Just out: Fertility and aging; Dr. Bob plugs paleo
Two recent publications look at fertility and the Paleo diet.
Fertility
"The Truth About Fertility and Aging," shape.com
Jenna Birch, reporting on Shape magazine's Web site, describes an intriguing new study raising hopes that someday women might be able to increase their chances of getting pregnant by changing their diets.
For the study, Australian researchers put 858 mice on one of 25 diets involving various levels of proteins, carbohydrates, fat and calories. After 15 months, it was clear that the mice on high-protein, low-carb diets had more babies than the others. And that, the researchers said, had implications for older women who are having trouble conceiving.
"Instead of women with subfertility resorting immediately to invasive vitro fertilization techniques," study author Samantha Solon-Biet told Shape, "an alternative strategy may be developed to change the ratio of dietary macronutrients to improve female fertility. This would avoid the need for medical intervention, except in the most severe cases."
Birch tried to put the recommendations in context by talking to nutrition experts. "I would caution women to not start eating 20-ounce steaks three times a day," said dietitian Liz Weinandy. "If a woman wanted to go a little higher in protein intake, that would be fine – but focus on eating lean sources that are not highly processed."
(In other words, don't wolf down more lunch meats and hot dogs.)
Weinandy also said some experts believe that compounds found in full-fat dairy products are "beneficial for conception."
Along with another dietitian, Jessica Marcus, Weinandy pointed out that older women trying to conceive need to maximize their health every way they can, including but not limited to diet.
"The more we can do to maintain a healthy body," Marcus said, "the better our chances."
Allergies
"The Allergy Book" by Robert W. Sears and William Sears
Pediatrician Robert W. Sears – or Dr. Bob, on his Web site and in media appearances – is a controversial figure in the world of vaccines: He has famously proposed alternative vaccination schedules that the mainstream medical community argues contribute to undervaccination in the childhood population.
But in the new book he has co-written with his father, William Sears – or Dr. Bill, who is also a pediatrician – vaccines aren't the issue. It's "The Allergy Book: Solving Your Family's Nasal Allergies, Asthma, Food Sensitivities and Related Health and Behavioral Problems."
Dr. Bob has suffered from nasal allergies and asthma most of his life, and many of the anecdotes in the book are his. For example: Although he says he managed his own condition pretty well – often with very familiar over-the-counter medications – it was only after he went on a paleo diet and then went completely gluten-free that his asthma symptoms virtually disappeared.
As the subtitle indicates, the book takes a broad look at all kinds of sensitivity-related ills and possible solutions, both for children and adults. Some examples:
• If your baby is getting reflux from formula, feed half as much, twice as often.
• Although doctors used to advise people with eczema to limit baths, it is now believed that soaking in a warm bath without soap is a good idea. And over-the-counter antihistamines help with this skin allergy, too.
• If you use a spray inhaler for asthma, you may be using it wrong. Many people make the mistake of putting it in the mouth, with lips wrapped around it – which is appropriate for powder inhalers. But for sprays, hold the inhaler two inches away from the mouth, and start inhaling a split second before spraying.
• If you think you have a sensitivity to gluten, don't go gluten-free all at once; the chemical withdrawal can cause mood swings and increase cravings.
• Newly developed desensitization therapies may work for peanut allergies: The patient eats very small quantities of peanuts in the allergist's office, increasing the dose each time.