Gut Health - Happy Hormone Clinic

Gut Health and Fertility

70% of women with undiagnosed infertility have been found to have increased levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in their body. Oxidative stress can impact egg quality and a calm and balanced immune system is vital for acceptance of the blastocyst when it’s trying to implant. Improving the diet, as well as gut health is key to reducing these markers.

Short Chained Fatty Acids (SCFAs) are compounds produced when your gut bacteria break down dietary fibre. SCFAs help regulate inflammation, strengthen gut barriers, and even influence hormone balance.

A recent study [PMID: 37432305] on SCFAs and how they might impact pregnancy outcomes during fertility treatment; showed women with higher SCFA levels had better pregnancy outcomes when undergoing IVF/ICSI-ET. This may also be due to the fact that higher SCFA levels are associated with higher intake of fruit and vegetables and whole foods in the diet.

Not only do our good bacteria produce short chained fatty acids to help keep us healthy; “bad” bacteria also known as pathogenic or opportunistic bacteria can damage the mucous membranes and increase inflammation in the body. They also produce toxic bi-products, which contribute to ill health. Therefore balancing good and bad bacteria is an important part of ensuring there are less toxins and less inflammation present that could negatively impact pregnancy and fertility.

Module Presentation

Milk Kefir

Kefir is one of the richest food sources of lactobacillus. This family of bacteria have a supportive and calming effect on the immune system. The vaginal microbiome heavily relies on the lactobacillus family to stay healthy. Lactobacillus protect the area from pathogens moving across from the large bowel. They also support healthy pregnancy and implantation by reducing inflammation in the endometrium. Making kefir at home is an excellent way to boost beneficial bacteria, while being incredibly cost-effective. Your grains will literally last forever if you look after them!

Testing Vaginal pH

If you suspect you may have a reproductive microbiome imbalance you can test the pH of the vagina. This can test for an imbalance, however it can’t rule out infection. What I mean by that is if your pH test is above 4.5, this usually indicates that lactobacillus levels are too low (because they produce lactic acid and lower the pH). Therefore if it’s high it does indicate an imbalance is present.

However here is the tricky part, some organisms for example Gardnerella, can also produce lactic acid. So this test cannot completely rule out these organisms. Therefore that’s what I mean above when I say a pH test cannot completely rule out an infection. Please reach out though if you are feeling confused! You can pick the kits up in Boots and I have linked them below. The best time to swab is after your period or the week before your period is due as fertility mucous can often increase pH. There’s 2 swabs in the kit and if the pH is only slightly raised I would recommend doing a second swab later in the cycle in case it was just a temporary high reading.

Microbiome Testing

You can purchase a microbiome test on the link below for €295. The results will come back to me and I can forward them onto you. If nothing pops up on the test I will let you know. If an imbalance is present and you need to discuss a protocol I will send you on my one to one packages and overview your full case; bloods, semen results etc to see if I can further support you on your road to pregnancy. If you have not previously registered with Pure and Natural use my code NBN10 (where it asks for your practitioner name) and you’ll get 10% off any future supplement purchases. Unfortunately testing is not covered with the discount but it will stay on your account long term so it’s worth registering for it in the beginning.