Preconception Care

This episode of the Wellness Connection MD podcast focuses on the critical topic of pre-conception care, emphasizing the importance of both parents optimizing their health in the months leading up to pregnancy. The hosts explain that the health of the egg and sperm, as well as the environment in which they develop, significantly impacts fertility, pregnancy outcomes. the long-term health of the child, and even the health of future generations. 

Key points discussed include:

• Pre-conception health: The hosts stress that lifestyle choices made before conception can reduce risks like miscarriages, birth defects, childhood, diseases, and can even affect adult health. 
• Diet and Nutrition: A balanced diet, such as a Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and omega-3 fatty acids is essential for both egg and sperm health. Supplements like folic acid, CoQ10, and vitamin D are also recommended for improving fertility.
• Toxins and Lifestyle Factors: The podcast covers how alcohol, smoking, caffeine, and environmental toxins can negatively affect reproductive health. Reducing exposure to these substances is crucial for optimizing fertility. Toxins discussed include heavy metals, mycotoxins from mold, and organic toxins, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
• Stress Management: Stress can interfere with reproductive health by disrupting hormonal balance. The hosts recommend stress management techniques to improve fertility outcomes.
• Other factors are also discussed, such as restorative sleep, exercise, medications, hydration, infections, thyroid optimization, acupuncture, and epigenetics. 

Listeners are encouraged to share this information with anyone considering starting a family and to take practical steps toward improving their pre-conception health.

Chapters

• 0:02 Optimizing Preconception Care for Fertility
• 11:15 Nutrition's Impact on Preconception Health
• 17:51 Optimizing Preconception Nutrition and Supplements
• 26:18 Lifestyle Factors and Reproductive Health
• 33:51 Understanding Toxins and Reproductive Health
• 44:03 Optimizing Preconception Lifestyle for Fertility

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection MD podcast. I'm Dr McMahon, and in this episode we're going to take a deep dive into one of the best-kept secrets of medicine, and that is preconception care. That means optimizing the health of both parents before the fetus is even conceived. The key here is to create a healthy egg, healthy sperm and a healthy environment in the mother's body in order to give the offspring the very best chance of living a long, happy, healthy life. This is hugely important for fertility and healthy outcomes for mom and baby, and yet it is almost never talked about in medicine. So kick back and enjoy this evidence-based discussion of care before conception. I hope you enjoy the show.

Speaker 2: 0:44

Welcome to the Wellness Connection MD Podcast with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsay, where we bring you the latest up-to-date, evidence-based information on a wide variety of health and wellness topics, along with practical take-home solutions. Dr McMinn is an integrated and functional MD and Lindsay Matthews is a registered nurse and IIN-certified health coach. Together, our goal is to help you optimize your health and wellness in mind. Thank you, favorite podcast player, so that you'll be notified when future episodes come out. The discussions contained in these podcasts are for educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. Please do not apply any of this information without approval from your personal doctor. And now on to the show with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsey.

Speaker 1: 1:42

Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection MD podcast with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsay the evidence-based podcast with all things wellness where we bring you honest, commercial-free, unbiased, up-to-date and evidence-based information, along with practical solutions in order to empower you to overcome your healthcare challenges, to optimize your wellness of mind, body and spirit and to become a great captain of your ship when it comes to your health and wellness. We thank you so much for joining us today. I'm Dr Jim McMinn. I'm here today with our co-host nurse and certified health coach, ms Lindsay Matthews. Good morning, coach.

Speaker 3: 2:17

Good morning, dr Mack. It's good to be back with you and our listeners on the podcast. Today we're going to take a deep dive into the important topic of preconception care. So, just to be clear, that means the care that the mom and dad both take of their own bodies in the months before pregnancy. So in my current job, I get to work with new moms and babies all the time and I have two little guys at home too my babies and so this topic is near and dear to my heart and it really boils down to this In order to have a healthy baby, you've got to start with a healthy egg and a healthy sperm, and then these have to be nurtured in a clean and supportive environment in the womb.

Speaker 3: 3:04

Sperm, and then these have to be nurtured in a clean and supportive environment in the womb. The things that you do in the precious months before conception really have a profound and important impact on the quality of the egg and the sperm, and then the environment, the pregnancy outcomes and, ultimately, the health of the offspring for the rest of his or her life. So I don't think most people think about preconception care at all. I don't either.

Speaker 1: 3:26

I don't either. It's interesting, coach, but it's so important, and now I do realize that many of you listeners are not at the stage in life where this topic is pertinent to you. However, we all have family members and friends who may benefit from this knowledge, so please consider sharing this podcast with someone who might be at the stage in their life when they're considering building a family.

Speaker 3: 3:46

Absolutely, and even so, dr Whitman, I would say that fertility can bea marker of health, whether you're wanting to conceive or not. You kind of think about ancient cultures. They would have their gods and goddesses that were like fertility gods and it was just the sign of power and wellness and health. So really, you know, fertility is also just a sign of health in general and the things that support fertility and support general wellness really.

Speaker 3: 4:12

So in that way, I do think also it's important for all of our listeners in that way, just to think about health and vitality that fertility represents.

Speaker 1: 4:21

Fertility and vitality overlap greatly.

Speaker 3: 4:23

Yes agreed, represent Fertility and vitality overlap greatly. Yeah, agreed. So the science is solid and it shows us that the attention to the fundamentals of good preconception care, as we're going to outline for you in this podcast, it results in better fertility rates, fewer miscarriages and, for the offspring, healthy birth weight, reduced risk of congenital anomalies and cognitive and emotional benefits. And then there's better long-term health, as well as lower risk of chronic diseases for the future generations.

Speaker 1: 4:52

But the unfortunate reality of the situation is that many babies are conceived in situations like, say, for instance, a college spring break where there's a lot of alcohol, maybe some other substances on board, party, party, party and the next thing you know someone's pregnant Right In these situations, there's really no consideration at all for the concept of preconception care, and this creates a whole host of potentially disastrous consequences which can adversely affect the pregnancy, the baby and even the health of future generations. But it doesn't have to be that way. Under ideal circumstances, pregnancy is planned and preconception care is given a high priority in order to ensure the best possible outcome for the offspring. So we're going to break it all down for you and as always I support it with solid science to provide you with practical take-home solutions.

Speaker 3: 5:35

I have several friends and probably many of you listeners. If it doesn't personally apply to you, you know someone who's struggling with fertility or had miscarriages, and so this podcast in general could be triggering for people and we recognize that, and so this might not be the season for you to listen to that, if this applies to you. But also we want you to come away from this podcast with hope, and that's always the message of our podcast. So please hear that there's grace and hope for you wherever you are out there. And I do think that this is just really a sweet time to bring up this topic, coming right out of the month of October, october 15th being a day of world pregnancy and infant loss remembrance. So we just kind of want to acknowledge that and acknowledge that there might be a lot of motions here around this.

Speaker 1: 6:30

Let me interrupt there and say you know this infant loss thing. I mean, there's so many things in medicine that are what we call idiopathic. You know, stuff happens and we don't know why, Right. But on the other hand, that's exactly why we're doing this podcast. Sometimes, these things we're going to talk about, they do affect infant loss, and so sometimes there are reasons we can't necessarily go back and establish a cause and effect relationship. But on the other hand, moving forward, we can certainly do our best to plan and to increase our odds the best we can, of having healthy outcomes.

Speaker 3: 6:59

Yes, and give our children the best increased odds of the best future possible. So that's absolutely our heart behind this message.

Speaker 1: 7:08

That's right. That's why we're doing this.

Speaker 3: 7:10

And so then, kind of moving on all you listeners know the drill by now. Our podcast remains commercial free and we're not here to sell you anything. We really don't want to waste your time with commercials.

Speaker 1: 7:21

And that's kind of unique, isn't it, Coach? I mean, I listen to a lot of podcasts and, oh my gosh, I get so tired of the annoying commercials and everybody trying to push a product. It seems disingenuous to me sometimes, but anyway, it does cost us money to produce these podcasts and we put many hours of work into each episode. So if you value what we do and what we bring to you, then think of us like public radio and consider making a contribution to help us keep it coming to you.

Speaker 3: 7:42

And so there's a couple ways that you, the listener, can contribute. So first, if you buy nutritional supplements, then consider purchasing physician-grade supplements from our Fullscript dispensary at a 10% discount. You can see that link to the Fullscript below in the show notes, or go to mcmindcom and the link's also there at the bottom of the homepage under helpful links. It's really simple. You just click on that link and it guides you through the process and really it really is a win-win. You get those high quality supplements at the discount and truly I've done it several times, but it's been a while since I did a price comparison.

Speaker 3: 8:19

Dr Mack and I was doing that last night looking at my prenatal vitamin that I take and just also my fish oil that I take and I really did see that $4 to $5 difference per supplement and so I think that's great. And there's free shipping over a $50 purchase, which most of the time if you're buying two supplements, that's boom $50.

Speaker 1: 8:40

Cool Well that helps.

Speaker 3: 8:46

So, yeah, I think it's a great resource if you're out there looking for those high quality supplements and you're looking for this, that little bit of savings, so, and then it supports us and so we're grateful for that. Listeners, thank you.

Speaker 1: 8:53

Yeah, I mean we. You know, unfortunately it can be expensive to take care of your body and so we're doing everything we can to keep costs down here. So also you can safely make a contribution to the show directly via credit card or PayPal at the support the show link, which is also in the show notes.

Speaker 3: 9:09

And don't forget to subscribe to the show, of course, and please contact someone today to tell your friends and family about us, so that we can bring this information to even more people. When you share it out just to one person, each person shares to one it spreads the news and spreads the hope of the message of functional medicine. So thank you for being a part of that. And now, Dr Mimak, on to the show.

Speaker 1: 9:31

All right. Well, you know, Coach, the term anti-aging medicine has become fairly trendy these days. I've been to a lot of conferences, anti-aging conferences, and there's the American.

Speaker 1: 9:41

Academy for Anti-Aging.

Speaker 1: 9:42

It seems to be a real buzzword these days, but if you kind of think about it, anti-aging really starts way back, even before conception.

Speaker 1: 9:49

And let me be clear the term before conception means before the egg and sperm even come together to then go on to make a fetus. The reason that anti-aging medicine starts before conception is that the things that the parents do, like things like what we eat, what we're exposed to in the months before the baby is even conceived, affect the health of the egg and the sperm, and then that goes on to have a profound effect down the road for pregnancy outcomes and for the health of the offspring for the rest of his or her life. Therefore, preconception care actually directly affects the aging process of the offspring. For instance, if mom or dad do things in the months before pregnancy that cause the offspring to go on to have diabetes or metabolic syndrome, then later in life that is going to affect their aging process, including illness, poor quality of life, premature death, and so, in summary, anti-aging medicine actually starts even well before conception. Isn't that interesting, coach?

Speaker 3: 10:43

Yes, and I totally agree, anti-aging before you're even born.

Speaker 1: 10:48

Yeah, yeah, cool.

Speaker 3: 10:50

So if you happen to hear our podcast on lifestyle medicine, then you'll probably appreciate a lot of overlap here between these two podcasts of lifestyle medicine and this one that we're doing now. So that podcast we called Lifestyle Medicine the most powerful medicine on earth, and in this podcast you'll see that lifestyle medicine affects every stage of life, even before life is conceived.

Speaker 1: 11:14

Now, coach. It's important to note that the egg and sperm present at the time of conception have been developing for several months. Therefore, adopting ideal preconception care practices well in advance of trying to conceive can have a significant impact on the health of the eggs and the sperm. Ideally, both parties should strive to be super clean for about four months before conception. Anything less is really inviting trouble.

Speaker 3: 11:35

As we frequently do, let's start with nutrition, since diet plays a significant role in the health of both the egg and the sperm at the time of conception. So let's take a first look at the effects of diet on egg health. So a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, that one that contains antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, will help protect the eggs from oxidative stress and promote their proper development. Consuming foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, like fatty fish, salmon or sardines, can improve egg quality and increase the chances of conception. Also, you'll hear about adequate folic intake and how important that is, either through the diet or supplements, and that's crucial for the egg to mature and develop, and that prevents serious birth defects specifically affecting the brain and spinal cord. So folic acid is found in your leafy greens, and also in some fortified foods as well.

Speaker 1: 12:37

So now let's take a look at the effects of diet on sperm health. Consuming foods high in antioxidants, such as fruits and vegetables, can also improve sperm quality, motility and the shape of the sperm, which is called morphology. Foods rich in vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, like citrus fruits, carrots and spinach, are also important. Zinc and selenium are both vital for sperm production and motility. Zinc is found in foods like meat, shellfish, legumes, and selenium is found in Brazil, nuts, eggs and fish. Also, men who get more of their protein from plant sources, for instance beans and lentils, tend to have better sperm quality compared to those who concern more animal protein. Similar to their effects on eggs, omega-3 fatty acids from sources like fish can also improve sperm quality. Amphilic acid is important for DNA synthesis in sperm.

Speaker 3: 13:23

Before we keep moving, let me define what we mean by sperm quality, quantity, motility and morphology, since these properties of the sperm are important to this whole discussion and these terms are going to be mentioned more as we proceed through. So if the sperm is high quality, then that means that the sperm is healthy overall and that it has a high likelihood of fertilizing the egg. Also, the genetic material inside the sperm, if it's of high quality, is intact and the DNA is not damaged in any way. Quantity or sperm count, so that's the number of sperm present in a given amount or volume of the semen.

Speaker 1: 14:06

And motility is the ability of the sperm to move properly through the female reproductive tract to reach the fertilized egg. Healthy sperm should demonstrate a continued forward movement. And morphology refers to the shape and structure of the sperm. Normal sperm should have an oval head and a long tail, which helps them swim effectively. Abnormalities in sperm shape can reduce fertility.

Speaker 3: 14:26

Some concentrated food sources are packed with nutrients and they may be more helpful for both parties the female and the male in this. So those are things like unrefined honey, black molasses, cold-processed seed oils, oily fish, goat's milk, live yogurt and wheat germ. So those are all very packed foods.

Speaker 1: 14:48

A moderate intake of fish will help both the male and the female and the baby. However, some types of seafood contain mercury, so avoiding large ocean fish such as shark, tilefish, swordfish and king mackerel would be advisable. The last thing you want to do is to introduce more toxic heavy metals into the mix. The last thing you want to do is to introduce more toxic heavy metals into the mix.

Speaker 3: 15:04

Right, and so a couple other foods to kind of put on that no list. The avoid excessive sugar. That really negatively impacts hormonal balance, specifically also ovulatory function, and it reduces egg quality for us women. Processed meats also have been linked to lower sperm quality for men, and trans fats are always a no-no. There's really no associated benefit to trans fats at all. They've been associated with decreased fertility in both men and women, and unfortunately trans fats have become very common in our modern-day diet. They're in so many processed foods.

Speaker 1: 15:43

Yeah, Coach, we call it the standard American diet or SAD diet, and you'll find trans fats just about everywhere. They're in baked goods, fried foods, snack foods, margarine, shortening, frozen foods, refrigerated dough products, non-dairy creamers, ready-to-use frostings and some of the breaded and battered foods as well. So definitely we want to try to stay away from those as best we can.

Speaker 3: 16:03

Yes, and so while we're on nutrition, let's go ahead and talk about what we drink. So we got to stay well hydrated during this time period as well. With good filtered water, you could also drink vegetable juices and fruit juices. Some whole milk can be okay, but you want to avoid fat free milk, since it can reduce fertility, and you also want to be looking at the source of the milk too, really trying to get a good, clean, organic milk if you can.

Speaker 1: 16:29

So, in summary, a whole food, balanced diet rich in nutrients, antioxidants and healthy fats, while limiting processed foods and harmful substances, can significantly improve the health of both the egg and the sperm, potentially increasing the chances of successful conception and also improving the chances of successful conception and also improving the chances of a healthy baby and, eventually, a well adult.

Speaker 3: 16:48

So, to borrow a phrase from Weston Price, eat healthy food grown on healthy soil. So you know, a good example of this would be adhering to a Mediterranean-style diet that's been proven to improve fertility and lower risks of pregnancy complications.

Speaker 1: 17:06

In the offspring. If mom and dad eat mainly a Mediterranean diet during their preconception months, studies suggest that this will improve birth weight in babies, lower the risk of childhood obesity and result in positive long-term health effects for the child, including a lower risk of heart disease later in life, improved cognitive health and a reduced risk of allergies and asthma later in life.

Speaker 3: 17:24

Improved cognitive health and a reduced risk of allergies and asthma. A Mediterranean diet prior to conception may also positively influence epigenetic markers, which are changes in the gene expression, without alterating the actual DNA sequence. So it's above the gene. Healthy epigenetics can improve disease resistance and metabolism. Medics can improve disease resistance and metabolism. They can improve cognitive function for the offspring and provide long-term health benefits.

Speaker 1: 17:51

Anyway. So now let's talk about some vitamins, minerals and supplements that might help. First, let me point out that quality matters, so always choose high-quality supplements from reputable sources to ensure safety and efficacy. There's a lot of garbage out there on the shelves and if you want more information about supplements, then go back to and listen to our podcast we did on this topic a couple months ago. And don't forget, if you're looking for high quality supplements at that 10% discount, then check out our full script dispensary and you can see the link to that in the show notes or at mcminnmdcom on the homepage under helpful links.

Speaker 3: 18:23

Yes. So some specific supplements that are helpful for a healthy egg Coenzyme Q10. Coq10. This supports the mitochondrial function in egg cells, which is essential for energy production, egg quality and especially true for older women, as you're trying to conceive when you're more in that older age bracket. Your sources for CoQ10 dietary-wise are beef, chicken, fish and spinach, and you can also get it in supplement form.

Speaker 3: 18:53

And then I'd mentioned before folic acid, or folate. This is really essential for proper cell division in eggs and it reduces the risk of birth defects. And super important to have this on board before the pregnancy, super important. So it's recommended that women take folate before conception to support that early pregnancy and to reduce birth defects, specifically like neurotube defects. So speak with your OBGYN or your doc on personal preferred dosage recommendations for folate. Also, vitamin D always important plays a key role in supporting that egg maturing properly. Good sources for vitamin D include supplements, but also sunlight fortified foods and then a good fatty fish. And I would also heavily encourage you to consider taking a fish oil supplement containing omega-3 fatty acids, especially if you're not eating enough fish in your diet. These omega-3s can enhance egg quality and overall fertility. We love the Pure Omega brand by Integrative Therapeutics, because it's mercury-free and it's also not going to give you that heartburn, burping, fishy taste, because it's not rancid.

Speaker 1: 20:03

It's really not high quality, a lot of fish oils are rancid and we would have people come in and say, oh, I can't take fish oils because I taste fish and burp fish. We'd have them try this product and they never had that issue. And, by the way, we have no financial affiliation with the company at all, so we just have used it for many years and have had great success with it. So a combination of myo-inositol and d-chiro-inositol may be particularly helpful for women with PCOS, which is polycystic ovary syndrome. This may help to improve egg quality and ovulation. You can get this from supplements, beans, citrus fruits and nuts. And let's see on to melatonin, which can improve egg quality, especially in women undergoing fertility treatments. Vitamin E helps protect eggs from oxidative stress, and sources of this include supplements, nuts seeds and leafy greens. N-acetylcysteine, a potent antioxidant, may help improve egg quality, and zinc from nuts, seeds and legumes, and selenium from Brazil.

Speaker 3: 20:59

Nuts and fish can also be critical for protecting the eggs from damage, and so let's talk about supplements for healthy sperm, and I mean I would love to just say, raise your hand out there if you, as a young man, were ever encouraged to supplement before you were going to try to conceive. I mean it's laughable. No one even considers it.

Speaker 1: 21:17

Well, you know, that's interesting, Coach. I mean this whole concept of preconception care. I never even heard about it, quite frankly. You went through all medical school and residency and it was never on the radar screen at all. I remember years ago I kind of heard a lecture on it and thought, wow, that's interesting Because you know the lady who gave the lecture. She was very evidence-based and so the more I got to looking into it, the more I realized how important this is.

Speaker 3: 21:39

But you're right, it's just not talked about, which is a shame.

Speaker 1: 21:48

Right, but I mean just, it's so logical though you got to have two good ingredients to make something good.

Speaker 3: 21:50

If one of the ingredients is not good, how do you expect the whole thing to be good? But we just only put the emphasis on after you're pregnant, taking a prenatal vitamin for women.

Speaker 1: 21:59

Yeah, I think we just assume that the sperm is going to be healthy or the egg is going to be healthy, but that's not the case. I mean, those things, those cells, are just as affected by things like toxins as other cells, and so, yeah, we got to start early here, and so we're happy to get this information out there.

Speaker 3: 22:17

Yeah, I think it just kind of goes in line with this idea that people should be empowered. Just kind of goes in line with this idea that people should be empowered. You know, so often we're taking that back seat of our health instead of being in the driver's seat and it is our responsibility to really pilot our own ship.

Speaker 3: 22:34

So healthy sperm. What's a good supplement? Zinc that can help with sperm production, motility and overall sperm health. And then again going to mention CoQ10 here, because it improves sperm motility and protects sperm from oxidative stress which can damage the DNA of the sperm itself. L-carnitine plays a role in energy production for sperm cells, also helping to improve motility and overall function. Folic acid is also beneficial for men. It works in combination with zinc to improve sperm quality and reduce DNA abnormalities. Selenium again. So, listeners, as you're listening, you're probably hearing. Oh, I already heard that. Oh, I already heard that.

Speaker 3: 23:16

There's a lot of overlap. What's good for one is also good for the other. So selenium is an antioxidant which is essential for sperm development, motility and protects against oxidative damage.

Speaker 1: 23:27

And vitamin C is also an antioxidant to prevent sperm DNA damage and improve sperm count and motility. Vitamin E is a fat soluble antioxidant that protects sperm cells from oxidative stress, enhancing motility and overall health. And then, once again, we circle back around to your omega-3 fatty acids, which are the fish oils. They're important for fluidity of sperm membranes and to improve sperm count and morphology. And finally, D-aspartic acid can positively affect sperm quality and count.

Speaker 3: 23:55

It's important to note that you can get so many of these nutrients in the food that you eat when you eat that Mediterranean well-rounded whole food diet. Also, you might be able to find just a really good multivitamin that contains all of these nutrients together, such as a good prenatal vitamin, so that you will have to take fewer pills. Your healthcare provider will likely have this on her preferred brand or preferred prenatal, and my plug here from working in your office for years, Dr Mack, is to kind of look at that multivitamin and you'll know right away if it's a higher quality one, if it's methylated B vitamins, Talk to your OBG.

Speaker 1: 24:37

They may have a. Most of them actually have a prenatal vitamin that they prefer, and so you want to definitely get their approval and feedback, and so you might want to just talk to them about that, because a lot of times you'll find a lot of these vitamins and minerals that we mentioned are all included in that thing. So if all this sounds too complicated, it may be worthwhile to get a consult with a good nutritionist who can customize and simplify a program for you. I highly recommend our friend and colleague Rachel Olson. Unfortunately she's moved away from Birmingham down to the beach. Can't blame her, but, rachel, if you're listening to this, we miss you so much. Rachel does do telemedicine, and so her contact information is on the website at mcmindycom. Forward slash guest dash biographies and please do work with your OBGYN doctor and your PCP once again to get their input and approval on your plan.

Speaker 3: 25:24

Now let's move on to stress management. Stress can have a significant negative impact on both egg and sperm quality, adversely affecting fertility and the chances of successful conception. I've heard it said your body tells the story. You know, sometimes people ignore stress, but your body wears stress in it. It kind of. You will eventually not be able to kind of withstand the level of stress unless you manage it. So stress triggers a cascade of hormonal and physiological responses in our bodies that can disrupt the reproductive system for both men and women. We did an entire podcast on stress before, so I'll just recommend that you go back and listen to that and please check out Dr McMinn's documents entitled Stress Management Plan and Stress Toolbox, and you can find that at mcminnmdcom. Forward slash documents.

Speaker 1: 26:18

And moving on to toxins, and starting with alcohol, alcohol reduces the number of viable eggs a woman has. It can also create poor egg quality, leading to DNA damage in the eggs, which increases the risk of pregnancy loss, and chromosomal abnormalities in the offspring, which can then lead to birth defects in sperm count and sperm motility.

Speaker 3: 26:46

It can also produce abnormal sperm morphology, especially if the drinking is heavy or chronic. Alcohol can also cause DNA damage to the sperm and that results in lower fertility rates, increased risk of miscarriage and increase the likelihood of the developmental disorders later on for the offspring.

Speaker 1: 27:00

The preconception. Alcohol consumption can also induce epigenetic changes in both eggs and sperm, particularly affecting the gene expression in the offspring. These epigenetic modifications may increase the risk of developmental delays, cognitive impairments or even chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and those kind of things in children. And these changes may also adversely affect future generations. Like you know, grandkids, great-grandkids.

Speaker 3: 27:25

We would also suggest that, ideally, there really be no drinking of alcohol in this critical time. However, quantity and frequency do matter, so you might be able to get away with some moderate drinking one to two drinks now and then. However, heavier binge drinking is really strongly associated with problems.

Speaker 1: 27:42

However, heavier binge drinking is really strongly associated with problems, and since eggs and sperm undergo development over time, alcohol consumption even months before conception can affect their quality. In men, sperm takes about 70 to 90 days to fully mature, so alcohol consumption anytime during that process can impact sperm quality.

Speaker 1: 27:58

So the bottom line is that reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption when trying to conceive is recommended for optimizing reproductive health and improving your chances of having a healthy offspring, and now let's move on Coach to caffeine, which, of course, is common in lots of things like coffee, tea, chocolate, energy drinks, and these can affect fertility pregnancy outcomes, particularly when consumed in high amounts.

Speaker 3: 28:22

Here's a breakdown of its effects Some studies suggest that excessive caffeine can affect ovarian function by reducing blood flow to the ovaries, which may then affect egg development. There's also some studies that indicate that high caffeine intake can reduce sperm count and motility, which are crucial factors for fertility, which are crucial factors for fertility, and there's also evidence suggesting that high caffeine intake could damage sperm DNA, potentially affecting fertility and increasing the risk of miscarriage or birth defects.

Speaker 1: 28:52

Now, several studies have found that consuming over 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine per day during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of miscarriage, and high caffeine intake during pregnancy also is linked to increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. And finally, excessive caffeine intake during pregnancy may negatively affect fetal growth and development, leading to potential issues with the baby's cardiovascular system and brain development.

Speaker 3: 29:18

So for the coffee drinkers out there, if you just really gotta have that morning cup, how much caffeine is safe? Most health authorities, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists they, recommend limiting that caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day, or less when trying to conceive or during pregnancy. Roughly, that's the equivalent of one 12-ounce cup of coffee per day. Roughly, that's the equivalent of one 12-ounce cup of coffee per day. Also, it's noteworthy here, just to give you an idea energy drinks. Most of them contain about 300 milligrams of caffeine per drink. Finally, given that everybody's sensitivity to caffeine can be different, some people may just really need to consume even less caffeine or just forgo it altogether in order to avoid these risks altogether.

Speaker 1: 30:04

Moving on now to smoking. Smoking is, of course, bad for everything, and in this case it has a negative effect on both eggs and sperm health, contributing to reduced fertility, potential long-term consequences for the offspring. And so let's start with the egg. There are tons of toxins in cigarette smoke. These toxins reduce the total number of viable eggs, contribute to poor egg quality and increase the risk of ectopic pregnancy. Now, ectopic pregnancy is where the egg implants outside of the womb. Of course, it's supposed to implant in the womb, and smoking also increases the rate of miscarriages and chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome.

Speaker 3: 30:37

Conversely, when it comes to smoking's effect on sperm, it can significantly reduce sperm count. It comes to smoking's effect on sperm, it can significantly reduce sperm count, decrease that motility and produce abnormal sperm morphology. Smoking also causes oxidative stress and DNA damage in sperm cells and that can lead to reduced fertility, a higher likelihood of miscarriage and potential problems developmentally for the offspring. Long-term effects of smoking on offspring include an increased risk of birth defects, developmental disorders and genetic abnormalities. So this is some bad stuff here, like cleft, palate, heart defects or neurodevelopmental disorders.

Speaker 1: 31:15

Yeah, some bad stuff, Coach. Smoking by either parent can negatively affect the placenta and the fetal development. Babies born to parents who smoke are more likely to have low birth weight, preterm birth and other complications. Smoking can also cause epigenetic modifications, both egg and sperm, which can then pass on to the offspring, and these changes may affect gene expression in the child, potentially increasing the risk of developing health problems such as asthma, obesity, cardiovascular disease in later life.

Speaker 3: 31:43

Even secondhand smoke can negatively affect fertility. Women exposed to secondhand smoke are at a higher risk of experiencing reduced ovarian function, while men have lower sperm quality due to the toxic chemicals from secondhand smoke exposure. And I was even reading that that secondhand smoke exposure can be like going through somewhere where someone has just smoked within the past couple hours, even those smoke particles linger in the air.

Speaker 3: 32:11

So just something to be aware of, because, you know, sometimes we think, well, they put the cigarette out and it's done, now I can go out there, but those particles are lingering. So it's just something to try to walk around and be aware.

Speaker 1: 32:22

I know it's amazing, and we underestimate the impact of secondhand smoke, don't we, lindsay? And next on our list is exercise, and, of course, bullish on exercise and moderate exercise can help to maintain the overall health of the eggs and support egg maturation and contribute to normal ovulation. It can also improve egg quality and protect the eggs from DNA damage. As for us guys, regular, moderate intensity exercise has been shown to increase sperm count motility and improve sperm morphology and reduce sperm DNA fragmentation. Exercises like yoga are particularly helpful for reducing stress, which can help with egg and sperm health.

Speaker 3: 33:18

Also, you can overexercise, with negative consequences for egg and sperm. So the sweet spot for optimizing fertility appears to be regular, moderate exercise. Like br be a hard place, you know, because for women there's such an emphasis on how we look and being healthy. And so that overexercise can easily happen, but just something to really be aware of environmental exposures to toxins, which can lead to harmful epigenetic modifications in egg and sperm.

Speaker 1: 33:45

These exposures can affect the developing organs and systems, increasing the risk of birth defects, preterm birth or long-term health problems. The main types of toxins that we are concerned about here are heavy metals, organic toxins and mycotoxins from mold. And, make no mistake about it, we live in a world full of toxins. They are in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food that we eat and the things that we put on our body like lotions, sunscreens, bug sprays and cosmetics.

Speaker 3: 34:08

Well, let's start with the heavy metal topic. The main ones to be concerned about include lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. Exposure to those heavy metals at the time of conception can have really serious adverse effects on both the sperm and egg quality and subsequently on fertility and the health of the developing fetus, resulting in increased risk of birth defects, developmental delays, congenital abnormalities, increased risk of chronic diseases for the baby, neurological disorders and developmental issues down the road.

Speaker 1: 34:41

And moving on now to organic toxins, many of these are what we call endocrine-disrupting chemicals or EDCs. They include chemicals like you may have heard of BPAs, pcbs, phthalates, dioxins, pfas, pesticides and other substances that interfere with hormone signaling. These can disrupt the delicate hormonal balance required for normal egg development and ovulation. Unfortunately, these chemicals are just about everywhere in our environment. The category of toxins called PFAS are often referred to as forever chemicals, because it takes forever for them to break down. Right here in our state of Alabama, we have tons of PFAS chemicals in our rivers and even in our groundwater due to industry pollution, and since these are forever chemicals, they will still be here a thousand years from now.

Speaker 3: 35:25

And as we go down this rabbit hole, it really is a rabbit hole and it keeps expanding and this issue of toxins can really be overwhelming when you are first looking into it. But just know that it's something you continue to slowly chip away at and continue to filter out the things that you realize. Oh, that's not a good thing. Let me pull this product in instead and move that product out. Let me cook with this instead. And it's a slow modification that you continually make and an awareness that you continually build. But just recognize that this can feel overwhelming and I recognize that. But it is something worth fighting for and slowly making these changes.

Speaker 1: 36:05

And the first and most important step is avoidance, right, just being aware of. Sometimes you look at the bottle of lotion and you read the ingredients and it's got like 50 chemicals in there. You can't pronounce the names of these long chemical names you know. Okay, that's not good stuff. I have another lotion I use and I mean it's just got everything natural you know, and the thing about people don't realize how much stuff goes through your skin.

Speaker 1: 36:29

You know and I mean the examples, like in the ER we put nitroglycerin on people's skin and next thing you know it goes to their heart, right. We have women use topical creams, estrogen cream. Next thing you know, their estrogen level in their blood increases. So same thing when you're swimming in a river with a lot of forever chemicals, then that gets in your blood, right. And so we just have to be Careful what we put in and on our body.

Speaker 3: 36:55

Yes.

Speaker 1: 36:55

That's the first step and most important step really.

Speaker 3: 36:57

Yes, so common sources of organic toxins include food packaging, water bottles, plastic toys, medical products, detergents, cleaners, lawn and garden products, non-organic produce, canned foods, thermal paper, flame retardants, upholstery, mattresses, carpets, paints, solvents, cigarette smoke, like we've mentioned, electronics, stormwater, runoff, off-gassing, especially from those VOCs, volatile organic compounds, and then personal care products can be a big source of organic toxins, like shampoos, makeup, sunscreens, lotions, nonstick cookwares one as well to watch out for and many other consumer products. They're often ingested in the food that we eat, the water that we drink, the air that we breathe, and they also absorb directly through the skin, like Dr Mack, you were just saying.

Speaker 1: 37:53

And it's interesting, there are even pharmaceutical EDCs which can disrupt our own endocrine system, and these include things like synthetic estrogens and synthetic progestins. Progestins would be things we find like, for instance, in Primpro, birth control pills, anabolic steroids and even SSRI antidepressants can, to some degree, be an endocrine disruptor. Unfortunately, these often get flushed down the toilet, they get into our water supply and accumulate in the food chain, and this goes on to have significant adverse environmental impact, including disastrous effects on wildlife and a population decline and biodiversity loss.

Speaker 3: 38:28

Overall, there are an estimated 1,500 endocrine-disrupting chemicals in our environment, and many EDCs have not been adequately studied or regulated. So most people are exposed to a mixture of these EDCs rather than just one single chemical, and the combined effects of these multiple EDCs can be more harmful than even just the exposure to one. So this is complex, and making the regulation of these becomes even more complex and just kind of then assessing what we're exposed to becomes challenging for us. Unfortunately, the chemical industry has deep pockets and historically has engaged in extensive lobbying efforts to avoid the regulation of organic toxins. So it's hard to put an exact number on it, but the overall cost to the healthcare system in the US alone from organic toxins could be estimated to be as high as $600 billion annually. So this is not a trivial issue.

Speaker 1: 39:30

Oh my gosh. $600 billion annually, coach. That's just amazing, isn't it? Edcs can impair the maturation of eggs and reduce their overall viability. They can cause epigenetic damages and also many of these EDCs can directly damage the DNA of eggs. This increases the likelihood of chromosomal abnormalities, which can lead to miscarriages, failed fertilization, epigenetic disorders in the offspring, such as Down syndrome. The EDCs may also predispose the child to other health issues, including developmental and reproductive disorders. Ultimately, they can also contribute to infertility in some women.

Speaker 3: 40:05

When it comes to sperm health. The EDCs can reduce sperm count, produce poor quality and abnormal morphology. They create DNA fragmentation and other types of genetic damage in the sperm. These factors increase the risk of miscarriage or developmental issues.

Speaker 1: 40:23

And since these chemicals are so common in our environment, it's impossible to avoid them altogether. However, just being aware of the common sources and choosing products with fewer harmful chemicals can help mitigate some of the risks. For instance, avoid drinking water out of plastic bottles. People who do drink out of plastic bottles have more microplastics in their blood and EDCs in their blood, and these do affect their tissues. Anyway, next time you buy some lotion for your skin, read the label and if it has a bunch of chemicals on it that you can't pronounce, then pick a different natural lotion.

Speaker 3: 40:53

These endocrine-disrupting chemicals are in so many personal care products and they absorb right through the skin into your tissues, like you said, just goes right in there. Dr Mack, you'd be amazed at the list of toxins commonly found in cosmetics. Some of them are really bad guys. It may be worth your while to look for non-toxic cosmetics. One brand that we've often recommended in the past that women seem to really like is Beauty Counter. You can find their products at wwwbeautycountercom. I also personally really heavily use the EWG website, the Skin Deep database they have-.

Speaker 1: 41:33

That's Environmental Working Group, right?

Speaker 3: 41:35

Yes, Environmental Working Group. Their Skin Deep database looks at all different types of personal care products and it gives you a scale, a rating, and you're getting in the one or two or three range. There are green numbers that means good and less, and they're able to kind of identify. You can click on the products and know what chemicals might be found in there if they're a higher number on the products and know what chemicals might be found in there if they're a higher number. But you can find, they verify, they'll give a stamp on products that are EWG verified and that's usually how I shop for my personal. That is how I shop for my personal care products.

Speaker 3: 42:13

I've also just threw out some brands that I am not at all invested in but that are in my cosmetic bag. I like Well People and then Honest Beauty. Those are products that have been vetted by the EWG, so I like to use that website a lot and, again, no financial affiliation with them at all. There are so many other companies out there that focus on clean cosmetics, so you can easily find them online, but that EWG website is really indispensable for me personally in my life.

Speaker 1: 42:36

The last of our toxins we're going to discuss is mycotoxins, which come from mold. Mycotoxins can potentially affect reproductive health, including egg and sperm quality, as well as pregnancy outcomes. Here's a breakdown of how they might affect different aspects of reproduction. Exposure to mycotoxins has been linked to reduced sperm count, decreased motility, abnormal sperm morphology and damage to sperm DNA count.

Speaker 3: 42:56

decreased motility abnormal sperm morphology and damage to sperm DNA. Some mycotoxins may also affect egg quality and some mycotoxins have been linked to birth defects and fetal growth restriction. Mycotoxins can also adversely affect the placenta and that would lead to impaired nutrient and oxygen delivery to the fetus, which can result in poor fetal growth or complications during the pregnancy. So long-term exposure in the womb to mycotoxins can also result in poor immune development, lower birth weights and even cognitive or developmental issues for children. So the key to this issue, like you've said already, is avoidance, dr Mack. However, if there is known or significant exposure that you know about, then undergoing even a mold protocol with an experienced provider may really be the ticket as part of your preconception care plan, definitely wanting to do that several months prior to conception, so that might expand your four-month time frame that we mentioned earlier in the podcast.

Speaker 1: 43:56

And if you want to learn more about toxins, check out the podcast we did a few months ago dedicated to the subject for more detailed information. And next on our hit per day of issues is getting quality sleep. Sleep deprivation can contribute to poor egg maturation and egg quality. And, for the men, studies show that men with poor sleep quality or insufficient sleep may have lower sperm counts, poor motility, abnormal sperm morphology and can also increase the risk of DNA damage in the sperm, which can impair fertility and increase the risk of miscarriage.

Speaker 3: 44:25

Maintaining an ideal body weight can also affect egg and sperm quality, resulting in less than optimal outcomes. So when it comes to weight, you want kind of that Goldilocks too thin, not so good, too much weight, not so good. So when you focus to weight, you want kind of that Goldilocks too thin, not so good. Too much weight, not so good. So when you focus on your health, oftentimes that weight will follow. But we want that balanced place.

Speaker 1: 44:43

Yes, Hydration is also important. Both egg and sperm thrive in a well-hydrated body, which provides an optimal environment for cellular health, hormonal balance and nutrient delivery. Staying well hydrated is a simple yet crucial part of supporting fertility and reproductive health, for both men and women.

Speaker 3: 44:59

There is growing evidence that taking probiotics can have a positive impact on pregnancy outcomes too, Dr Mack.

Speaker 1: 45:05

Oh, that's kind of cool. I think probiotics can help just about anything.

Speaker 3: 45:08

Yes, yeah, circle back around to that gut health protocol that we did early on.

Speaker 1: 45:13

That's one of the core things I do is always take a probiotic every day. Avoiding infections is also important during this time. There are many infections out there to consider, and if there's any concern about things like genitourinary infections, like STDs, then please see your doctor for proper screening. One infection that is of particular interest to me is called toxoplasmosis. This is one of the most common parasitic infections in the world. One of the main sources which causes infection is cat feces, and the infection often happens from cleaning out the cat litter box.

Speaker 3: 45:42

So toxoplasmosis infection during pregnancy can really lead to serious issues like miscarriage, preterm birth or stillbirth, and the main concern appears to be the risk of transmitting an active infection to the fetus, which can cause problems like eye infections, brain damage and developmental delays. So that bottom line is that if you're planning to get pregnant or are pregnant, then delegate the cleaning of the cat litter box to someone else, or hey, you know, there's even these things called automatic cat litter boxes, which might be something to consider.

Speaker 3: 46:15

I don't personally have an indoor cat so I haven't had to look into those things, but I know they exist.

Speaker 1: 46:22

And next I'll mention medications and I'm sure you're aware that there are many meds out there that are contraindicated in pregnancy and this list is too numerous to go into here. But likewise for vitamins and minerals and other supplements, I recommend that if you decide to conceive, then set up an appointment for a checkup with your OBGYN doc or family doc to go over your medications and supplement list to make sure that everything's okay during preconception and pregnancy. Keep in mind that some vitamins are quite safe at low dose during pregnancy but may become unsafe at higher doses. Recreational drugs should also be considered, since most of them are contraindicated in pregnancy and in the preconception phase. There's an app called Drugscom which you can use to find out if your medication is safe during pregnancy or breast feeding.

Speaker 3: 47:01

And while you're there at your doc, make sure that you have your thyroid status optimal. Low thyroid can affect the IQ of the baby, so ask him or her if there's anything about your family history that warrants genetic counseling to conditions like diabetes, hypertension or thyroid disorders. Those can lead to complications, miscarriage, preterm birth, developmental issues in the baby. So if you have any chronic medical conditions, make sure that your doctor gets you all tuned up as you begin your preconception care program program. And if you are taking the birth control pill, then make sure you ask your provider when you should stop in order to stay on schedule with your plans for conception.

Speaker 1: 47:43

A couple of episodes ago we did a podcast on the benefits of acupuncture with our good friend and colleague, dr Margo Walbert. If you've had some trouble conceiving in the past or if you're on IVF treatments, then consider adding acupuncture to your preconception care plan. Studies have shown that it can increase the chances of conception and may improve egg quality. Dr Margo had a bunch of pictures of babies born after her acupuncture treatments to moms who were previously unable to conceive. Needless to say, that brought a great joy to these moms and to Dr Margo.

Speaker 3: 48:11

Yes, absolutely.

Speaker 1: 48:13

And just a few other. Strategies to improve sperm for men include taking multivitamin CoQ10, L-arginine, acetylcarnitine, D-ribose. Regular sexual activity can also promote healthy sperm, and wear loose boxer shorts and not your tighty-whities.

Speaker 3: 48:29

We mentioned earlier that we'd circle back around to explain that term of epigenetics. So it refers to changes in how our genes are expressed without actually changing the DNA sequence itself. It's like having a switch that can turn the genes on or off or adjust how strongly each gene is expressed depending on the various factors like environment, diet, stress, lifestyle. These gene modifications during early development can have long-lasting effects on the baby's susceptibility to chronic and sometimes serious diseases later on down the road, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes or obesity.

Speaker 1: 49:06

Interestingly, some epigenetic changes may even be passed on through multiple generations. For example, if a mother or father experiences certain environmental stresses or nutritional deficiencies, it could lead to epigenetic modifications that are inherited by the child and the grandchild and future generations, potentially affecting their health and development.

Speaker 3: 49:24

Well, that'll about wrap it up for this episode of the Wellness Connection MD. I know that's a lot to throw at you, but, as you probably know by now, we tend to err on that side of being thorough.

Speaker 1: 49:36

And in the next week or so I'll put a blog out on this subject and in the blog I'll try to summarize and simplify the plan for you. You can check that out at mcminnmdcom under the Wellness MD blog menu. Please take a moment to rate us on iTunes. These reviews really do make a difference. Also, if you like the podcast, take a moment today to let a friend know about the podcast. So thank you so much for helping us spread the word about evidence-based, holistic, functional and integrative medicine. You won't find a more evidence-based podcast on wellness anywhere on the web. We do our homework on these important topics and we shoot straight with you without pushing a bunch of products. If you would like to reach out to me to comment on the show or make recommendations for future topics, you may do so at drmcminn at yahoocom. Well, coach Lindsay, can you leave us with one of your wonderful, brilliant Coach Lindsay pearls of wisdom.

Speaker 3: 50:24

Thanks, dr Mack. You know, when I was reflecting on this show, I kind of thought about that famous line you get when you're about to take off in an airplane put your oxygen mask on yourself before your child. And because you can't help your child unless you have it on. And I think that globally applies to what we're talking about today. We cannot have healthy children without starting with healthy bodies ourselves to make healthy eggs and sperm. And that principle continues to apply in parenting. I think ad infinitum. You know, I think about how I discipline my children. I have to first parent myself not to be angry at them, to teach them not to be angry. So same principle here we just want to put that oxygen mask on yourself, get those good nutrients in exercise, take care of your sleep, take care of your stress. And hopefully you've seen today, you know we've we've talked about a lot of big bad things that can happen when we don't take care of our egg and sperm before they're even made. Um, but it all goes back to that lifestyle medicine yeah, for sure?

Speaker 3: 51:27

um, so think, think today about how you can you know what are the things that you need to avoid to do that. We talked about a lot of things that we can start avoiding, but also think about what are the nutrients and what are the good things that I can put in and where can I start.

Speaker 1: 51:40

Yeah, you know, as I mentioned earlier, dr Cheryl is a wonderful cook and sometimes I'll watch her. You know, look at the ingredient list and she gets really good ingredients and puts them in and makes these great dishes. Well, let me simplify all this for you. There are only three ingredients here A healthy egg, healthy sperm and a healthy environment in the womb for that to grow. So in order to do that, then it all goes back to that lifestyle medicine. So that's the simplified version. Maybe we should have just said that, right? But yeah, that's it. That's all you got to do. Just once again, those three ingredients. Instead of having a healthy cake, you have a healthy baby, right?

Speaker 3: 52:16

Yes, right, healthy bun in the oven.

Speaker 1: 52:18

That's right, there you go. Well, coach, that'll about do it. Thank you so much for listening. This is Dr McMinn.

Speaker 3: 52:23

And this is Coach Lindsay Take care and be well.