The ZRT Laboratory Blog

Vitamin D and Pregnancy

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:30:00 -0700

Before you get pregnant, or right when you get pregnant, blood tests are done to check for anemia, certain viruses, blood type and other markers.

Increasingly, doctors are now also testing a woman’s vitamin D level. Vitamin D has been a hot topic in the medical world for a few years, but why and how is it affecting conception, pregnancy and the health of the newborn?

This question - about vitamin D and pregnancy - has kept scientists busy for almost a decade now. Let’s start by understanding what vitamin D is.

Vitamin D is Actually a Hormone

Vitamin D is a misnomer. This so-called vitamin is actually a hormone. For those of you chemically inclined - the 4 carbon ring backbone of this molecule makes it more of a steroid hormone than a vitamin. It is structurally similar to estrogen, testosterone, progesterone and all the steroid hormones. Technically speaking - for those more word inclined - a vitamin is a catalyst to a reaction in body, and a hormone is a chemical messenger that actually sends messages to cells that causes them to change. There is a distinct difference between the two, and vitamin D falls into the hormone category.

Because of its steroid structure and function, vitamin D plays an important role in priming cells for other hormones to do their job properly. This is why being sufficient in Vitamin D is so important for conception. Its not just the most well known hormones estrogen or progesterone that need to be balanced and functioning optimally, but the second string players as well- thyroid hormone, cortisol, dheas, testosterone and VITAMIN D too. These all need to be well balanced with each other in order for the miracle of ovulation and conception to occur.

Having enough vitamin D circulating through your system can increase your chances of fertility whether you’re struggling with poly cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), lack of ovulation or general fertility problems. This “hormone” also plays a role in male reproduction. Both sperm motility and production are increased when levels of vitamin D are normal. SO get your men tested too- as we all know it takes two to tango (so to speak).

Once pregnant, the focus shifts to the developing fetus who is dependent on maternal vitamin D levels. The placenta- which provides nutrition and oxygen to the growing fetus, requires vitamin D to function. In this study, the authors indicate that vitamin D may play a role in implantation of the pregnancy, normal placental development and the development and prevention of eclampsia. All imperative to a healthy full term pregnancy

Some studies have also looked at childhood health as related vitamin D levels in utero. Healthy maternal levels of vitamin D have been shown to decrease the likelihood of wheezing in their children. It is also implicated in the prevention of respiratory infections, type one diabetes and MS (multiple sclerosis).

With all this information stacking up, it makes sense that vitamin D levels should be monitored pre-conception and during the pregnancy. It’s a simple test that your doctor can order or you can get an at-home finger stick test through ZRT Lab.

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Environmental Toxins & Hormone Health

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 03:20:00 -0700

You may not be aware of the effects some chemicals commonly found in our homes and our environment have on our health and wellbeing, but these so-called endocrine disruptors are all around us and can interfere with hormone balance and the immune system.

While it’s becoming common knowledge that the chemicals in our foods can affect our health, the lesser known environmental exposures may be even more ubiquitous.

Here are some examples:

Pthalates- found in beauty products, plastics and also in new shower curtains. You know that “icky” smell of a new shower curtain? That’s the airborne phthalates. Tip: To disperse the chemical, Air the curtain outside for 24 hours prior to hanging in your bathroom to disperse the chemical.
Bisphenol A (BPA)- found in plastic drinking bottles, baby bottles, and cash register receipts
Dioxins- found in all bleached paper products: toilet paper and tampons are particularly problematic as they come in contact with our skin (mucous membranes)
Chemicals used in dry cleaning will off-gas from the clothing for days after we bring them home.
Cleaning supplies that we use to wash our kitchen counters, floors and ovens put endocrine disrupting chemicals into the air and can remain on these surfaces
Many pesticides that are used for repelling ants, roaches and other insects can be also harmful to humans

This is a short list; the ways we are exposed are many. To read more see Dr. Marianne Marchese’s book 8 Weeks to Women’s Wellness. Her book outlines the environmental links to 10 common women’s health conditions, the various ways we are exposed to these chemicals on a daily basis and provides an 8 week detoxification program that is both informative for the doctor and useful for patients.

And check out the environmental working group which has a great cosmetic database and other great info on toxins in the home that can affect hormone health.

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Fish Oil and Heart Health

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 04:01:00 -0700

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and most of us know someone whom heart disease has affected in one way or another.

In honor of heart health month (February) I interviewed Dr Aimee Gould Shunney medical advisor for Nordic Naturals and Naturopathic Physician. We talked about how fish oil supplementation can have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, lowering risk of stroke, high blood pressure, heart attack and blood clots and improving lipid profiles (TG, LDL, HDL).

Omega 3 Are Essential
Omega 3 fats, found in fish oil, are long chain fatty acids which the human body cannot produce- thus essential. Omega 6 is also an essential long chain fatty acid; however we get plenty of this through our diet. Omega 3, found in certain nuts, fish and grass fed beef is commonly missing from the typical American diet.

Omega 3’s Keep Cell Membranes Healthy
Omega 3 fats play many roles in the health of our bodies, one of which is to keep cell membranes fluid and flexible. When the cell membrane becomes rigid from poor fats in the diet, receptors can’t functions well, movement of fluid and nutrients in and out of the cell is hampered and the cell is unable to its job optimally. This is very important in cardiovascular health. The blood vessels, like cell walls, need to be flexible. Rigidity of the blood vessel indicates plaque formation and can lead to hypertension and other cardiovascular problems.

Omega 3’s Improve Lipid Profiles
I fondly think of my physiology professor every time I look at a patient’s lipid profile. She taught us that the LDL acts as a Litter bug in the blood, depositing cholesterol throughout that the cardiovascular system, while HDL is working as the Highway patrol picking up the littered cholesterol and triglycerides and bringing them back to the liver where it is excreted or re-utilized. Omega 3 fats in fish oil increase HDL effectively increasing the Highway patrol and reducing LDL and triglycerides (Litter bugs) therby reducing the risk for heart disease, MI, atherosclerosis and stroke.

As for LDL, the litter bugs of the cholesterol milieu, omega 3 fatty acids do not seem to simply reduce number of circulating LDL particles. However, it does change the subtypes of LDL cholesterol, for the better. LDL type A- the lighter fluffier type of LDL is increased by omega 3 fats , and LDL type B- the denser, stickier subtype that is atherogenic, is decreased. In combination with the increase in HDL (highway patrol) and reduction in triglycerides, the total LDL number becomes less of a risk factor. These sub types are available when you look at an expanded cholesterol panel like the VAP test which measures cholesterol, HDL, LDL, LDL size patterns and subtypes of cholesterol.

Omega 3's Reduce C Reactive Protein:
C reactive protein is increased in the blood as a results of inflammation in the body. It has also been implicated as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease for those individuals who have high levels and do not have a genetic variation which increases CRP. Omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to decrease CRP- and therefore reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.

Get Omega 3’s From Fish Oil
How do we get more omega 3 fats? Take FISH OIL! As a clinician I use fish oil as a basic supplement because everyone can benefit from fish oil. According to Dr Shunney, you can get enough omega 3 fats from your diet if you are eating a serving of omega 3 -rich fish each day (like sardines). However, the problems of wild fish toxicity (mercury, PCBs, ) and farmed fish toxicity (have fewer omega 3 fats, are full of pesticides, antibiotics and food dye and also toxins like PCBS! ) make that difficult to do!

For those of us (and I think there at least a few of us out there) who can’t or won’t eat a serving of healthy, non toxic, omega 3 rich fish daily, there are fortunately great fish oil supplements out there. My favorite is Nordic Naturals Arctic D Cod liver oil. I use the liquid form because I have found it to be more cost effective and easier to tolerate (no fish burps). However, if a teaspoon of fish oil daily is not your cup of tea- Nordic also carries plenty of capsulated fish oils too. Also, Dr Shunney tells us that Nordic naturals has a policy that if any of their products produce a fishy burp, you can return the bottle and get your money back. She says that a fishy after taste is a tell–tale sign of a rancid fish oil.

Additional Resources

For more information on sustainable fish check out Fish Wise or Nordic Naturals website which includes plenty of scientific references for the fish oil’s effect on health.
Download: ZRT's Cardiometabolic Risk Screening Patient Handout
Blog: National Nutrition Month - Finding Our Way Back to True Foods