Reasons why your periods are missing and you are not pregnant

Reasons why you are missing your periods without being pregnant

 Ladies, what’s the first thought that comes to your mind when you miss your periods? Am I pregnant? Right?
According to experts, the first thing that most women think when they miss their period is if they are pregnant. But allow us to break the news to you, not every missed period means you are pregnant. This could be disappointing for some but happy news for many.
So, before you run to a medical shop to buy the pregnancy test kit, here are six other reasons why your period's cycle might be off.

You're on birth control
Most people think that taking birth control will lead to more regular periods, but women who take extended-cycle birth control pills do not experience a typical 28-day cycle. Some contraceptives delay the time between periods. Some other types of birth control like IUDs can also cause late or irregular period. 

​Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Women who have PCOS have additional follicles, which makes the process take longer than the normal. Because no released egg means no periods. Some other PCOS symptoms include an increased level of testosterone levels and weight gain.  

Stress

Stress can cause havoc with your hormones, which in turn can affect the duration between two menstrual cycles. Change in hormones can also affect the part of the brain that is responsible for regulating periods – hypothalamus. Stress can also lead to weight gain or weight loss, which can also impact your menstrual cycle.  

Lower body weight 

Women with eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia nervosa might experience missed periods. Weighing 10 per cent less than the ideal weight can change the way body functions and the dates of ovulation. Putting on some weight and getting back to normal can help you get back your cycle to normal. Sometimes extreme sports can also lead to missed periods, though no study has proven the same. 

Perimenopause

The average at which women experience menopause is 51 but there are many who start getting delayed periods in their late 40s. If you are under 45 years of age and your periods stops completely, you might be going through early menopause or are experiencing premature ovarian failure.  

Diabetes or thyroid

Diabetes and thyroid can be associated with absent or late periods. Thyroid can make your periods light, heavy or even irregular. It can even stop your periods for several months, it’s called amenorrhea. 

 

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Underweight or obese women-more prone to depression and anxiety

Women who are extremely underweight or obese are likely to be at an increased risk of developing common mood disorders like depression and anxiety, as a result of low feel-good neuroactive steroid, finds a study.

Neurosteroid Allopregnanolone also known as allo is a metabolite of the hormone progesterone – a female hormone. Allo works by producing a positive mood and feelings of well-being. 

The findings showed that in women with anorexia nervosa, blood levels of allo were 50% lower than they were in women with normal body mass index (BMIs). Women who were clinically obese had allo levels approximately 60% lower than women with normal weights. Further, participants with lower levels of allo had greater severity of depression symptoms, the researchers noted. 

“Depression is an incredibly prevalent problem, especially in women, and also particularly at the extremes of the weight spectrum,” said a professor . 

“We are beginning to see more and more evidence that low allo levels are tightly linked to depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mood disorders,” added an associate professor. 

In addition, progesterone levels were similarly low across both groups, suggesting that the decrease in allo in these participants may have been caused by improper functioning of enzymes.

The enzymes that convert progesterone into allo may not be working properly, causing decreases in allo that lead to mood disorders. 

For the study, the team recruited women with anorexia nervosa and amenorrhea (whose menstrual periods have stopped) whose body mass indices were less than 18.5, normal-weight women with BMIs between 19 and 24, and obese women with BMIs at 25 or higher. 

“Drugs that increase the efficacy of these enzymes may be useful in helping to boost allo levels,” Dr. said. 

“The hope is that a greater understanding of mechanisms contributing to these disorders – including abnormalities in the regulation of hormones and their neuroactive metabolites – may lead to new targeted therapies in the future,” Dr. noted.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.   
 
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Importance of food and nutrition for fertility

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.

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Having trouble conceiving a child is a relatively common problem experienced by one in every six couples. Factors that affect fertility may be genetic, environmental or behavioural. In many cases, focusing on food and nutrition is a potentially useful approach to increase the fertility of men and women and may aid these medical approaches.

For men

Zinc and Folate

Spermatogenesis, the process of producing sperm and increasing the sperm count, can be affected by what a man eats. Food and nutrition also affects sperm quality (including their ability to swim towards and penetrate the egg). In fact, what a man eats today will determine his sperm quality in the next 90 days. It is therefore important for men to eat a healthy diet in the months before trying for a baby. Two nutrients that are essential for healthy and abundant sperm are zinc and folate.
Zinc is required both for spermatogenesis and sperm motility. Good sources of zinc include oysters, lean red meat and egg yolk. Vegetarians can increase their zinc intake by eating more green leafy vegetables and tofu. Some seeds such as pumpkin and squash seeds contain zinc as do nuts particularly cashews, pine nuts and pecan nuts.
Folate is required for the synthesis of DNA which carries our genetic information in sperm. Good sources of folate include vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables, wholegrain/cereal products and wheat germ. In some countries, folate can be found in foods that have been fortified with folate such as white flour and bread. Fortified breakfast cereals have been shown in dietary surveys to provide quite a substantial amount of the population’s folate requirements.

Antioxidants

Sperm are also easily damaged by free-radicals, a group of very reactive compounds that circulate in the body and damage cells. Antioxidants are molecules that can protect against this damage by neutralising the free-radicals. Antioxidants include nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E and selenium. These are commonly found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Particularly good sources of selenium include brazil nuts, meat, oily fish, mushrooms and oysters. Milk, cheese and eggs are also sources of vitamin E and selenium. In areas where the soil is known to be low in selenium, the content of selenium in food can be much lower so take advice from a local health professional about selenium and the need for supplements depending on where you live.

For women

Celiac disease

In recent decades significant data have confirmed a link between celiac disease and fertility. Women with untreated celiac disease experience a significantly delayed menarche (time of first menstrual bleeding), an increased risk of secondary amenorrhea (failure to menstruate), incur higher miscarriage rates and have an earlier menopause. The consumption of a gluten free diet in women with untreated celiac disease may increase the chance of a successful pregnancy.

Balanced diet

Researchers suggest that a well-balanced diet that includes carbohydrates with a low-glycaemic index, monounsaturated fats and protein from predominantly plant sources may increase fertility. Their findings do not guarantee pregnancy but the healthy eating messages can be applied safely and at a low cost.

Weight

What we know for sure is that women of a healthy body weight have higher fertility rates than those who are both underweight and overweight. Being underweight and having a low body fat percentage can disrupt the menstrual cycle while excess weight-gain can affect the hormones that regulate ovulation and pregnancy. Therefore, it is recommended that women achieve a healthy weight before they attempt to get pregnant.
Overall, everyone can improve their fertility by consuming a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods such as wholegrain cereals, fruit, and sources of protein such as lean meat, fish, beans, legumes and nuts. Vegetables especially green leafy vegetables are very important and calcium-rich foods such as dairy products or seeds and grains containing calcium are also important to include in a diet to prepare you for pregnancy.

Regulate your body's iron content to ‘switch on’ cellular functions

If you thought that your hemoglobin levels measure your iron status, think again. While hemoglobin reflects whether an individual is anemic, it may not necessarily be an indicator of your body’s iron stores.

Non-anemic iron deficiency was suggested as a factor for diffuse hair loss in women in 1963.
Since then, numerous studies have evaluated the associations between iron deficiency and hair loss.
Iron is stored in the body as ferritin. During early stages of iron deficiency, a decreased ferritin level is a sign of decreased iron stores.

Ferritin accounts for 20 per cent of total iron in adults and it plays an important role both in  absorption and recycling of iron and is formed by intestinal mucosa, liver, spleen and bone marrow.
Ferritin levels are a good indication of iron storage levels. Low ferritin levels indicate depleted iron reserves, while high ferritin levels indicate inflammation and can be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Hair fall, hair thinning, hair loss (alopecia) and dull lifeless hair and lightening of dark hair can be linked to low ferritin levels.

Since iron is one of the key nutrients to ‘switch on’ cellular functions, low levels affect brain function as well. Iron deficiency is also known to depress the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infection.

Also, thyroid, para-thyroid and adrenal gland function are influenced by an imbalance of iron.
Amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycles) is also seen with low iron stores. A poorly understood behaviour seen among iron deficient people is pica — the craving and consumption of ice, chalk, starch, clay, soil and other non-food substances.

Most common causes of low ferritin levels include heavy menstrual bleeding, crash dieting, poor diets, parasitic infections, surgeries, severe illnesses, digestive tract bleeding, emotional stress, medications, certain health conditions like malabsorption and thyroid abnormalities or hormonal changes.

Excessive or prolonged intake of certain supplements including vitamins B12, D, E, zinc, calcium, copper, magnesium or chromium antagonise the absorption of iron and may contribute to iron deficiency.

While these nutrients are important, supplementation with ferritin should be done with care for efficient body functioning.

Boost your iron levels
Iron rich foods include:
Animal foods — meat, especially organ meat (liver), Poultry and fish
Green leafy vegetables — cauliflower greens, mustard greens, radish leaves
Seed: Amaranth, lotus stem, black gram, black sesame, seaweed, black beans, soybean,
Grains: Quinoa
Dry fruits — dates and sultanas.

Iron absorption by our bodies is dependent on whether it is heme iron (animal food) or non-heme iron (plant foods)


Heme iron diets, rich in animal foods, allow a higher absorption of iron (10%-20%) compared to vegetarian diets (2%-5%)

Iron is absorbed 2-3 times more efficient when taken with foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, sprouts, tomatoes

Iron uptake can be increased by cooking in cast iron vessels. 100 g of spaghetti sauce can absorb 87g of iron from pan

 THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.








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