Oxidative Stress: Know how it affects your fertility-Zeevafertility Clinic

 The best infertility treatment specialists suggest that Oxidative stress is one of the leading causes of infertility, but do you know what it actually means? Well, oxidative stress refers to the imbalance between the free radicals and antioxidants in our body as a result of which the former is not able to counter-attack the latter and detoxify our body. To understand how oxidative stress affects our body, it is first important to understand how these free radical and antioxidants work. A free radical is an oxygen containing molecule that can highly react with other molecules in the body. Each and every cell in our body requires oxygen to carry out its vital functions and hence are vulnerable to reaction with the free radicals. Antioxidants are the healthy molecules that help to prevent such reactions and prevent oxidative stress which can otherwise have a negative impact on various organs in our body.

Oxidative stress has been associated with both male and female infertility as the free radicals can damage the eggs and sperm as well as increase the chances of complications during pregnancy. As per the specialists offering IVF and ICSI treatment inNoida, oxidative stress is more likely to affect people who are obese or over0-weight. Other factors that increase the risks of oxidative stress include:

·         Consumption of high-fat diet and processed foods

·         Excessive intake of sugar

·         Smoking and use of various other tobacco products

·         Side-effects of certain medication

·         Environmental pollution

·         Exposure to harmful toxins and chemicals

Managing oxidative stress naturally

The problem can be taken care of very easily by resorting to some simple lifestyle and dietary changes. These are as under:

·         Kick the habit of smoking and excessive drinking. Both of these have been found to be associated with a wide range of diseases and malignancies. Smoking is harmful not only for you but also for those around you, so it is better to get rid of the habit. Drinking alcohol once in a while and in limited amounts won’t do much harm but it is pertinent to note that by crossing this health limit, you are posing a threat to your chance of pregnancy. However, you can take red wine occasionally as it is rich in antioxidants.

·         Avoid unnecessary stress. No doubt managing your work, home and other things around can be quite stressful but it is important to understand that stressing is not a solution. Try to calm down and develop a positive attitude towards life. Try yoga and meditation and give some quality time to yourself by doing things that you love.

·         Keep an eye on that weighing scale – obesity is one of the major risk factors of oxidative stress. To deal with the same, it is important that you keep your weight under check. This can be easily done by exercising and following a healthy diet.

Eat foods rich in antioxidants – Antioxidants like folate and zinc, that are present in various fruits and veggies, have proved to be beneficial for both male and female fertility as they help to deactivate the free radicals. Studies have also shown that consumption of foods rich in antioxidants helps to elevate the rates of implantation and ensure a healthy pregnancy. These include onion, garlic, pumpkin, mangoes, apricots, carrots, red wine, tea, lean meat, milk, nuts etc.