What are antioxidants and their benefits ?

Quite often we hear about the benefits of antioxidants, their indispensability for maintaining a healthy body, their magical power to ward off cancer, Alzheimer etc. etc….  But most of the public do not have a clue as to what are these antioxidants. To know how the antioxidants work in our favor, we will also have to know about free radicals, which are being produced in our body.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants are chemical substances naturally found in Vitamin C, E, A, flavonoids, phenolic acids and beta-carotene in fruits, vegetables, nuts, pulses and cereals which inhibit oxidation and prevent cell damage. It is also found in synthetic form,  which is used as preservatives in processed food, but the effectiveness of synthetic antioxidants is not clear or established.  The antioxidant donates an electron to the free radical, thus neutralizing it into harmless. An antioxidant assist in countering oxidative stress, caused by free radicals.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals, also known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are chemical species that are naturally produced in our body during metabolism as a byproduct. However, some free radicals are produced in the body due to external factors like pollution, alcohol, smoking, medications, pesticides, infections, poor diet, toxins, radiation etc.  If free radicals are not controlled, it can attack the healthy cells of the body, resulting in oxidative stress posing danger to our health. Oxidation damages the cell membranes, cellular proteins and DNA. Preventing or fighting oxidative stress can go a long way in defending our body against tumors, cancer, heart problems, premature aging and scores of other body ailments. Deficiency of antioxidants will lead to piling up of free radicals in the body. A healthy dose of antioxidants will ensure that free radicals are deactivated before they start attacking the cells.

Sources of antioxidants

All the berry fruits, especially blueberry, blackberry,  cranberry and straw berry along with other fruits like apples, plums and grapes are loaded with the goodness of antioxidants. Phytochemicals, a form of antioxidant is found in tea and wine. Ascorbic acid, commonly known as Vitamin C is a very effective antioxidant present in most of the fruits and vegetables like capsicum, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables. Pulses like red kidney beans and black beans are also loaded with antioxidants. Vitamin E is fat soluble and found in abundance in nuts, fish, seeds, spinach, avocado, mango etc. Vitamin A is profoundly present in carrots, tomato, sweet potato, peaches and apples. Flavonoids have their presence in red wine, tea, soya and tomato and watermelon has lycopene content.

Role of antioxidants in pregnancy and infertility

Several studies conducted on pregnant women has indicated that a healthy dose of natural antioxidants do play a role in smooth pregnancy and in preventing miscarriages. Oxidative stress can be a reason for causing miscarriages, and some researches suggests that antioxidants may be helpful in preventing Pre-eclampsia (High blood pressure and protein in urine, during pregnancy can result in a fatal condition called Pre - eclampsia, which can cause preterm delivery.) Oxidative stress is also known to affect male fertility adversely by causing defective spermatogenesis. So infact, anioxidants can aid in improving the quality and quantity of the sperm.

Researchers have different opinions on whether, artificial supplements can give the same result as natural antioxidants.  So to be on the safer side, it is better to consume variety of  brightly colored fruits and vegetables, which will ensure a healthy dose of antioxidants. 

Dr. Anita Mani

Infertility Specialist at Gift IVF Centre

anitadane@gmail.com

www.giftivf.com 

+91 484 2475031,  +91 484 2475034, 

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Dr. Anita Mani is a renowned infertility specialist in south India with 18 years experience in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Anita has successfully set up ART hospitals in Cochin and Bangalore,  along with her spouse  Dr. S Mani. She completed MRCOG, from Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist  London, DFFP from  ART Warwick university and  worked in UK for 5 years. Dr. Anitha believes in scientific and ethical practice and is currently the director of Gift Gyno IVF centre Cochin and  Bangalore.  Apart from advanced laparoscopic surgeries, she is also an expert in various ART techniques including IVF, IUI, ICSI , donor egg / sperm. Her proficiency is in genetic abnormalities and high risk pregnancies.

Medical terms and definitions associated with IVF and ART procedures

Following are the medical terms and their definitions associated with IVF and other ART procedures, according to the assisted reproductive technology regulation bill issued by the Ministry of Health and family welfare

1. “artificial insemination” means the procedure of artificially transferring semen into the reproductive system of a woman and includes insemination with the husband’s semen or with the donor’s semen
2. “assisted reproductive technology”, means all techniques that attempt to obtain a pregnancy by handling or manipulating the sperm or the oocyte outside the human body and transferring the gamete or the embryo into the reproductive tract of a woman
3. “assisted reproductive technology bank” means an organisation that is set up to supply sperm or semen, oocytes or oocyte donor to the assisted reproductive technology clinics or their patients
4. “assisted reproductive technology clinic” means any premises, equipped with the requisite facilities for carrying out the procedures related to the assisted reproductive technology
5. “biological parent” means the genetic parent
6. “commissioning couple” means an infertile married couple, who approach an assisted reproductive technology clinic or assisted reproductive technology bank for obtaining service’s that the assisted reproductive technology clinic or the assisted reproductive technology bank is authorised to provide
7. “couple” means a relationship between a male person and female person who live together in a shared household through a relationship in the nature of marriage which is legal in India
8. “cryo-preservation” means the freezing and storing of gametes, zygotes and embryos
9. “donor” means the donor of a gamete or gametes but does not include the husband who provides the sperm or the wife who provides the oocyte to be used in the process of assisted reproduction for their own use
10. “egg”, means the female gamete namely the oocyte
11. “sperm” means the male gametes produced in the testicles and contained in semen
12. “embryo”, means the fertilised ovum that has begun cellular division and continued development up to eight weeks
13. “fertilisation”, means the penetration of the ovum by the spermatozoon and fusion of genetic materials resulting in the development of a zygote
14. “foetal reduction”, means reduction in the number of foetuses in the case of multiple pregnancies
15. “foetus”, means the product of conception, starting from completion of embryonic development until birth or abortion
16. “oocyte” and “ovum”, means, the female gamete present in the ovary, and an ovulated oocyte in which the first polar body has been released
17. “patients” means an infertile married couple who comes to any registered assisted reproductive technology clinic and is under treatment for infertility
18. “gamete”, means sperm and oocyte namely the egg
19. “gamete donor”, means a person who provides sperm or oocyte with the objective of enabling an infertile couple to have a child
20. “implantation”, means the attachment and subsequent penetration by the zona-free blastocyst, which starts five to seven days following fertilization
21. “infertility”, means the inability to conceive after at least one year of unprotected coitus or an anatomical or physiological condition that would prevent a couple from having a child
22. “Legitimate” means in accordance or in compliance with the existing/ established law or accepted patterns and standards
23. “Medical Visa” means an official authorization/endorsement in a passport or similar documents issued by Indian High Commission or Indian Embassy permitting entry into and travel within India for treatment of infertility at an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Clinic registered under National Registry of ART Clinics
24. “Foreigners Regional Registration Officer/ Foreigners Registration Officer” means an officer having jurisdiction over the area for implementation of the Acts/Rules pertaining to foreigners where the assisted reproductive technology clinic is located
25. “Non Resident Indian (NRI)” means an Indian citizen who is ordinarily residing outside India and holds an Indian Passport
26. “Overseas Citizen of India (OCI)” means a person registered as Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) under section 7A of the Citizenship Act, 1955
27. “People of Indian Origin (PIO)” means a person who or whose any of ancestors was an Indian national and who is presently holding another country’s citizenship/ nationality i.e. he/she is holding foreign passport
28. “Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis” includes the technique in which an embryo formed through in-vitro fertilisation is tested for specific disorders prior to the transfer
29. “Record” means documents pertaining to infertile couple, gamete donor, diagnosis/screening, types and steps of treatments/ procedures and their complications, if any and final outcome, written consent’s, agreement’s, No Objection Certificate’s (NOCs), other related documents etc.

 Dr. Anita Mani

Infertility Specialist at Gift IVF Centre

anitadane@gmail.com

www.giftivf.com

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Dr. Anita Mani is a renowned infertility specialist in south India with 15 years experience in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Anita has successfully set up ART hospitals in Cochin and Bangalore,  along with her spouse  Dr. S Mani. She completed MRCOG, from Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist  London, DFFP from  ART Warwick university and  worked in UK for 5 years. Dr. Anitha believes in scientific and ethical practice and is currently the director of Gift Gyno IVF centre Cochin and  Bangalore.  Apart from advanced laparoscopic surgeries, she is also an expert in various ART techniques including IVF, IUI, ICSI, donor egg / sperm. Her proficiency is in genetic abnormalities and high risk pregnancies.

courtesy :  assisted reproductive technology regulation bill issued by the Ministry of Health and family welfare

Moringa (Drumstick) - key to your infertility woes and answer to a multitude of ailments

It won’t be an exaggeration to call Moringa Tree (Drumstick)  a “ MIRACLE TREE”. All the parts of the tree like, the leaves, bark, fruits, flowers,  sap, seeds, oil and even the root has medicinal or commercial utilities. Since ages, this has been utilized in Ayurveda to prevent and cure more than a hundred diseases and for enhancing general health and boosting immunity. I can go on and on and write pages about this precious tree, which is a powerhouse of goodness. But I will just give a brief account of the medicinal and nutritional properties of this plant

It is near to impossible to find a plant with as much Protein, Vitamin C,A, Pottassium, Calcium content as in Muringa leaves. It also has significant traces of Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin and Pyridoxine.

Muringa leaves  is known to stabilize blood pressure and sugar. It also seems to have diuretic and antiseptic properties, is  effective in curing headaches, fevers, infections, arthritis, anemia, parasite infection, ulcers and constipation.

The high protein content in muringa leaves make it an ideal food for vegetarians, as this is one vegetable, which can almost match the protein content in animal meat. Studies prove that the protein in muringa is better and higher than in soya. The amino acids essential for our body is present in these leaves. Even after drying, the leaves retain lot of its nutritional value, this along with the cheap and easy availability makes it ideal as a supplement for the malnourished  people in the third world countries.

In India, especially in the southern states, drumsticks and the leaves are revered as an aphrodisiac and is eaten to increase the sex libido, correct erectile dysfunction and improving the semen quality.  Male and female infertility is now a global challenge and  the tonic made out of flowers and leaves of  muringa is said to be a remedy for this crisis. It is also prescribed to the breastfeeding moms to enhance milk production.

The oil extracted from the seeds and roots also have scores of benefits. The unique property of this oil is that  it doesn’t turn stale even after years, hence is used  in perfumes, cosmetics and as lubricant  in machinery and watches.

Muringa is an easy to grow tree which requires minimum maintenance. In olden days, it was an asset to the South Indian kitchen backyards. The pesticide free fruits, leaves and flowers can augment the nutritional value of your food and keep you far away from illnesses.

   "All that man needs for health and healing has been provided by God in nature, the

                                 Challenge of science is to find it."

Dr. Anita Mani
Infertility Specialist at Gift IVF Centre

anitadane@gmail.com

www.giftivf.com

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Dr. Anita Mani is a renowned infertility specialist in south India with 15 years experience in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Anita has successfully set up ART hospitals in Cochin and Bangalore,  along with her spouse  Dr. S Mani. She completed MRCOG, from Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist  London, DFFP from  ART Warwick university and  worked in UK for 5 years. Dr. Anitha believes in scientific and ethical practice and is currently the director of Gift Gyno IVF centre Cochin and  Bangalore.  Apart from advanced laparoscopic surgeries, she is also an expert in various ART techniques including IVF, IUI, ICSI, donor egg / sperm. Her proficiency is in genetic abnormalities and high risk pregnancies.

Is the future of Intra- Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) - PIEZO ICSI ?

When I attended the ACE 2015  conference, I was privileged to listen to an  interesting lecture by a Japanese embryologist. It was concerning a new technology called PIEZO  ICSI, wherein  vibration was used to puncture the egg instead of a needle, as employed in conventional  ICSI procedure. 

First let us understand the conventional ICSI procedure. ICSI is a process in which a sperm is directly injected into an egg. In current micromanipulators, sharp needle is used to forcibly penetrate the egg  through the zona pellucida (protecting cover of egg ) which causes considerable deformation of the zona or in simple terms creates a hole. This deformation may increase the internal pressure of the oocyte, (egg) induce the emission of ooplasm (cytoplasm inside the egg) from the oocyte after removal of the needle and may cause oocyte death.

Since the cytoplasm inside cell (egg)  has high extendibility, the inserted needle may not penetrate the cytoplasm. So the sperm should be injected after aspiration of the matter into the pippette, which is done by the embryologists. They aspirate little cytoplasm  and then only inject the sperm into the egg cell.

The first report on piezo-ICSI was published by Kimura and Yanagimachi (1995), who used mice as subjects. By means of this method, egg penetration can be achieved by voltage of piezoelectric elements. Similarly, after the cytoplasm is reached it can be punctured by applying one piezo pulse. 

So basically vibration is used to puncture the egg, there is no sharp needle, but only a smaller blunt needle. Therefore, chances of injuring the egg is less. Moreover, there is no need to aspirate the matter from egg contents to confirm entry, which again reduces the chances of harming the egg.

Currently, this method is being used in Japanese fertility centers, with higher success rate than conventional ICSI.  It is quiet expensive to maintain an ART lab, so upgrading with new equipment can be a challenge in the current Indian scenario, as ultimately the patients will have to  bear the brunt.

Reference

http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/14/2/448.full

Dr. Anita Mani
Infertility Specialist at Gift IVF Centre

anitadane@gmail.com

www.giftivf.com

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Dr. Anita Mani is a renowned infertility specialist in south India with 15 years experience in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Anita has successfully set up ART hospitals in Cochin and Bangalore,  along with her spouse  Dr. S Mani. She completed MRCOG, from Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist  London, DFFP from  ART Warwick university and  worked in UK for 5 years. Dr. Anitha believes in scientific and ethical practice and is currently the director of Gift Gyno IVF centre Cochin and  Bangalore.  Apart from advanced laparoscopic surgeries, she is also an expert in various ART techniques including IVF, IUI, ICSI , donor egg / sperm. Her proficiency is in genetic abnormalities and high risk pregnancies.

Donor- recipient synchronization for the success of donor egg IVF

Dr. Anita presented a paper on Donor- recipient synchronization for the success of donor egg IVF at the 2015 International congress of the “Academy of Clinical Embryology” held at Kochi. The success of donor egg program depends greatly on the synchronization of both the donor and the recipient, to get simultaneous periods and to start the luteal support on time. 

Successful Synchronization :-

• S  -  Simultaneous Periods
• U  -  Ultrasound Scan
• C  -  Coordination
• C  -  Communication
• E  -  Email Synchronisation 
• S  -  Screening donor
• S  -  Success
• F  -  Freezing semen sample
• U  - Unforeseen Risks
• L  -  Luteal support

Simultaneous periods is a must, so change the period date of the recipient by giving combined pills or progesterone, as needed.  It is better not to change the period of the donor as it may be associated with longer stimulation and higher gonadotropin consumption and lesser pregnancy rate.

Ultrasound scan is the magic tool to success. Keep checking the follicular growth and endometrial thickness. In case thickness is not sufficient you can increase the dose or consider adding Sildenafil.

Coordination between the team members team comprising   infertility specialist, IVF coordinators, international client manager and embryologist is very important and they should meet regularly  to keep update of the list of patients, donors and their timing. Train efficient staff to be the coordinators who can communicate well and arrange for the timely screening. If patients are abroad, let them collect the medicines in advance, as it may not be available in some countries.

Communication with the patient and donor before starting the ART cycle should be constant, so that the program goes well. Provide guidance for recipients in the form of leaflets  and online information, to get proper understanding about the timing and procedure.Counsellor should meet both the donor and the recipient , to make them understand the implications fully and properly.

Email Synchronisation will be helpful for the NRI patients, this will help to reduce their frequency and number of visits. The female partner can be given priming tablets to start on the second day, so that she can cut short her visit for embryo transfer. The scans can be done locally and results mailed to the doctor, so that date of luteal support can be advised.

Screen the  donor at least 1 month before, or earlier to pickup potential problems like ovarian cysts, pelvic infections and other medical problems.screening should include AFC and AMH as  needed , so that the recipient does not end up with poor responder, after all the synchronization.Deficient endometrial lining  can be avoided by screening in advance. Difficult embryo transfer is not an issue, if there is MET

Success of the treatment depends on synchronisation, health of the donor, condition of endometrium of the recepient, ART lab facilities and the expertise of the medical team.

Freezing of semen sample can be done, when the male partner visits the clinic for the first time, so that a repeat visit can be avoided, when his wife comes for the donor egg program.

Unforeseen risks like Illness of the donor or her family member, can cause chaos, so the recipient should be counseled about the possibility. Some clinics have standby donors, who are on pill. 

Luteal support should be started for the recipient either the night before egg pick up or at least on the day of retrieval , as the window of implantation is small

Dr. Anita Mani
Infertility Specialist at Gift IVF Centre

anitadane@gmail.com

www.giftivf.com

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Dr. Anita Mani is a renowned infertility specialist in south India with 15 years experience in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Anita has successfully set up ART hospitals in Cochin and Bangalore,  along with her spouse  Dr. S Mani. She completed MRCOG, from Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist  London, DFFP from  ART Warwick university and  worked in UK for 5 years. Dr. Anitha believes in scientific and ethical practice and is currently the director of Gift Gyno IVF centre Cochin and  Bangalore.  Apart from advanced laparoscopic surgeries, she is also an expert in various ART techniques including IVF, IUI, ICSI , donor egg / sperm. Her proficiency is in genetic abnormalities and high risk pregnancies.

The benefits and medical properties of Basella Alba ( Malabar Spinach, Bengali Cheera)

Basella Alba, commonly known as Vine Spinach, Malabar Spinach, Bengali Cheera  or Ceylon spinach is a tropical creeper plant with dark green broad leaves and fleshy purple or pink stems. It tastes similar to spinach, but has many more medicinal properties. Most of the people are unaware that this plant is a treasure chest of vitamins, minerals etc. This easy to cultivate plant is commonly found in the backyards and starts giving yield in less than 40 days. It has always been popular in Asian countries like India, China and Philippines, but now the value of this plant is being recognized in European and American countries and the succulent and tender leaves and stems are  used widely in cooking.  It is easy to cultivate and a small stem cutting planted in soil will achieve rapid growth in a short span, if proper irrigation is given.

Few month back, when I planted a small stem cutting in my garden, I never imagined it will grow so fast and will become a regular part of our daily meals. I love to add few leaves in my stir fries or grind them and add to my pasta. Fresh from the garden, without any trace of pesticide, they are packed with goodness of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. 

These heart shaped high fiber leaves  are not only easy to cook, but has very few calories with a decent protein content.  It is said to have more vitamin C than the normal spinach. It’s an excellent source of Iron, Vitamin A, Riboflavin, vitamin B6, Vitamin E, potassium, manganese, calcium, copper, Thiamin and Niacin. The mucilage and roughage aids in smooth bowel movements and prevent adsorption of cholesterol. The antioxidant vitamin C, is inevitable for the healthy body functioning  as it increase our resistance against diseases. Another important property of Basella Alba is that it gives protection against Osteoporosis, as these leaves are enriched with calcium. Appropriate levels of Folate are very essential during pregnancy, so it is highly recommended that pregnant ladies include lot of these leaves in their daily diet. Optimum level of potassium will ensure that your blood pressure and heart beat level are maintained.

Laboratory experiments proved that feeding these leaves to rats and bulls increased their testosterone  levels, so Malabar Spinach may abet to counter male infertility. 

Another striking property is that chewing these leaves are known to expel the kidney stones. Numerous studies have proved that these leaves are capable of dissolving calcium oxalate crystals ( Most commonly found type of kidney stone). One more remarkable feature of this plant is it's anti inflammatory and anti fungal properties. It will be a wise decision to include these leaves as a part of your regular diet.

" Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food "

Dr. Anita Mani
Infertility Specialist at Gift IVF Centre

anitadane@gmail.com

www.giftivf.com

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Dr. Anita Mani is a renowned infertility specialist in south India with 15 years experience in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Anita has successfully set up ART hospitals in Cochin and Bangalore,  along with her spouse  Dr. S Mani. She completed MRCOG, from Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist  London, DFFP from  ART Warwick university and  worked in UK for 5 years. Dr. Anitha believes in scientific and ethical practice and is currently the director of Gift Gyno IVF centre Cochin and  Bangalore.  Apart from advanced laparoscopic surgeries, she is also an expert in various ART techniques including IVF, IUI, ICSI , donor egg / sperm. Her proficiency is in genetic abnormalities and high risk pregnancies.

Laparoscopic sterilization at minimal cost

In a mission to stop the unwanted pregnancies and abortions, we are offering to do laparoscopic sterilizations at a very reduced and nominal cost. I always had a secret guilt in some corner of my heart that, I am contributing to the population rise by offering infertility treatment, although it helps in building a lot of happy families and save many marriages in the  Indian scenario. (personally I feel that, not having a child should not affect marriages, such relations are  obviously not strong enough ! )

In the past I used to conduct laparoscopic sterilisation camps yearly. But then we expanded to Bangalore, which meant I had very little time for camps, after my weekly travelling to Bangalore.  Now that I am back in cochin and will visit Bangalore only occasionally, I can restart our good work.

On an average, a diagnostic laparoscopy will cost around 40 to 60 thousand rupees and surgical laparoscopy will cost anywhere from 50 to 90 thousand rupees or more, depending on the medical centre. We are offering laparoscopic sterilizations at a minimal charge of Rs 18,000. Medicines will cost Rs 7000, so the total cost will come to  around only Rs 25000. We will also conduct profit free camps  once in a year,  charging only Rs 7000 for the medicines.

Why should women do sterilization ?

Once family is completed and you decide that you do not want any more children, then it is better to stop pregnancy by means of a permanent method, so that there is no hassle of taking tablets daily with all its side effects. Even   Cu T has side effects  like heavy bleeding and it also increases the risk of infection.

Universally, there are plenty of unwanted pregnancies happening and many of them end up in terminations. Medical termination of pregnancy has all the risks of a surgical procedure like bleeding, infection, anesthetic risks etc. and often puts additional financial burden on families. 

It is very stressful for women, when they are  trying to avoid  pregnancy  as they are under constant fear of getting pregnant. Withdrawal methods and condoms have significant failure rates, time and again resulting in unwanted pregnancies. I regularly meet  women who tries to avoid pregnancy by keeping away from intercourse and no wonder, their husbands are unhappy and often become a public nuisance for other women. 

Compared to open minilaparotomy, laparoscopy has the advantage of being a safer procedure, with good equipments and proper view. The women need not take leave from the job or worry about other issues, as this procedure does not require hospital admission or rest and can be completed in a day.

Hippocrates quoted “Wherever the art of Medicine is loved, there is also a love of Humanity. ” I will  be also doing laparoscopies at a reduced rate for poor patients who need it for infertility evaluation. We are already doing IVF at a reduced rate for poor patients, one case every month as a part of our charity mission. Happiness doesn't result from what we get, but from what we give. The  happiness  you acquire, when you help another person cannot be measured, it  gives meaning to your life.

 Dr. Anita Mani

Infertility Specialist at Gift IVF Centre

anitadane@gmail.com

www.giftivf.com

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Dr. Anita Mani is a renowned infertility specialist in south India with 15 years experience in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Anita has successfully set up ART hospitals in Cochin and Bangalore,  along with her spouse  Dr. S Mani. She completed MRCOG, from Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynaecologist  London, DFFP from  ART Warwick university and  worked in UK for 5 years. Dr. Anitha believes in scientific and ethical practice and is currently the director of Gift Gyno IVF centre Cochin and  Bangalore.  Apart from advanced laparoscopic surgeries, she is also an expert in various ART techniques including IVF, IUI, ICSI , donor egg / sperm. Her proficiency is in genetic abnormalities and high risk pregnancies.

PCOS Diet

 

"The human body heals itself and nutrition provide the resources to accomplish the task."

An ideal diet plan for the PCOS  not only comprises food;  the timing of meals, frequency and duration of the meals and the cooking methods are also equally important.

Ideally, within thirty minutes of waking up, we need to take some form of food to kick start our metabolism. A well-balanced breakfast is a must, skipping that would be a big NO NO. It is better to eat every 3 to 4 hours, rather than taking infrequent big meals. Sounds good doesn’t it, you need to eat more often if you want to lose weight and control your PCOS.

Eating should not be a hasty affair, take plenty of time, enjoy every bite to savor the goodness and flavor of the delicious food that nature has kindly bestowed upon us (we do not know how long we are going to get this!). To a great extent, digestion should happen in the mouth itself, so make it a point to chew the food properly. The brain takes about twenty minutes to register that stomach is full, hence if you eat quickly you are at the risk of consuming more food than is required. Chances are there that even though your stomach is full you will go on eating, so go slow.

Likewise, it is vital to understand the significance of glycemic index in controlling PCOS. Glycemic index (GI) indicates the level of sugar in blood after food intake. The rate at which blood sugar level shoots up in our body will vary depending on the type of carbohydrates that we eat. The insulin levels in the body are way too high in PCOS, which is the main reason for insulin resistance and high androgens.     (Androgens are male hormones, which are present in normal women in small quantities) PCOS women should eat low glycemic index foods to avoid sudden spurt of blood sugar level. For more info see http://bangaloreivf.blogspot.ae/2014/09/low-glycemic-food-chart-for-pcos.html

Reduce calorie intake if your weight is on the higher side, around 60 % of women with PCOS are overweight and it has been proven that in a significant number of women losing weight lead to reduction of symptoms of PCOS.

Tips

Food should be always eaten fresh – “eat like Chinese, they always take it boiling”.

1. Take natural foods, avoid processed food, limit sugar and sweet intake. (did you know that sugar undergoes lots of chemical treatment before it looks bright white?) 

2. Choose whole grains like boiled rice, whole wheat flour, millets (Ragi), oats etc.

3. Reduce salt intake, this will help reduce the risk of hypertension and other cardiovascular diseases as well.

4. Choose unsaturated fats. Boil, grill, steam, bake and avoid microwaving and frying.

5. Make sure that you are getting enough protein with every meal for controlling PCOS.

      Varieties of food 

     

     a. Green leafy vegetables are very good for you, so when you go for grocery shopping keep an eye for them

    b. Pulses are very good sources of protein and a good low-calorie alternative to the non-vegetarian food.

     c. Whole grains must occupy only a small portion in your meal plate, bulk should be vegetables, salads and pulses.

     

    d. Fish, chicken, lean meat and lean cuts of red meat can be taken in moderation, but they should not be fried in oil.

    

    

    e. Oil can be olive oil or any other plant source oil, essential fatty acids are as important to health as vitamins but should be consumed in moderation. But it should be noted that olive oil is not suited for Indian style of cooking or deep frying as the smoking point is very low, hence is best used in salads.

     Foods to avoid

Sweets and candies are neither good for you nor for the kids. Generally, people gift candies and chocolates to kids as if they are resistant to the bad effects. Please understand that they are bad for everyone, so please stop buying them for kids as well.  

Instead of ice creams, choose fruit platter when you are eating out. Skip the bakery section in supermarkets, so that you are not tempted to  buy cakes, pastries, biscuits or other sweets. Everyone knows that soft drinks and energy drinks are bad for health, but still continue drinking them. Let us save the health of the future generation, don't show your love for your children by buying them chocolates, ice creams or fast food
http://bangaloreivf.blogspot.ae/2017/08/article-on-pcos-causes-symptoms-and.html

Dr. Anita Mani

Infertility Specialist at Gift IVF Centre

anitadane@gmail.com

www.giftivf.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Dr. Anita Mani is a renowned infertility specialist in south India with 18 years experience in ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology). Dr. Anita has successfully set up ART hospitals in Cochin and Bangalore, along with her spouse  Dr. S Mani. She completed MRCOG, from Royal College of Obstetrician and Gynecologist, London, DFFP from  ART Warwick university and worked in the UK for 5 years. Dr. Anita believes in scientific and ethical practice and is currently the director of Gift Gyno IVF centre and SATYA Ayurvedic Centre, Cochin.  Apart from advanced laparoscopic surgeries, she is also an expert in various ART techniques including IVF, IUI, ICSI, donor egg/sperm. Her proficiency is in genetic abnormalities and high-risk pregnancies.