Meet Insulin and Cortisol and the Role They Play in Fertility
Let’s dive right in.
Insulin
Insulin does many things for our body, but is the vital hormone in control of our weight balance due to its close relationship with our blood sugar. Unfortunately, when our bodies become used to consuming processed foods, our Insulin develops a resistance. In turn, this causes our blood sugar to be improperly processed, which triggers an Insulin excess, resulting in all sorts of metabolic and hormonal mechanics going haywire.
For fertility purposes, a good balance of Insulin and blood sugar affects:
- Ovulation
- Egg quality
- Circulation to your lady parts
So when our Insulin levels and blood sugar levels are off, it can cause:
- Spotting before periods
- Ability to conceive
- Sub-fertility
- Idiopathic infertility
Insulin levels are the main cause of sub-fertility, which means you’re still under that one-year mark of “trying.” Past a year, keep in mind an Insulin imbalance could also be the hidden culprit of “idiopathic” infertility (AKA no known cause).
Cortisol
Cortisol is a hormone that can drastically affect your fertility. In a word: Stress
And stress is a real factor when it comes to your fertility. Off-kilter Cortisol levels can suppress ovarian function and even cause your fertility hormones to weaken.
A number of issues can cause an imbalance in your Cortisol levels, such as:
Over-exercise for your body type
Stress
Excess Cortisol typically is first and signs include:
- High levels of anxiety
- Insomnia
- Racing thoughts
- Irregular menstrual cycle
Unfortunately, if you have excess cortisol for too long, it inevitably affects your adrenal glands, making them weaker. Ultimately, this results in…
Cortisol Deficiency with signs such as:
- Brain fog
- Lack of motivation
- Depression
- Lower immune systems that lead to frequent sickness
Fertility-specific, low Cortisol can also create a blood sugar imbalance. From this point, a slew of issues can arise as a result.
Make Your Doctor Visits More Productive
Understanding your fertility hormones and their functions can enlighten a patient, allowing them to make more productive doctor visits.
After a visit, whether you know for sure you’re having hormone imbalances or can’t understand for the life of you why you aren’t yet knocked up, come see us at Naturna.
We’re trained to diagnose your hormones and even provide a remedy. If you have low Estrogen levels, we can offer a personalized, nutrient-rich diet regimen. If you’ve discovered your egg count is low and you’ve got only a few opportunities left for IVF success, let’s make it count and enhance your fertility health with acupuncture sessions!
Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our highly-trained physicians so that you can finally start down the right path toward motherhood.
Hope to see you soon!
