Living and working in Canada’s North, I have a number of patients who have come to my clinic with pre-conception concerns about heavy metal contamination after working in the mining industry in the Yukon, or living in regions with known concerns about contaminated drinking water.
When heavy metals testing reveals levels of concern, we make a plan to safely detoxify from these heavy metals before a pregnancy to prevent passing along these heavy metals to offspring during pregnancy and breast-feeding. As I detail in my online fertility program (including a module specifically about detoxification during pre-conception), this involves herbal and nutrient liver support, dietary interventions including high cruciferous intake, and often specific binder and detoxification supports to further mobilize heavy metals.
A new joint study from India and the U.S. has looked specifically at the impacts of groundwater arsenic levels on reproductive outcomes including infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and stillbirth. The study found that for each percentage point increase in groundwater arsenic levels exceeding 10 μg/L, the rates of stillbirths was 4.5% higher. The rates of RPL are 4.2% higher, and the rates of infertility are 4.4% higher.
I recently had a patient with demonstrated elevated burden of arsenic, after working for years in gold rooms. Over a three-month period, we focused on pre-conception detoxification, and we were thankfully successful in bringing her arsenic levels back into normal range in time for her to move forwards with her reproductive goals.
Clearing another hurdle to a heathy pregnancy was well worth the effort!
I hope you have found this helpful, and do let me know if you have any questions!
If you are hungry for more evidence-based information for your fertility or pregnancy journey, visit www.myhealthypregnancyplan.comfor free webinars and complete programs.
And if you are a care-provider looking for evidence-based resources for your fertility or pregnancy patients, please get in touch with us at support@myhealthypregnancyplan.com, or visit www.myhealthypregnancyplan.com/ce-courses-for-naturopathic-doctors.
In health,
Dr Jocelyn Land-Murphy, ND
Terra Life
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References:
Pinchoff, J. et al. (2022). Is living in a region with high groundwater arsenic contamination associated with adverse reproductive health outcomes? An analysis using nationally representative data from India. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, 239.