Have you been trying to conceive and told there may be a concern with your egg quality? Have you been diagnosed with PCOS? Do you experience menstrual irregularities or anovulation? If you have answered yes to any of the above, read on….
There is emerging evidence showing that a supplement called Myo-inositol can assist with several fertility concerns. Myo-inositol is produced by the human body from glucose, and therefore it is not an essential nutrient. This nutritional supplement, which used to be considered part of the B vitamin group, has been steadily gaining interest by fertility experts. Myo-inositol has been shown to improve quality of embryos, assist in restoring normal ovarian function (re-establishing menstrual cyclicity and ovulation) and increase clinical pregnancy rates in women undergoing ovulation induction for ICSI or IVF.
In our practice, we previously limited Myo-inositol to patients with PCOS but with recent studies, we have begun incorporating this supplement in many treatment plans and have added it to our prenatal supplement regime. With promising research in the area of assisted reproduction treatments, we are eager to see further research on the benefits of inositol in natural fertility treatments. This gap in research has not limited our use of Myo-inositol as it appears to be a promising treatment in cases of ‘unexplained fertility’.
If you or any of your friends have been told they have ‘unexplained fertility’, this supplement may be worth trying. Before this can be prescribed by our Naturopathic Doctors, a thorough health history must be performed. If appropriate, women may be prescribed this at either their first or second visit. Bloodwork and ultrasound reports are helpful if available to bring to initial consults. Any fertility patients would have these tests performed prior to cycle monitoring. This information is not essential but can be helpful. For more information about fertility support, feel free to book a complimentary 15-minute session. Initial visits are 1 hour in length.
It is our wish to guide women with as many natural tools as possible. Besides fertility acupuncture, the addition of nutritional supplementation is very beneficial. We look forward to working with you.
References:
Zheng X, Lin D, Zhang Y, et al. Inositol supplement improves clinical pregnancy rate in infertile women undergoing ovulation induction for ICSI or IVF-ET. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(49):e8842. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000008842