
Endocrine disruptors, reprotoxic substances
Fertility is not solely dependent on biological factors. The environment has a major impact, particularly through exposure to substances known as reproductive toxicants, such as endocrine disruptors (EDs). The WHO defines these substances as agents that can disrupt the endocrine (hormonal) balance and cause adverse effects on fertility, development, or metabolism. These include pesticides, plasticizers (Bisphenol A, phthalates), solvents, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
In women, they are linked to disorders such as endometriosis, ovarian insufficiency, and miscarriages. Early exposure, particularly during pregnancy or early childhood, can also have lasting consequences on development. In men, they are associated with decreased sperm quality and an increased risk of testicular cancer.
Oxidative stress: the consequences of a disturbed environment on your fertility
These harmful effects on fertility often occur through a mechanism called oxidative stress. This is an imbalance in the body: too many free radicals, unstable molecules, are produced, and not enough antioxidants to neutralize them.
This imbalance is generated by pollution, tobacco, poor diet, stress and endocrine disruptors, etc.
When this imbalance occurs, it can damage cells, including those involved in reproduction. This can alter the structure and proper functioning of oocytes or sperm.
Combating oxidative stress with micronutrition
In men, 30 to 80% of infertility cases are thought to be linked to the effects of oxidative stress , particularly through alterations in sperm quality.
Therefore, it is essential to support the body's antioxidant defenses . This involves, in particular, the intake of antioxidant molecules capable of neutralizing free radicals: vitamins C and E, zinc, selenium, taurine, or coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).
Other elements, such as iron, copper, manganese or zinc, act by supporting the activity of our antioxidant defenses already present in the body.
The majority of these antioxidants are not produced by the body, or in insufficient quantities, hence the importance of adopting a suitable diet or targeted supplementation.
The GAMETIX® range, experts in fertility and Developed by DENSMORE Laboratories, it was specifically designed to support couples in their desire for a child, by providing them with the essential nutrients to support oxidative balance.
When should you consider treatment to preserve your fertility?
What is the current data on fertility in France?
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines infertility as the inability to conceive after 12 months of regular attempts to conceive. Today in France, approximately one in four couples experiences difficulties, representing nearly 3.3 million people . Given these figures, infertility is now recognized as a significant public health issue and has been integrated into a national strategy since 2022.
What are the main causes of decreased fertility?
Declining fertility affects both men and women . In women, the main factor remains age: fertility begins to decline as early as 30, with a more pronounced drop after 35, linked to the depletion of the ovarian reserve, a non-renewable supply of oocytes established before birth. In men, fertility is also influenced by age, although more gradually. The decline in sperm quality begins around 40 and becomes more pronounced after 50.
Tips and lifestyle to preserve your fertility
Before even considering treatment, adopting a healthy and balanced lifestyle is the first recommendation. Tobacco, alcohol, or cannabis use, an unbalanced diet, a sedentary lifestyle, being overweight or underweight, and chronic stress can all impair the quality of eggs and sperm.
Furthermore, certain professions regularly expose individuals to toxic substances whose impact on fertility is often underestimated, particularly in agriculture, the chemical industry, metallurgy, and waste management. These practices can play a crucial role in optimizing natural fertility.
If you would like advice or have a question, please contact us by following this link: https://densmoregynecologie.com/pages/contact
This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for consultation or advice from your doctor. Consult a healthcare professional before starting to take any dietary supplement.
[Scientific references]
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