Pulling Down the Moon

Breaking Fertility News: The ECS and Your Fertility

May 12, 2022

The Endocannabinoid System and Your Fertility

What’s the ECS? Our body’s Endocannabinoid System (ECS) plays a master role in our overall physical and mental health.  As the regulator of our nervous system, the ECS is in charge of promoting balanced physiological functioning.  In fact,  researchers summarize the actions of the ECS as “relax, eat, sleep, forget and protect.” (1)   The system consists of chemical messengers called endocannabinoids (AEA and 2-AG), endocannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) , and a host of enzymes that impact their function.   


What is Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome (CED)?  New research has targeted the ECS in playing a role in several common chronic conditions including migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome and depression/anxiety, leading to a working model of “clinical endocannabinoid deficiency syndrome,” (CED) and the exploration of novel therapeutic interventions.


Like any physiological system, when chronically overtaxed it becomes less effective, leading to physical and mental health consequences.  When stress is chronic, levels of the endocannabinoids get out of balance, leading to a decrease in the ECS’s ability to engage in the key functions listed above.  Appetite and sleep can be disrupted, we lose the ability to relax our brains, our body’s immune system becomes less effective and damaging conditions - like inflammation - increase. 


Does the ECS Impact Fertility?  There is a working theory emerging that the ECS is integral to the functioning of our reproductive system but the mechanisms involved are not yet well understood.  ECS receptors are found in many tissues in the reproductive system, including at the level of the hypothalamus and pituitary, in ovarian follicles and in the mitochondrial membrane, and levels of endocannabinoids in ovarian tissue fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle.  It’s possible that an overtaxed ECS may negatively impact fertility by limiting the key functions of endocannabinoids in reproductive tissues, which include managing inflammation, supporting  energy metabolism and potentially playing a role in egg maturation. 


How Does the ECS Become Deficient?  Chronic stress leads to an imbalance ECS.  When stress is chronic, levels of the endocannabinoid AEA (called anadamide for the Sanskrit word for “inner bliss”) drops, leading to increases in anxiety and other negative impacts.  The Covid-19 pandemic has also presented a “perfect storm,” as research has also shown that social isolation, coupled with uncertainty and fear, can have strong negative effects on the function of the ECS.


How Can We Heal? Many holistic therapies have been shown to upregulate the ECS, including massage, acupuncture, and yoga.  Lifestyle interventions like diet and exercise also play a role in bolstering ECS function.  Therapeutic use of cannabinoids like CBD may also be beneficial for fertility but should not be used without supervision by a certified Medical Cannabis Consultant (there’s evidence that chronic use of THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, may be detrimental to fertility) but other cannabinoid compounds like CBD (cannabidiol) may be therapeutic when used in a supervised manner.  We don’t recommend CBD or THC use, therapeutic or otherwise, during a medicated cycle.


Want to learn more?  Please join us for our webinar on May 19, 6-7 p.m. with Dr. Leila Fazlicic and Beth Heller, M.S. 

References:

  1. McPartland JM, Guy GW, Di Marzo V (2014) Care and Feeding of the Endocannabinoid System: A Systematic Review of Potential Clinical Interventions that Upregulate the Endocannabinoid System. PLoS ONE 9(3): e89566. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0089566
  2. Brugnatelli V et al.  Lifestyle Interventions Improving Cannabinoid Tone During COVID-19 Lockdowns May Enhance Compliance With Preventive Regulations and Decrease Psychophysical Health Complications. Front. Psychiatry 12:565633. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.565633
  3. Lowe, H. et al.  The Endocannabinoid System: A Potential Target for the Treatment of Various Diseases. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2021, 22, 9472. 
  4. Notarstefano V et al.  The Impact of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation Hormones on the Metabolic State and Endocannabinoid System of Human Cumulus Cells. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2020, 21, 7124; doi:10.3390/ijms21197124

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Therapeutic Yoga for PCOS?

By Beth Heller • 13 Sep, 2024
There are many reasons that a therapeutic yoga program may benefit women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS presents very differently in different women but the syndrome as whole is associated with infertility and other adverse health conditions including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Women with PCOS may also have higher levels of chronic inflammation and elevated levels of circulating stress hormones. The good news is that more and more research suggests that lifestyle intervention including lifestyle intervention including diet and exercise may be the best way to manage PCOS. In addition, new research is showing the benefit of Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat the hormonal imbalances, symptoms like hirsutism and acne, and menstrual irregularity that is associated with PCOS. Another element of PDtM’s PCOS “Action Plan is yoga. Yoga has been shown to lower levels of stress hormones and women with a regular yoga practice have been show to have a “healthier physiological response to stress". Yoga has also been shown to reduce markers of oxidative stress and blood sugar control in people with diabetes as well as improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels in heart disease patients (1). Some of the goals of a therapeutic yoga practice for PCOS include: Standing and seated yoga asana that create an invigorating, but not exhausting, exercise session Twisting poses, which in yoga physiology are believed to help decrease abdominal fat Postures that bring blood to the thyroid gland, an important endocrine gland for metabolism Stimulating agni, the digestive fire, that supports complete digestion and metabolism of foods Mudras (hand yoga) that stimulate different physiological and energetic systems Breathing exercises that induce the relaxation response While lifestyle changes can be very helpful with PCOS, they are not enough on their own. Working in partnership with you physician or Reproductive Endocrinologist and ensuring they are kept up to date on any holistic treatments you may be using is the smartest approach for PCOS management. Yoga for Fertility to support PCOS is available at Pulling Down the Moon in-center starting on Sept 21st and virtually starting on Sept 30th . If you would like to learn more about PDtM’s PCOS Action Plan to manager your PCOS Action Plan with holistic health treatment ( Acupuncture , Massage , Nutrition , and Yoga ) then contact us at 312-321-0004 or email info@pullingdownthemoon.com to get started today! (1) Field, T. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 17 (2011) 1e8
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By Beth Heller, MS RYT • 15 Aug, 2024
As I’ve said before, it took me seven years and five pregnancies to get two kids. So, while pregnancy was a joyful time for me on some levels, it was also a time of stress and sleepless anxiety. In fact my business partner Tami will often joke that my pregnancies were some of the most stressful times of her life. Honestly, though, without yoga, massage and acupuncture I think I would have bitten my fingernails to the quick waiting for Jackson and Calvin to arrive safely. What I didn’t know then was that seeking relief for anxiety through holistic means was also good for my boys. A growing body of clinical evidence now suggests that prenatal stress, depression and/or anxiety is linked to adverse health outcomes for both moms and babies including preterm birth, preeclampsia and even future risk of chronic disease and obesity (1). Women, especially women who have struggled to conceive, may feel guilty about experiencing anxious emotions during this “blissful time". Yet preparing for a new baby, no matter how hard one had to work to get it, can be stressful. Changes in the body during pregnancy, including the strains of a growing belly and nighttime muscle cramps, can also disrupt sleep, which increases stress. Rather than worry about worrying, we suggest you take the bull by the horns and enjoy a 360 degree self-care program during pregnancy. And honestly, it will never again be as easy to justify self-care like acupuncture , massage and yoga as it is when your efforts are a “double-dip – good for mom and great for baby. Here are several strategies for decreasing maternal stress and improving overall well-being during pregnancy: 1. Get acupuncture. A 2010 study in Obstetrics and Gynecology found that acupuncture treatment alleviated symptoms of stress and depression in pregnant women and women experiencing infertility (2, 3). Acupuncture has also been shown to be effective at managing morning sickness, back and pelvic pain and labor pain. Make sure, however, that you see a practitioner who is experienced in treating pregnancy. 2. Do prenatal yoga. Compared to controls, women who did prenatal yoga experienced significant reductions in physical pain from baseline to post intervention compared with women in the third trimester whose pain increased. Women in the yoga group showed greater reductions in perceived stress and trait anxiety in their third trimester than women from the control group (4) The same women also experienced better sleep and less wakefulness (5). 3. Get prenatal massage. Research shows that women who received prenatal massage reported decreased depression, anxiety, and leg and back pain. Cortisol levels decreased, which decreased excessive fetal activity; the rate of baby prematurity was also lower (6). 4. Seek expert prenatal nutrition counseling. There are specific nutritional strategies for managing weight gain, avoiding conditions like Gestational Diabetes and Pre-eclampsia and improving digestion (less heartburn, avoid constipation). At Pulling Down the Moon we target our prenatal nutrition consults based on trimester. Get your passport to pregnancy relaxation by getting started today with prenatal care in Chicago , Highland Park , or virtually ! Gift certificates are also available at our online store shop.pullingdownthemoon.com . 1. Entringer S et al. Prenatal stress and developmental programming of human health and disease risk: concepts and integration of empirical findings. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2010 Dec;17(6):507-16. 2. Smith CA. 1. SMith The effect of acupuncture on psychosocial outcomes for women experiencing infertility. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Oct;17(10):923-30. Epub 2011 Oct 6 . 3. Manber et al. Acupuncture for depression during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Mar;115(3):511-20. 4. Beddoe AE et al. The effects of mindfulness-based yoga during pregnancy on maternal psychological and physical distress. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2009 May-Jun;38(3):310-9. 5. Beddoe AE et al. Effects of mindful yoga on sleep in pregnant women: a pilot study. Biol Res Nurs. 2010 Apr;11(4):363-70. 6. Field, T. (2010). Pregnancy and labor massage therapy. Expert Review of Obstetrics and Gynecology , 5, 177-181.
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