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Pregnancy

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pregnancy

How to Improve Sperm Health (supplements & lifestyle recommendations)

Posted on January 21st 2025 (4 months)

In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick covers male fertility strategies, including supplements, lifestyle changes, and heat and alcohol's impact on sperm health.

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Q&A #64 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (11/2/24)

Posted on November 19th 2024 (6 months)

Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses silicone safety, grounding, pentadecanoic acid, and the potential benefits of olive leaf extract and peptides.

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Q&A #57 with Dr. Rhonda Patrick (3/9/24)

Posted on March 19th 2024 (about 1 year)

Dr. Rhonda Patrick explores blood tests to track health, statin alternatives, mitochondrial supplements, and vitamin B12 and autism risk in her latest Q&A.

Topic Pages

  • Creatine

    Creatine is a naturally occurring compound best known for its widespread use as a dietary supplement to enhance physical performance.

News & Publications

  • Microplastics found in ovarian follicular fluid of nearly 80% of women undergoing fertility treatment, potentially disrupting hormone regulation, impairing egg maturation, and altering embryo development. www.sciencedirect.com
    Pregnancy Pollution

    Plastic contamination has become pervasive, with microplastics—microscopic plastic particles—now detected in most human tissues. A recent study found microplastics in the follicular fluid of women undergoing fertility treatment, raising new concerns about how these contaminants might affect human reproduction.

    Researchers collected follicular fluid samples from 18 women receiving assisted reproductive treatment. To detect and characterize plastic particles smaller than 10 micrometers, they used scanning electron microscopy paired with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy—an advanced technique that identifies materials based on their composition.

    They found microplastics in nearly 80% of the samples (14 out of 18), with an average concentration of more than 2,000 particles per milliliter. On average, particles measured about 4.5 micrometers in diameter. They did not identify an association between microplastic concentration, fertilization, miscarriages, and live birth. However, higher microplastic concentrations were associated with higher levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, a key marker of ovarian function.

    These findings indicate that microplastics accumulate in human ovarian follicles. The investigators proposed that the lack of association between microplastics and aspects of reproductive health may have been due to the small study size (only 18 women), especially in light of animal evidence indicating that microplastics disrupt hormone regulation, impair egg maturation, and alter embryo development. Learn more about the effects of microplastics on the reproductive system in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

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  • Swabbing C-section newborns with their mothers' vaginal fluid promotes healthier neurodevelopment at 3 and 6 months, bridging the gap to vaginally del www.newscientist.com
    Microbiome Immune System Pregnancy Development

    Infants born by cesarean section have different microbial communities in and on their bodies than those born vaginally, potentially increasing their risk of developing certain diseases, such as asthma and obesity. But a new study shows that vaginal microbiota transfer – exposing newborns to fluids from their mother’s vagina – may rectify these differences.

    The study involved 68 infants born by cesarean section. Researchers swabbed the infants' skin with sterile gauze soaked in either the mother’s vaginal fluids or saline immediately after birth. They assessed the infants' neurodevelopment at three and six months of age and analyzed the microbial makeup of the infants' guts.

    They found that infants who received vaginal microbiota transfer scored higher on neurodevelopment assessments than those who received saline. They also had healthier, more mature gut microbiomes – comparable to infants born vaginally.

    These findings suggest that exposing infants born via cesarean section to their mother’s vaginal fluids promotes appropriate neurodevelopment and corrects alterations in gut microbial populations. Learn more about the importance of establishing a healthy microbiome early in life in this clip featuring Dr. Eran Elinav.

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  • A father's drinking habits may play a greater role in pregnancy than once believed. medicalxpress.com
    Alcohol Pregnancy

    Paternal drinking negatively affects pregnancy outcomes, a new study in mice shows. The more alcohol a male mouse drank before conception, the less likely the pregnancy was successful.

    Researchers modeled chronic alcohol consumption in adult mice for six weeks. One group drank no alcohol, one group drank to the legal limit (0.8 percent blood alcohol level), and the other drank to 50 percent above the legal limit. Then, using sperm samples they collected from the mice, they attempted to fertilize eggs taken from female mice.

    They found that any amount of preconception alcohol consumption reduced the fertilization success rate in the mice. However, the highest alcohol consumption – 50 percent above the legal limit – reduced the fertilization success rate by roughly half. They also found that alcohol altered the activity of genes involved in placental development.

    These findings suggest that male alcohol consumption plays a critical role in conception. Evidence suggests that exercise can reduce cravings for alcohol by inducing the production of a hormone called FGF21. Learn more in this video featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.

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  • Fathers-to-be should avoid alcohol six months before conception. www.sciencedaily.com
    Alcohol Pregnancy

    Parental abstention from alcohol reduces an infant’s risk of being born with congenital heart disease.

    Congenital heart disease is an umbrella term for a range of heart conditions that are present at birth. Approximately 1 percent of all children worldwide are born with the conditions. Findings from a 2019 meta-analysis suggest that parental abstention from alcohol reduces an infant’s risk of being born with congenital heart disease.

    Alcohol elicits an array of harmful effects on the human body and is widely considered a toxin. Consuming alcohol is associated with an increased risk of many disorders, including infectious diseases, cancer, neuropsychiatric diseases, cardiovascular disease, liver and pancreas disease, metabolic dysfunction, obesity, and unintentional and intentional injury. Health experts advise women who are pregnant to avoid alcohol to reduce the risk of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder as well as other developmental delays and disorders.

    The investigators searched the scientific literature to identify studies examining links between paternal alcohol consumption and congenital heart disease risk. They filtered their results based on a set of criteria designed to identify studies of high quality. Finally, they combined data from these high-quality studies and reanalyzed it so they could interpret the results on a large scale.

    They identified 55 studies involving nearly 42,000 infants with congenital heart disease and nearly 300,000 without. Infants whose mothers consumed alcohol three months before pregnancy or during the first trimester were 16 percent more likely to develop congenital heart disease. However, if a father consumed alcohol during those timeframes, his infant was 44 percent more likely to develop the condition. Infants whose fathers binge drank were 52 percent more likely to develop congenital heart disease. When the investigators looked at specific diseases, they found that infants whose mothers drank alcohol before or during pregnancy were 20 percent more likely to develop tetralogy of Fallot, a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth. Infants with tetralogy of Fallot are often referred to as “blue babies” due to the cyanosis that manifests with the condition.

    These findings suggest that parental consumption of alcohol in the months before or during early pregnancy increases an infant’s risk for developing congenital heart disease. This risk is markedly higher for fathers, whose roles in their offspring’s health are becoming more evident. For example, research suggests that infants of fathers who exercise have better metabolic health later in life.

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  • Probiotics reduce symptoms of morning sickness through interactions with the gut microbiota. www.sciencedaily.com
    Probiotics Pregnancy

    Morning sickness affects up to 85 percent of pregnant women and is caused by hormonal changes during early pregnancy. Vitamin B6, antihistamines, and some prescription medications are used to treat nausea and vomiting during pregnancy; however, additional treatments that address hormonal imbalances are needed. Findings of a new report show that probiotics reduced nausea and vomiting and improved quality of life in pregnant women.

    Levels of hormones such as estrogen and progesterone fluctuate throughout pregnancy altering the composition of the gut microbiota and gastrointestinal function. Gut microbes metabolize food, supplements, and medications and produce compounds such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, which are absorbed into the bloodstream and facilitate communication between the microbiota and host. Previous research has demonstrated that probiotics reduce nausea and vomiting; however, research in pregnant women is lacking.

    The investigators recruited 32 female participants who were in their first trimester of pregnancy with no high-risk conditions and had reported symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Participants completed two cycles of Nature’s Bounty brand probiotics (containing 10 billion live cultures of Lactobacillus bacteria) consisting of six days of daily probiotics and two days without probiotics. Participants answered daily questionnaires about gastrointestinal symptoms and provided fecal samples in order to sequence bacterial DNA and measure bacterial metabolites.

    Probiotic supplementation reduced the severity of nausea and vomiting, but did not significantly alter the concentration of fecal metabolites, except for alpha-tocopherol, a form of vitamin E. Probiotic supplementation also had little effect on the composition of the gut microbiota, except for a progressive reduction in the concentration of Akkermansia bacteria. When measuring copies of important bacterial genes, the researchers found that probiotics increased the expression of a gene required to produce the enzyme bile salt hydrolase more than fivefold. Participants with high levels of fecal alpha-tocopherol, low levels of fecal Akkermansia, and/or high copy numbers of the bile salt hydrolase gene were less likely to report vomiting throughout the study.

    The authors interpret these findings to suggest that probiotics enhanced the production of free bile acids in the intestines, facilitating intestinal mobility and metabolism and reducing painful gastrointestinal symptoms.

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  • Maternal body weight influences risk of ADHD and obesity in offspring. apple.news
    Brain Obesity Pregnancy ADHD Genetics

    A woman’s body weight before and during pregnancy can have profound health effects on both mother and child. Women with obesity are at greater risk for developing pregnancy complications that can impair infant neurodevelopment, such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, preterm birth, and birth trauma. Findings from a new study suggest that maternal obesity contributes to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity in offspring.

    ADHD is a neuro-behavioral condition characterized by inattention and/or hyperactive or impulsive behavior that interferes with functioning, learning, or development. Obesity is characterized as having excessive body fat – typically defined as having greater than 25 percent body fat for males and greater than 33 percent body fat for females.

    The study included nearly 3,000 Finnish women and their offspring (~9,400 children). The authors of the study collected information about the children’s behavior and attention span from mothers and teachers. They gathered anthropometric data to determine the mothers' and children’s body mass index (BMI), a proxy for body fatness. They used Mendelian randomization and polygenic risk scores to assess risk for ADHD and/or obesity. Mendelian randomization is a research method that provides evidence of links between modifiable risk factors and disease based on genetic variants within a population. A polygenic risk score estimates a person’s genetic propensity for developing a trait or disease.

    They found that children whose mothers had a high BMI were more likely to develop ADHD, independent of genetic makeup. The Mendelian randomization analysis identified a bidirectional link between developing ADHD and obesity-related traits, suggesting that certain genetic variations may predispose children to both ADHD and obesity concurrently. The polygenic risk score revealed evidence for genetic overlap between having ADHD and greater BMI.

    These finding suggest that both genetic and prenatal environmental factors influence the likelihood that a woman’s child will develop ADHD and obesity. They also underscore the importance of maintaining a healthy maternal body weight before and during pregnancy.

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  • Maternal diabetes causes birth defects by increasing cellular aging. apple.news
    Brain Aging Diabetes Pregnancy

    Neural tube defects (e.g., spina bifida, hydranencephaly) are a group of birth defects caused by incomplete development of the outer layers of the brain or spinal cord. Prenatal folate supplementation prevents an estimated 70 percent of neural tube defects, but additional therapies are needed. A recent report describes the relationship between maternal diabetes and abnormal cell aging in the fetal nervous system in mice.

    Previous research has demonstrated a relationship between maternal diabetes and the incidence of neural tube defects in mice; however, the mechanisms that drive this relationship are unknown. High blood glucose levels cause oxidative damage and promote cellular senescence, a state in which cells are not metabolically active and do not reproduce. Aging cells accumulate damage over time and become senescent. In adults, an excess of senescent cells can promote inflammation and disease. In the developing fetus, senescence is vital for tissue remodeling and the building of limbs and organs. However, inappropriate senescence may lead to abnormal development.

    The investigators used multiple mouse models in their study. In a first experiment, they used a strain of mice that develop diabetes and compared them to wild-type mice that are not predisposed to any disease. They injected pregnant females from both groups with either rapamycin, a compound that slows cellular aging by inhibiting the enzyme mTOR, or a placebo. In a second experiment, they used diabetic and non-diabetic strains of knockout mice, whose genomes do not contain the gene FoxO3a, a regulator of aging that may slow cellular senescence.

    Maternal diabetes increased the abundance of biomarkers of cellular senescence and DNA damage in the lining of the brain in offspring. Pregnant diabetic mice that were exposed to rapamycin had offspring with lower levels of senescence biomarkers and fewer neural tube defects compared to placebo. Offspring from FoxO3a knockout mice experienced the same decrease in senescence biomarkers and neural tube defect rates as rapamycin-treated mice.

    These results elucidate the mechanisms by which maternal diabetes can cause birth defects through metabolic changes that accelerate aging. Learn more about the role of cellular senescence in aging in this episode featuring Dr. Judith Campisi.

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  • DHA supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of early preterm birth. www.sciencedaily.com
    Omega-3 Pregnancy Supplements

    Early preterm birth (six or more weeks early) is one of the primary contributors to disability and death in children under the age of five years. Infants born early preterm are more likely to experience neurodevelopmental, respiratory, and gastrointestinal difficulties. Currently, physicians do not have reliable markers by which to predict whether a woman is at risk for an early preterm birth. Nearly 3 percent of infants born in the United States are early preterm. Findings from a new study suggest that maternal high-dose docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of early term birth.

    DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish and other seafood. It plays critical roles in fetal vision and nervous system growth and development. There are no established guidelines for DHA intake for pregnant women, but most prenatal supplements include DHA, typically in amounts of approximately 200 milligrams.

    The study involved 1,100 pregnant women in the United States. The authors of the study randomly assigned the women to one of two groups, with one half receiving a high dose (1,000 milligram) DHA supplement, and the other receiving a low dose (200 milligram) DHA supplement. Both groups of women took their respective supplements daily for the duration of their pregnancies. The authors noted pregnancy outcomes (such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, Cesarean delivery, or others), maternal and infant health status (including DHA levels), and serious adverse events post-delivery (such as birth defects, death, or others).

    Among women who took the higher dose of DHA, 1.7 percent gave birth early preterm; among those who took the lower dose, 2.4 percent gave birth early preterm. However, if they had low DHA levels at the beginning of the study, they were half as likely to give birth early preterm if they took the higher dose, compared to those who took the lower dose. Timing was important, too, with lower risk associated with taking the supplements in the first half of pregnancy, rather than the last half. Women who had higher levels of DHA at the beginning of the study had a 1.2 percent risk of giving birth early preterm birth, and this risk did not change when taking a high dose DHA supplement.

    These findings suggest that high-dose DHA supplementation during pregnancy reduces the risk of early preterm birth and provide evidence for establishing recommended intakes for pregnant women. The authors recommended that physicians measure DHA levels in pregnant women and offer high-dose DHA supplements to those whose levels are low.

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  • Micronutrient supplementation before pregnancy improves children’s long-term intellectual functioning. academic.oup.com
    Pregnancy Micronutrients Development

    Pregnancy and early childhood are periods of human development when the body has an increased requirement for micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Animal studies have shown the importance of preconception nutrition for offspring development; however, long-term human trials are lacking. Investigators aimed to determine the long-term effects of preconception micronutrient supplementation on children’s intellectual functioning.

    Several micronutrients play critical roles in fetal development. For example, folic acid supplementation during pregnancy prevents neural tube defects, and iron plays an important role in brain maturation, promoting cell division, myelination, and synaptic development. Less is known about the importance of other micronutrients, however.

    The researchers assigned over 5,000 female participants to take folic acid (2,800 micrograms) only, iron plus folic acid (60 milligrams iron and 2800 micrograms folic acid), or multiple micronutrients (15 micronutrients including iron and folic acid) for an average of 33 weeks between baseline and conception. Researchers tracked 1,300 of the participants' children from birth to the age of six. They tested the children on multiple domains of intelligence and collected information regarding maternal health and home life.

    Compared to children whose mothers received only folic acid, children in the iron plus folic acid and mixed micronutrient group performed better in multiple domains, including verbal comprehension, perceptual reasoning, working memory, and processing speed. This effect was strongest for children whose mothers consumed the supplements for greater than 26 weeks before conception. The effects of supplementation were also stronger for children born to households with low socioeconomic status.

    The authors concluded that preconception micronutrient supplementation is important to optimize child development and recommended the promotion of supplementation to all females of child-bearing age.

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  • Maternal dietary intake of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids influences aspects of child psychomotor development. academic.oup.com
    Omega-3 Pregnancy

    Prenatal and early life nutrition are crucial to an infant’s development and lifelong health. Nutritional deficits during these periods are intrinsically linked to impaired mental and physical growth. Findings from a new study indicate that consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids influences aspects of child psychomotor development.

    Omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that are essential for human health. Evidence suggests that maternal consumption of fish and seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids improves children’s performance on intelligence tests. Evidence suggests that a lower omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio is more desirable in reducing the risk of many of chronic diseases.

    The study drew on data from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, an ongoing study of the effects of environmental factors on child development. The authors of the study evaluated mother-child pairs when the children were six months old (more than 82,000 pairs) and 12 months old (more than 77,000 pairs). The mothers in the study completed food frequency questionnaires that provided information about their fish and total omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acid intake. The women also completed questionnaires about their children’s psychomotor development, including communication, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem-solving, and personal-social skills, at six months and 12 months of age.

    The authors found that the children whose mothers consumed fish or omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy were less likely to experience delays in problem-solving at six months of age and in fine motor skills and problem-solving at 12 months of age. They found that dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids was associated with lower risk of communication and fine motor skill delays at six months of age and in gross motor skills, fine motor skills, and problem-solving at 12 months. However, the children whose mothers had a high dietary omega-6 to omega-3 ratio were more likely to experience delays in problem-solving skills at the age of 12 months.

    These findings suggest that dietary fish and omega-3 fatty acid intake have beneficial effects on children’s psychomotor development and underscore the need for appropriate dietary counseling for women during pregnancy.

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  • Dietary and physical activity changes among obese pregnant women benefit their children's health. www.sciencedaily.com
    Pregnancy

    Evidence suggests that children born to women with obesity are at greater risk of developing health problems, including obesity, later in life. Findings from a new study suggest that dietary and physical activity changes during pregnancy improve the health of children born to women with obesity.

    The intervention study involved more than 500 children and their mothers before, during, and three years after pregnancy. The women received dietary and physical activity counseling in the early stages of pregnancy and received a pedometer to track their activity.

    When the children were three years old, the authors of the study measured the children’s blood pressure, resting pulse rate, and adiposity (body mass index, skinfold thicknesses, body fat, and waist and arm circumferences). They also evaluated the mothers' diets and physical activity and measured their adiposity.

    The children whose mothers engaged in healthier lifestyles had lower resting heart rates and were 27 percent less likely to be obese at the age of three years. The women maintained some of their healthy lifestyle behaviors as evidenced by reduced intake of foods high in sugars and saturated fat.

    These findings suggest that dietary and physical activity interventions during pregnancy can benefit the children of women with obesity. The authors noted that the benefits observed in this study were modest, however, and had no effects on childhood obesity. More effective interventions are needed to elicit greater health effects.

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  • Maternal immune activation during pregnancy increases the severity of autism symptoms in children. www.eurekalert.org
    Pregnancy Autism Sulforaphane Autoimmunity

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by impaired social interaction, behavioral problems, and poor communication. The disorder typically manifests in early childhood and is slightly more common among boys than girls. Roughly one in 54 people living in the United States has ASD. Findings from a new study suggest that maternal immune activation during pregnancy increases the severity of ASD in offspring.

    Maternal immune activation due to autoimmune disorders, asthma, or allergies switches on the activity of inflammatory pathways and proinflammatory molecules. Many of these molecules can cross the blood–brain barrier and the placenta, potentially disrupting fetal development. Elevated levels of these proinflammatory molecules have been found at birth or during development in some people with ASD – a finding that has been linked with increased severity of symptoms.

    The study involved 363 children who were enrolled in the Autism Phenome Project or the Girls with Autism Imaging of Neurodevelopment studies, along with their mothers. The authors of the study assessed children’s behavioral and emotional problems and reviewed the mothers' pregnancy histories.

    They found that asthma was the most common immune condition among the mothers, but other conditions, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis were reported as well. Roughly 20 percent of the mothers of male children with ASD had asthma. Maternal immune conditions were associated with increased behavioral and emotional problems but not cognitive function in both sexes.

    These findings indicate that maternal immune conditions may influence the severity of ASD symptoms in offspring and the severity of these symptoms may vary between males and females. Although there is no cure for ASD, robust data demonstrate that sulforaphane, a bioactive compound derived from cruciferous vegetables, especially broccoli sprouts, may be beneficial in reducing many of the behavioral and emotions symptoms associated with the condition.

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  • Low BDNF during pregnancy is associated with depression during pregnancy and subsequent low fetal birth weight. www.sciencedaily.com
    Brain Pregnancy Development BDNF

    Depression is the most common form of mental health condition worldwide, affecting more than 322 million people. The disorder affects women disproportionately and is particularly common during pregnancy. Findings from a 2017 study demonstrated that serum levels of BDNF drop considerably during pregnancy, potentially increasing a woman’s risk for depression.

    BDNF modulates synaptic plasticity and long-term potentiation – critical aspects of memory storage and brain function. Low BDNF levels are associated with increased risk for depression00181-1/fulltext?cc=y=).

    The study involved 139 healthy pregnant women (77 Blacks and 62 whites) who were assessed three times during their pregnancies (once during each trimester) and again at four to 11 weeks postpartum. The authors of the study measured the participants' BDNF and cortisol levels via blood samples, gathered demographic data, and conducted psychosocial assessments. They reviewed the women’s medical records to determine their infants' birth weights.

    The results of their assessments indicated that the women’s BDNF levels dropped considerably over the course of their pregnancies but rebounded during the postpartum period. In general, Black women had higher BDNF levels and lower cortisol levels than white women during pregnancy and postpartum. Lower levels of BDNF during the second and third trimesters were associated with higher risk for depression and lower birthweight babies, regardless of race.

    Interestingly, these findings contradict those of an earlier study in rats and humans. However, the authors of the current study suggested that the conflicting findings may have been due to differences in assays used to measure BDNF.

    Evidence indicates that exercise increases BDNF. Exercise is generally considered safe for pregnant women and may be a way to prevent some of the changes in mood that occur during pregnancy.

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