Why you should care about coconuts (hint: fertility).

When clients come to the club for fertility help, we look at stressors off of their plate first. Because if you’re stressed, your body will not prioritize conception and sustaining pregnancy. But the second thing we look at is stress within the cells- oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can be a result of psychological stress, environmental factors, toxins, and so much more. 

So the physiological stress piece is pretty personal, everyone’s circumstances are different. But we can talk about how what’s on your plate plays a part. And there’s so much you can do about it. One thing- increase your consumption of foods that promote glutathione production. Glutathione is a natural antioxidant produced in the body that helps to preserve all other antioxidants. And a few foods are better at promoting its production than others- one of them being coconut. 

But what does this have to do with fertility?

Here’s what the science says: 

“It has been reported that glutathione deficiency is related to premature ovarian aging and even ovarian cancer (Lim et al., 2013). Another study found that for women undergoing IVF, higher levels of glutathione in a woman's follicle translated into increased fertilization rates (Tola et al., 2013). In other studies, glutathione is shown to be an antiaging antioxidant which could have possible impact on egg health, one of the cells most affected by the aging process (Fujii et al., 2005). The protective action of follicle stimulating hormone on embryonic development is largely due to glutathione synthesis (Tsai-Turton & Luderer, 2006).”

Translation: greater levels of glutathione = healthier eggs which = fertility.

Now let’s get practical on putting the science into practice. 

Some easy ways to incorporate coconut into your diet are swapping out for a coconut milk (with minimal ingredients), adding coconut shavings to smoothie bowls, or enjoying a coconut based yogurt! 

Now with most topics of nutrients from the modern American diet-you probably won’t get everything you need from your food due to soil quality, time in transit, ability to incorporate, etc. so sometimes supplementing can be beneficial. 

As always though, we don’t recommend expensive pee or poop in the club. Instead, supplements that actually work. I take glutathione daily not only for future fertility protection, but gut health, liver health, and more. I’ll never recommend something unless I truly believe in it so here’s the tea- I partnered with Cymbiotika to offer the club an exclusive 15% off discount on their liposomal glutathione, and all other supplements they offer. 

Liposomal supplementation is a superior delivery method because it encapsulates the supplement in lipids, making for:

1. High bioavailability and absorption compared with other oral forms of supplements.

2. Noninvasive; avoids pain and discomfort associated with injections and decreases the contamination risk.

3. Micronized encapsulation protects against the harsh environment of the GI tract and increases transmucosal (oral) uptake and absorption.

4. Increased intracellular delivery.

5. Can hold both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds.

6. Ideal for those for whom swallowing a tablet is not possible.

7. Allow for adjustable and incremental dosing for children and adults.

8. Cost effective by being able to take a lower dose for the same effect.

I’m telling the whole truth when I say I almost exclusively use liposomal supplementation now. It’s worth the price tag and I have seen substantial changes over the last few months of use in my skin, energy, PMS symptoms, and sleep. Studies show an average of 14-33% absorption for other supplement methods. This means, for a $150 bottle of traditionally delivered glutathione, you’re throwing roughly $90 down the toilet. 

If you’re interested in supporting your egg health, or really total body health, check out Cymbiotika’s Glutathione here and let me know how you like it. 

CITATIONS

Adeoye O, Olawumi J, Opeyemi A, Christiania O. Review on the role of glutathione on oxidative stress and infertility. JBRA Assist Reprod. 2018 Mar 1;22(1):61-66. doi: 10.5935/1518-0557.20180003. PMID: 29266896; PMCID: PMC5844662.

Allen J, Bradley RD. Effects of oral glutathione supplementation on systemic oxidative stress biomarkers in human volunteers. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Sep;17(9):827-33. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.0716. PMID: 21875351; PMCID: PMC3162377.

Arunima S, Rajamohan T. Effect of virgin coconut oil enriched diet on the antioxidant status and paraoxonase 1 activity in ameliorating the oxidative stress in rats - a comparative study. Food Funct. 2013 Sep;4(9):1402-9. doi: 10.1039/c3fo60085h. PMID: 23892389.

Palomba S, Daolio J, Romeo S, Battaglia FA, Marci R, La Sala GB. Lifestyle and fertility: the influence of stress and quality of life on female fertility. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2018 Dec 2;16(1):113. doi: 10.1186/s12958-018-0434-y. PMID: 30501641; PMCID: PMC6275085.

Shade CW. Liposomes as Advanced Delivery Systems for Nutraceuticals. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2016 Mar;15(1):33-6. PMID: 27053934; PMCID: PMC4818067.

Sies H. Oxidative stress: a concept in redox biology and medicine. Redox Biol. 2015;4:180-3. doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2015.01.002. Epub 2015 Jan 3. PMID: 25588755; PMCID: PMC4309861.