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Welcome back to my Autoimmune Fertility series!
Antinuclear Antibodies & Your Fertility~Take Action
High levels of Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) in your bloodstream are a sign of an autoimmune process and many autoimmune diseases affect fertility. Normally, your immune system focuses upon getting rid of foreign invaders like bacteria or viruses. However, with autoimmune issues, your body attacks itself.
Antinuclear antibodies & your fertility–>Here are ways to take action
One thing you can do is acupuncture. Research repeatedly reflects that acupuncture promotes balance in the immune system. Here is how it works. Your immune system contains cells called lymphocytes. There exist specialized types of lymphocytes called “Th1 helper cells” and “Th2 helper cells.” A balance of Th1 and Th2 cells is most ideal. With autoimmune diseases, Th1 and Th2 cells can become unbalanced in numbers or immune system activities. Physical problems arise if Th1 immune cells overpower the Th2 immune cells or vice versa.
Th1 & Th2 cells are naturally regulated by
ANA’s impact fertility but there are steps you can take to improve it
acupuncture in the direction
your body needs to go.
Research shows that whether you
need more or less of either,
acupuncture can influence
better balance the
Th1 & Th2 scales.1, 2, 3, 4.
Below are medical diagnoses associated with fertility challenges and either too many Th 1 helpers or too many Th 2 helpers.
| Diseases affecting fertility with too many Th 1 helper cells (aka “Th 1 dominance”)
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| Celiac disease
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Multiple sclerosis
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| Graves’ disease
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Psoriasis
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| Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
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Rheumatoid arthritis
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| Inflammatory bowel disease/Crohn’s disease
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Sjoren’s syndrome
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| Lichen planus
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Type I diabetes (previously known as juvenile onset diabetes) |
| Diseases affecting fertility with too many Th 2 helper cells (aka “Th 2 dominance”)
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| Systemic lupus erythematosus | Ulcerative colitis |
•Take action with Antinuclear antibodies and your fertility a second way. Begin a grain free/gluten free diet and make use of specific Th 1 or Th 2 support supplements. Below are lists of Th 1 and Th 2 supportive foods, supplements or herbs.
Support for Th 1 helper cells
- Astragalus
- Echinacea
- Glycyrrhiza (Licorice)
- Lemon Balm
- Panax Ginseng
- Chlorella
- Grape Seed Extract
- Maitake, Reishi, and Shitake Mushroom Extracts
Support for Th 2 helper cells
- Green Tea Extract
- Pine Bark Extract
- White Willow Bark
- Lycopene (found in tomatoes)
- Resveratrol (found in grape skin and cocoa)
- Pycnogenol
- Curcumin (found in turmeric)
- Quercitin (found in onions, berries and kale)
The next blog post of my Autoimmune Fertility Series has a focus on the Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene and fertility. Stay tuned!
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Karen Reynolds, LAc, RN Acupuncture for Optimal Health
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For scheduling information and appointment availability, do please visit my website at: KReynoldsAcupuncture.com.
Be well!
~Karen Reynolds, RN, MS, LAc
1 McDonald, J.L., Cripps, A.W., Smith, P.K. (2015). Mediators, Receptors, and SignalingPathways in the Anti-Inflammatory and Antihyperalgesic Effects of Acupuncture. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2015, Article ID 975632, 10 pages.
2Xiao, Q.S., Ma, M.Y., Zhang, X.S., Deng, M.H., Yang Yan, Z. (2015). Effect of Acupuncture on Prognosis and Immune Function of Sepsis Patients. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi,Jul; 35(7): 783-786.
3Kim, S K, Bae, H. (2010). Acupuncture and immune modulation. Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical, 2010-10-28, Volume 157, Issue 1, Pages 38-41.
4 Ding, S.S., Hong, S.H., Wang, C., Guo, Y., Wang, Z.K., Xu, Y. (2013). Acupuncture modulates the neuru-endocrine-immune network. Quarterly Journal of Medicine, 107, 341-345. doi: 10.1093/qjmed/hct196
Statements have not been evaluated by the food and drug administration. All information on this site is provided as education and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. No information on this site is intended to replace or delay the use of any conventional medical treatment.
