Can Acai Berry Help with Fertility?
Infertility
Infertility is a real issue that affects about 10 in 100 women in the United States every year. That means either they have difficulty becoming pregnant or staying pregnant (hhs.gov). For those that dream of having a family, this discouraging statistic can quite literally break a person. Couples become desperate to have a baby and start looking for ways to make their dream a reality. Some women prefer to seek the advice of a medical professional while other women prefer to figure out a solution on their own and turn to natural remedies. One such remedy may be something as simple as the acai berry. There are situations of infertility that no amount of natural remedies will cure, but for those that have visited a medical professional and found they have no definite diagnosis of being infertile, the acai berry may be the answer to making their family dreams a reality.
Introducing the Acai Berry
The acai berry is native to Central and South America. At about an inch long and red purple in color, the fruit comes from the acai palm tree. Acai berries are another great source of antioxidants, along with other berries such as cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries (webmd.com). Acai berry oil can be found in cosmetics due to its antioxidant properties. Some folks believe that the oil aids in promoting youthful skin. Other uses of acai berries recently have been the belief that it aids in weight loss. Though it is a fruit and fruits are essential to a healthy diet, there has been no strong evidence found to state the berry has any weight loss providing properties. One possible positive outcome of adding acai berries as a supplement, may very well be a decrease in infertility.
Invitro Fertilization
While many women suffer through infertility in silence, they may not have to anymore. Women tend to feel that when they cannot get pregnant, it is their fault. They believe that they have done something wrong or are continuing to do something wrong. Not only is this an unhealthy way of thinking, it also puts unnecessary stress on the body and could lessen the odds of becoming pregnant. Invitro fertilization (IVF) is an option that some women seek when trying to become pregnant. This process includes the harvesting of healthy eggs and fertilizing them with the sperm of the intended partner. The doctor will then return the eggs to the womb, with the hopes that at least one of those eggs will become fertilized and become an embryo. If the eggs are healthy enough, there is a chance that multiple eggs will become fertilized.
Today’s Woman
If the eggs are not healthy, then this process of IVF can and most likely will fail. There are many factors on why an egg may not be healthy, the age of the woman being one of those factors. Typically, a woman over the age of 35 is considered in the medical world as being a high risk for pregnancy. Today’s woman is not like the woman of years past. Many women now are seeking careers and establishing their professional reputation before or instead of building a family. Though to say they don’t have time for a baby or family sounds harsh, that is the reality of todays world. That being said, many women are not looking to become pregnant or building their family until they are in their mid 30’s, if not older. By the time they are ready to become pregnant, they may not have the healthiest of eggs remaining. Invitro fertilization may become a reality for them versus becoming naturally pregnant.
Acai berries, having such a high level of antioxidants have shown to improve the results of IVF for women. In a study performed on 42 participants with an average age of 37 and all had at least one failed IVF cycle, 81% of these women resulted in a confirmed pregnancy after including an acai berry supplement to their diet for an 8-12 week timeframe (ccrmivf.com). As previously mentioned, stress can play a major factor in the health of eggs and becoming pregnant. The acai berry being a high source of antioxidants has the ability to reverse the damage to the egg from stress (acutoronto.com).
When working with a medical professional, women will find that they are given a typical timeframe of 3 months before their doctor becomes concerned. This is because the body will prepare eggs three months in advance before an egg is released. If the egg is damaged during that process, and released to the uterus, the damage can not be reversed. A damaged egg is one that has been affected by stress, illness or free radicals. The acai berry can help to reverse some of the damage done by stress. Be prepared to utilize the three-month timeframe to improve healthy eating, increase antioxidant levels, and eliminate as much stress as possible with the understanding that it is much easier said than done. It is important to understand that eating one berry is not going to be enough to reverse the negative effects of stress. The studies have all shown that to see a significant improvement of egg quality and health, large doses, or consumption of the berry is necessary.
Don’t Give Up
As with any medical concerns, always seek the advice of a medical professional. When preparing to build a family, understand it will not happen overnight. Some couples have tried for years to become pregnant and see no success. There are those that believe the elimination of stress could not possibly help. However, there are many stories heard over the years of women that tried to become pregnant for 10+ years and had given up, only to find they have become pregnant after they removed toxic energies and/or stress from their lives. The acai berry will not be the cure all and fix for everyone, but it may play an important role in reversing the damage to the not yet released eggs from stress.
Sources
https://www.hhs.gov/opa/reproductive-health/fact-sheets/female-infertility/index.html
https://www.webmd.com/diet/acai-berries-and-acai-berry-juice-what-are-the-health-benefits
https://www.acutoronto.com/acai-berries-improving-egg-quality/