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Cultivating Fertility

Writer's picture: Sami HudginsSami Hudgins

Updated: Jan 30, 2024

The Harvest Functional Medicine Approach to Fertility Optimization

Pregnant women, functional medicine, holistic infertility treatment

A desperate longing- that is the best way to describe the deep desire for a child, which penetrates into the hearts of parents that are preparing to grow their family. The moment that a couple begins to consider welcoming a new life into the world, a different kind of hope wells up within them. The journey towards conception is filled with anticipation, as parents imagine the wonderful adventure or raising children together.


Everyone has a unique fertility story. Some parents plan the arrival of their child down to the minute, and some are surprised by the miracle of pregnancy. For some couples, the journey is ridden with grief and confusion. No matter what your path towards parenthood looks like, there is one common desire for every parent that I have met: they have an innate longing to give their child the best life they can.




Harvest Fertility Optimization

We work with couples to optimize their health and address current illness or chronic health conditions using a functional medicine approach. We complete a comprehensive health assessment, review your detailed health and lifestyle history, and perform indicated lab workups that helps us understand your body down to the cellular level. We address nutrition status, hormone health, gut health, toxic burden, and immune function, all of which impact fertility. Whether you are years into an infertility journey, or just wanting to optimize your health for conception and pregnancy, we can help.


Your Health Matters

Preparation for conception matters for both men and women. The health of your body the moment that you conceive a child impacts your child's health, and the health of generations to follow. Many studies show that both maternal and paternal preconception health and behaviors directly influence pregnancy health, birth outcomes, and the child's long-term health (1,2). For some parents, their current health status is impacting the ability to even conceive, or to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Regardless of where you are at on your fertility journey, Harvest is here to help you optimize health for you and your baby, because we know that you have a deep desire to grow your family, and want to give your children the best life you can, from the very beginning.


Nutrition Status

The human body is incredible- the body knows when there is a healthy environment that has all the nutrients and resources that it needs to foster life, and when it does not. Even more, if the nutrients essential to sustaining the development of a child are absent, there is not a way for the body to compensate for the deficit, resulting in devastating outcomes. Research has identified a positive relationship between fertility and a diet high in vegetables, polyunsaturated fats, and specific vitamins such as folic acid, B12, B6, magnesium, selenium, iron, choline, calcium, iodine, and vitamin D (3, 4). There is plenty of evidence supporting that diet is as important for female fertility as it is for male fertility and sperm quality (5). Diet is clearly important, and some of you are putting great effort into your nutrition habits, but eating well does not always directly result in good nutrient status. There are many reasons that someone may be deficient in nutrients, including, but not limited to, dysbiosis, food sensitivities, celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases, hormone imbalance, histamine issues, toxic exposures... the list could go on (4,5). A full assessment of health history and a comprehensive and holistic overview of your current health status is vital to optimizing your nutrient absorption, and therefore, your fertility. Not only can we build a nutrition plan that fits your body's needs, but we can also help to restore healthy digestion and absorption so that your body can sustain healthy life for you and your baby.


Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune disease processes are thought to play a role in infertility (6). In addition, many of the conventional treatments for autoimmune diseases also can contribute to fertility issues. Uncontrolled or undiagnosed autoimmune disease is very common- sometimes getting a true autoimmune diagnosis can take years, even when people are seeking medical attention for their symptoms. Common autoimmune diseases include Celiac disease, Systemic Lupus Erythematous, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Crohn's disease, Type 1 Diabetes, and Scleroderma. Conventional medicine typically approaches the treatment of these disorders with medications that suppress the immune system. This can be a life-saving measure in some cases, and is an important tool for us to utilize. However, in many cases, there is a root cause of the autoimmune condition is never investigated or treated. Many providers believe these diseases to be irreversible when, in fact, there are countless cases of autoimmune conditions that have been well controlled, or even put into full remission when the root cause is treated. Taking into account the direct correlation between autoimmune disease and fertility, we assess your history for any signs autoimmunity may be contributing to your fertility issues, and dig in to identify and treat the root cause.


Inflammation

Inflammation can be caused by anything from dysbiosis to autoimmune conditions. We know that inflammation can impact fertility in numerous ways. Inflammation can impair hormone production, cause anatomic abnormalities in reproductive structures, disrupt ovulation, cause endometriosis, and disrupt the placenta development and functioning (7). Studies are showing that improvement in inflammation through an anti-inflammatory diet can directly improve fertility and rate of conception and healthy pregnancy (8).


Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance occurs when cells throughout the body become less sensitive to the effect of insulin, impairing the process of moving glucose from the blood into cells. As a result, your body is forced to produce and release higher levels of insulin in order to maintain a healthy blood glucose level. Over time, the pancreas cannot keep up with the demand of insulin and blood sugar levels continue to rise, causing a cascade of problems throughout every system of the body. Insulin resistance is most commonly associated with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) in the world of fertility. However, one can have insulin resistance, and not meet criteria for PCOS. It is becoming very evident that insulin resistance directly impacts fertility (9). Insulin resistance has been associated with recurrent miscarriages (10). Insulin resistance has also been associated with male fertility, impacting sperm production and quality (11). Testing for insulin resistance is simple with glucose and insulin levels. And, improvement of insulin sensitivity (which can be achieved with nutrition and lifestyle changes) directly results in more positive fertility outcomes (12).


Hormonal Balance

It will be no surprise to you that conception and pregnancy are reliant on healthy hormone balance. This balance is delicate, and can be disrupted for a number of reasons. Not only is the endocrine system itself incredibly complex, but it is impacted by every system in the body! Hormone production and balance is directly related to nutrient status, gut health, stress, and systemic levels of inflammation. Common disorders and syndromes related to hormone balance are: PCOS, endometriosis, hypothalamic amenorrhea, HPA-axis dysfunction, and hypothyroidism. We approach hormonal issues with a holistic approach, addressing the many systems of the body that contribute to hormonal production and balance.


Conventional vs Functional Fertility Treatment Approach

The conventional approach to infertility, providers complete bloodwork and serum hormone testing, they assess for anatomical abnormalities, and test sperm quality. These are all important first steps to assessing the cause for infertility. However, after the full conventional infertility workup, 30% of cases are identified as "unexplained infertility," and no further testing is done to identify the cause of infertility (13).

Infertility is often treated first with medications that induce ovulation, the most common medication used is clomiphene (Clomid). Clomiphene results in conception for 10-12% of women per cycle (14). The next step for conception is intrauterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). These methods are often successful, but still do not address the root cause of infertility in the first place, and are quite expensive (ranging from $15,000-$30,000 per round. ofIVF) and invasive (requiring surgery and many hormonal injections).


With a functional medicine approach, we dig deeper into the root cause of infertility. First, we review a complete timeline of your history, starting from the day you were conceived. Then, we order labs that may be helpful to determining the cause, which may include:

  • DUTCH testing (dried urine test for comprehensive hormones): This test helps us trace your hormone levels, determine the level of various hormone metabolites and the rate of hormone metabolism in your body. Utilizing this, we can assess estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, testosterone, and cortisol with precision. This test differs from serum hormone testing, in that it gives us a fuller picture of your hormone fluctuations throughout the day, and can identify more subtle issues in hormone patterns that can cause very impactful symptoms and disorder.

  • Mycotoxin Testing- Assessing for mold exposures that can impair healthy metabolism, damage gut health, cause inflammation, and disrupt hormone pathways.

  • GI Test: Assessing the gut microbiome, digestion pathway, gut inflammation, and nutrient absorption for the reasons already discussed.

  • Methylation Panel: This lab test assesses for genetic variations or nutrient deficiencies that impact the body's ability to methylate compounds, causing impairment in healthy detoxification and DNA synthesis, both of which are essential for fertility optimization.

  • Organic Acid Test (OAT): This test assesses micronutrient status, microbiome health, and assesses for oxidative stress and inflammation.

  • Thyroid panel: assessing thyroid function and production of thyroid hormone.

This is not a complete list of possible labs, and not every lab listed is ordered for each individual patient. Together, we will determine which tests will be the most helpful in assessing your current fertility status.


Once we have gathered all of this information, we will build a treatment plan together that addresses gut health, improves nutrition status through diet changes and utilization of necessary supplements, and treats any disorder or disease that may be causing infertility.


If you are...

ready to start trying to become pregnant and simply want to optimize your health...

wanting to approach your PCOS or endometriosis holistically to increase your odds...

in the midst of a heart-wrenching infertility journey and looking for answers...

we can help.



1. American Academy of Family Physicians. (2019, December 12). Preconception care (position paper). AAFP. https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/preconception-care.html

2. Carter, T., Schoenaker, D., Adams, J., & Steel, A. (2023). Paternal preconception modifiable risk factors for adverse pregnancy and offspring outcomes: A review of contemporary evidence from observational studies. BMC Public Health, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15335-1

3. Panth, N., Gavarkovs, A., Tamez, M., & Mattei, J. (2018). The influence of diet on fertility and the implications for Public Health Nutrition in the United States. Frontiers in Public Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00211

4. Skoracka, K., Ratajczak, A. E., Rychter, A. M., Dobrowolska, A., & Krela-Kaźmierczak, I. (2021). Female fertility and the nutritional approach: The most essential aspects. Advances in Nutrition, 12(6), 2372–2386. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab068

5. Ferramosca, A., & Zara, V. (2022). Diet and male fertility: The impact of nutrients and antioxidants on sperm energetic metabolism. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(5), 2542. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23052542

6. Gurtcheff, S., & Hatasaka, H. (2005). Fertility and autoimmune disease. Handbook of Systemic Autoimmune Diseases, 29–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1571-5078(05)04004-3

7. Weiss, G., Goldsmith, L. T., Taylor, R. N., Bellet, D., & Taylor, H. S. (2009). Inflammation in reproductive disorders. Reproductive Sciences, 16(2), 216–229. https://doi.org/10.1177/1933719108330087

8. Alesi, S., Villani, A., Mantzioris, E., Takele, W. W., Cowan, S., Moran, L. J., & Mousa, A. (2022). Anti-inflammatory diets in fertility: An evidence review. Nutrients, 14(19), 3914. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14193914

9. Mason, H. D., Dilaver, N., & Rice, S. (2013). Ovarian dysfunction in polycystic ovary syndrome. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, 53–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8394-6_4

10. Craig, L. B., Ke, R. W., & Kutteh, W. H. (2002). Increased prevalence of insulin resistance in women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss. Fertility and Sterility, 78(3), 487–490. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0015-0282(02)03247-8

11. Maresch, C. C., Stute, D. C., Alves, M. G., Oliveira, P. F., de Kretser, D. M., & Linn, T. (2017). Diabetes-induced hyperglycemia impairs male reproductive function: A systematic review. Human Reproduction Update, 24(1), 86–105. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmx033

12. Liu, Y., Li, J., Yan, Z., Liu, D., Ma, J., & Tong, N. (2021). Improvement of insulin sensitivity increases pregnancy rate in infertile PCOS women: A systemic review. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2021.657889

13. Infertility workup for the Women’s Health Specialist. ACOG. (n.d.). https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2019/06/infertility-workup-for-the-womens-health-specialist

14. Martin, J. R. (2023, July 6). Clomid for infertility: What you need to know. Shady Grove Fertility. https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/article/clomid-for-infertility/


The content on this website is for general information and educational purposes only, and is not meant to serve as medical advice to diagnose or treat illness. Please consult with your medical provider before making changes to your diet, lifestyle, medication regimen, or supplements.

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