Nutrients For Pregnancy

For more information

Wesley Corporate Health

Level 2 / 46 Edward Street

Brisbane  Qld  4000

Phone:  07 3234 2600

Email: info@weshealth.com.au

Disclaimer

This Fact Sheet is provided for your information only and does not replace qualified medical advice.  The information provided may not apply to every person or all situations. A medical practitioner should be consulted for all treatment and medication.

IVF and Nutrition

What is IVF?

InVitro Fertilisation involves placing eggs and sperm in a laboratory dish to enable fertilisation to occur outside the body. The fertilised eggs are then transferred several days later into the woman’s uterus or womb where implantation and embryo development will hopefully occur just as in a normal pregnancy.

What is the relationship between weight and fertility?

· Having a BMI either above or below the accepted healthy weight range can have a detrimental affect of fertility

· However even a small amount of weight loss (5%) may improve fertility

· Overweight women have increased ovulation disorders and luteal phase defects

· Overweight women have reduced pregnancy and live birth rates

· Overweight women have a higher risk of medical complications in pregnancy e.g. diabetes and hypertension

· Therapies to help ovulation are not as successful and there may be a higher chance of miscarriage

How can good nutrition and regular exercise help fertility and successful IVF outcomes?

· Good nutrition and exercise are important for maintaining good health and achieving a healthy weight may help restore menstrual and ovulatory cycles and consequently increase spontaneous ovulation and increase pregnancy rates

· Overweight women who lose weight through exercise and a healthy diet have a reduced miscarriage rate from 75% to 20% dependant on age, and a reduced rate of congenital abnormalities or birth defects

· Improvements in chance of conception are seen if a well balanced diet is commenced at least 3-4 months prior to conception

· Taking Folic acid is associated with a reduced risk of neural tube defects

· Reducing stress improves ovulation

· High caffeine can decrease fertility, so it is recommended to limit caffeine

Healthy Bones

 

Osteoporosis is a condition in which calcium is lost from bones causing them to become thin and brittle and liable to break easily.  In severe cases, fractures occur following only slight knocks or normal activities of daily living such as lifting or bending.  The onset of osteoporosis may be delayed by reducing or eliminating factors which enhance its development.

 

Calcium—building up the bone bank

Calcium regulates many of the chemical reactions and plays an important role in many body processes such as:

· Contraction and relaxation of muscles

· Transmission of nerve impulses

· Clotting of blood.

All of these functions are vital for our bodies to function properly.  We gain and lose calcium from our bones everyday.  If we fail to consume more calcium than we lose each day we are in a state of negative balance.  This deficit causes the amount of calcium in the circulation to drop and so the body immediately draws on its stores of calcium—the bones.  If this process continues, the condition of osteoporosis can develop.

Due to the risk of osteoporosis, it is very important for each individual to maintaining a ‘positive calcium balance’ our bones each day. This is achieved by ensuring an adequate daily calcium intake and by reducing other risk factors that leech calcium from our bones.

Peak bone mass

There are two major factors which determine the potential for osteoporosis.

Peak Bone Mass:

Our bones reach their peak strength and maximum calcium store by about 18–20 years.  This is called Peak Bone Mass.  The more bone you have at Peak Bone Mass, the greater the deposits of calcium you have to call on later in life.

The Rate of Bone Loss:

At about 35 years, the bones slowly start to lose calcium.  Men and women may lose up to 1% of bone every year .  For women the rate of bone loss increases dramatically as natural oestrogen levels fall, as occurs during menopause and menstrual irregularities.  This is when special attention must be paid to osteoporosis risk.

Calcium needs

The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends the following daily intake of calcium:

Are you at risk of developing osteoporosis?

The longer you live, the more likely you are to develop osteoporosis. 

· Osteoporosis occurs most frequently in postmenopausal women of Caucasian or Asian race, and in the elderly.

· It is estimated that one in two females and one in three males  over 60 years will develop osteoporosis.

How do I prevent osteoporosis?

There are a number of things you can do now to maintain or increase strength of bones and help protect yourself against osteoporosis.  These habits should start in childhood and continue throughout life.  

Maintain adequate daily calcium intake

Milk, cheese, yogurt, some soy milks, tinned salmon with bones are valuable sources of calcium to have daily.

Reduce alcohol consumption Maintain adequate daily calcium intake

· Limit yourself to 2 or less standard drinks per day and have at least 2 or 3 alcohol free days per week.  Alcohol in excess can decrease the absorption of calcium from the intestine.

 Keep up regular aerobic exercise (especially weight bearing)

· e.g. walking, jogging, tennis, dancing or lawn-bowls.  Weight bearing exercise creates a positive stress on bones, helps to increase peak bone mass in younger people and to maintain or increase bone in older adults.  Swimming is not a weight-bearing exercise, but will be of some benefit because of the pull of muscle on bone.

Limit your intake of caffeine to 4 or less cups of tea/coffee/cola per day

· Because calcium is lost from the body continuously through the skin and normal body excretions, a high caffeine diet can act as a diuretic increasing the amount of urine (and therefore calcium) lost.  Taking milk in high caffeine drinks may give some protection.

Don't smoke

· Smoking is a bone robber: it lowers oestrogen levels and, as a result, less calcium is deposited and more is withdrawn.

Limit your salt intake

· A high intake of salt causes calcium loss.  Moderate amounts do not appear to be a major osteoporosis risk factor.

If you are a woman, ask your GP about:

· Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) after menopause.

· Bone density measurement around the time of menopause.  This may help you if you are having difficulty in deciding whether or not HRT is appropriate.

· Effective therapy other than HRT is available.

Disclaimer

This Fact Sheet is provided for your information only and does not replace qualified medical advice. The
information provided may not apply to every person or all situations. A medical practitioner should be consulted for all treatment and medication.

For more information

Wesley Corporate Health

Level 2 / 46 Edward Street

Brisbane  Qld  4000

Phone:  07 3234 2600

Cancer Screening

Cancer & Australian Statistics

Cancer is a leading form of death in Australia with an estimated 39 000 deaths per annum.  1 in 2 men,  and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85.  However the survival rate for many common cancers has increased by more than 30% in the past two decades.  Today the most common cancers in Australia (excluding non-melanoma skin cancer) are prostate, colorectal (bowel), breast, melanoma, and lung cancer.

Colorectal Cancer

More than 14 000 Australians are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year.  1 in 10 men, and 1 in 14 women will be diagnosed by the age of 85.  More than 4 372 deaths annually are attributed to colorectal cancer. 

Causes and Prevention

· Genetics, age, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity and smoking are all known risk factors.

· The best prevention is to quit smoking, maintain a healthy body weight, and eat a healthy diet including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Symptoms

· Changes in bowel habits i.e. diarrhea, constipation or feeling of incomplete emptying.

· Thin bowel movements.

· Bloating, cramping, or blood in the motions.

Screening

· Can be screened by a FOBT (faecal occult blood test).

· Abnormal tests are followed up with a colonoscopy.

Lung Cancer

9 700 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year.  Lung cancer accounts for 9% of all diagnosed cancers, and 18% of deaths attributed to cancer.

Causes and Prevention

· Smoking is a the largest cause of lung cancer.  Risk is also increased with exposure to asbestos, radon, hydrocarbons and metals.

· The greatest preventative measure is to not smoke.

Symptoms

· Wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing producing blood in sputum, chest pain.

Screening

· No routine screening test.

· Abnormal tests are followed up with a colonoscopy.

Melanoma

Melanoma presents as 9.5% of all cancers, with nearly 10 300 new cases diagnosed each year.  More than 1 430 deaths annually are the result of melanoma cancer. 

Causes and Prevention

· Risk is increased with exposure to UV, particularly with episodes of sunburn.  Additional risk exists for people with fair skin, a family history, those with previous melanoma, a dysplastic naevi (a mole of  unusual appearance), or depressed immune system.

· Prevention entails avoiding sunburn, UV exposure particularly between 10am and 3pm, and when the UV alert is above 3.  Avoid tanning salons.

Symptoms

· Usually asymptomatic, but a skin lesion that is asymmetrical, has uneven boarders, is changing, has a diameter > 6mm, or is evolving, may be associated with melanoma.

Screening

· Self-examination of the skin surface for skin lesions that are irregular and changing.

· Annual checks by a dermatologist especially people with dysplastic naevi.

Breast Cancer

Approximately 12 700 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in Australia. In 2007 there were 2 680 deaths in Australian women  and 26 Australian men due to breast cancer.

Causes and Prevention

· Genetics and age are known risk factors, excess alcohol consumption, as well as exposure to female hormones (natural and administered), obesity and exposure to past radiation.

· No specific method of prevention.  High risk women may benefit from certain hormones i.e. tamoxifen.

Symptoms

· New lumps or thickening of breasts under arms, rash or red swollen breasts, nipple sores, skin of breast dimpling or discharge, pain is rare.

Screening

· Mammographic screening every two years is recommended to women from the age of 40.

· MRI or ultrasound is used for high risk younger women.

Ovarian Cancer

More than 1 200 new cases are diagnosed each year.

Causes and Prevention

· Age and genetics, as well as no oral contraception, first child after 30 or childlessness or infertility, early menarche (before 12 years) or late menopause.

· No proven prevention.

Symptoms

· Cramps and bloating, persistent abdominal pain, tiredness, painful intercourse, pelvic or back pain.

Screening

· No proven screening methods.

Cervical Cancer

175 new cases are diagnosed in Queensland each year.

Cause and Prevention

· 80% caused by Human Papilloma Virus.  Women who have had several pregnancies or several sexual partners are at higher risk.

· Prevention for young women is through a new vaccine.  For all other women, early detection is the key.

Symptoms

· Asymptomatic in early stage therefore regular pap smear.

· Late stage cancer can be accompanied by irregular bleeding between periods, unusually heavy bleeding after intercourse, unexpected bleeding, or prolonged bleeding.

Screening

· Women who have ever been sexually active should have a Pap smear every 2 years (even if no longer sexually active).

Prostate Cancer

More than 19 400 new cases each year, accounting for 30% of all male cancers. In 2007 there were  2 938 deaths reported in Australian men resulting from prostate cancer.

Causes and Prevention

· Age (particularly 50+), and genetics, as well as diets high in fat and low in fresh fruit.  There is also an association with high testosterone levels.

· No proven prevention.

Symptoms

· Can include: frequent urination, pain while urinating, blood in the urine, a weak stream of urine or unexplained weight loss.

Screening

· PSA blood test (prostate specific antigen) can detect cancer early, however it doesn’t detect all prostate cancers and elevated PSA  levels are not always indicative of cancer.

· DRE (digital rectal examination), performed by a GP.

Testicular Cancer

More than 700 new cases each year.  More than half of these are under the age of 35.

Causes and Prevention

· Causes and predisposition include genetics, personal history of undescended testicles, and atrophied (wasted) testicle.

· No proven prevention.

Symptoms

· Swelling, a small hard lump, difference in shape and texture between testicles, often painless.

Screening

· Monthly self examination to detect lumps, swelling or discomfort on the surface of the testicles.

References

The Cancer Council Australia: www.cancer.org.au

The Queensland Cancer Fund: www.qldcancer.com.au

www.medicalonline.com.au/medical/cancer/cervical.htm

www.health.qld.gov.au/cervicalscreening/

For More Information

Wesley Corporate Health

Level 2 / 46 Edward Street

Brisbane  Qld  4000

Phone:  07 3234 2600

Email: info@weshealth.com.au

Disclaimer

This Fact Sheet is provided for your information only and does not replace qualified medical advice. The information provided may not apply to every person or all situations. A medical practitioner should be consulted for all treatment and medication.

Changes in Female Body Composition with Age

Why Does My Metabolism Seem to be Slowing Down?

As we get older our muscle mass reduces with inactivity.  Given that muscle is a highly active tissue that burns a lot of energy, a reduction often leads to weight gain.  This makes resistance training imperative to curb the decline and possibly restore muscle mass/tone. 

The age old adage still applies - If you don't use it, you’ll lose it!

How Much Muscle Am I Loosing?

That all depends how old you are.  A 65 kg Female will have approximately 18 Kilograms, or 28% of muscle at the age of 30¹.  For every 10 years of inactivity your muscles will decline by 1.1 kg or 6%³!  So that means if you don’t do any significant resistance training between the ages of 25 and 55 years old you will loose approximately 3.3 kg or 18% of your lean muscle! 

How Much Fat Does My Muscle Burn?

Your fat free mass burns approximately 22 calories of fat each day², per kilogram.

That’s 660 calories per month!

Lets go back to the original example.  If you are 55 years old and have lost 5.7 kg of muscle;

· This means that your metabolism has slowed down by 3762 calories per month!

· The average person that runs a marathon (5 minutes per km) uses approximately 2000 calories.  You would almost need to run 2 marathons a month to burn the same amount of energy  as when you were 25!

Reference

1. Appendicular skeletal muscle mass: effects of age, gender, and ethnicity

2. Can Diet and Exercise Really Change Metabolism

3. Skeletal Muscle mass and distribution in 468 men and women