FFP 638 | Sperm DNA Damage and Recurrent Miscarriage

Lisa breaks down a research paper on sperm DNA fragmentation and its link to recurrent first-trimester miscarriage. The study found that most men classified as "normal" under the WHO 2021 semen analysis criteria still had elevated DNA fragmentation, and that double-stranded DNA damage specifically was tied to miscarriage risk. Lisa explains why standard semen analysis may miss this issue, why ICSI doesn't necessarily solve it, and why couples facing unexplained or recurrent loss may benefit from pushing for deeper sperm testing. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

Lisa breaks down the WHO's 2021 update to its semen analysis guidelines — the first revision since 2010. She explains how these reference values are calculated, why the new numbers changed only marginally from 2010, and what this means for interpreting a semen analysis. Lisa also contrasts the WHO's "normal" thresholds with research on optimal ranges for natural conception. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

Lisa reviews the 2023 international PCOS guidelines that preceded the recent PCOS-to-PMOS name change. She covers key updates including AMH testing as an ultrasound alternative, revised hyperandrogenism criteria, mental health screening recommendations, and a shift toward weight-inclusive care. Lisa also highlights a notable gap in the guidelines: the lack of attention to lean PCOS and its impact on diagnosis. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

New research links persistent organic pollutants to lower ovarian reserve — even when AMH looks normal. Lisa breaks down the study's findings on legacy chemicals, the "cocktail effect," and what this may mean across generations. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

In this episode, Lisa breaks down findings from a recent review paper on how endocrine disrupting chemicals like BPA, phthalates, PFAS, and PCBs may be linked to menstrual cycle changes, hormone levels, and fertility outcomes. She explores why female fertility remains understudied compared to male fertility, what the research shows about chemical exposure and subfertility, and why swapping to "BPA-free" products isn't the fix it's marketed to be. Lisa offers a practical, non-alarmist approach to reducing chemical exposure over time — useful both for individuals trying to conceive and for practitioners supporting fertility clients. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

Lisa examines a recent review paper on iron deficiency in women, covering the role of heavy menstrual bleeding, updated ferritin reference ranges, and why non-anemic iron deficiency still carries meaningful health risks. She also addresses iron deficiency in pregnancy, the case for preconception nutrition focused on iron-rich foods, and racial disparities in iron deficiency anemia prevalence among Black women. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

In this episode, Lisa reviews a landmark 2023 study that followed over 700,000 women across 26 years to examine the association between menstrual cycle characteristics and cardiometabolic outcomes. Lisa highlights how different types of menstrual cycle irregularity appear to be associated with distinct cardiometabolic risk factors, reinforcing the case for treating the menstrual cycle as a vital sign rather than an exclusively reproductive concern. This episode offers meaningful context for women's health practitioners who want to better understand how cycle patterns may reflect broader systemic health. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

In episode 631, Lisa explores luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome (LUFS) — a lesser-known ovulatory dysfunction in which the dominant follicle fails to rupture and release the egg despite a normal-appearing LH surge and progesterone rise. Because LUFS can mimic a textbook ovulatory cycle on a fertility awareness chart, it represents one of the more challenging silent contributors to unexplained infertility that practitioners may encounter in clinical practice. This episode offers fertility awareness practitioners essential clinical context for supporting clients with apparently ovulatory charts who continue to face unexplained fertility challenges. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

In this solo episode, Lisa takes a critical look at two recent studies examining the return of fertility after stopping hormonal contraception, one published in 2020 and one published in the BMJ in 2023. Rather than accepting their conclusions at face value, Lisa walks through the methodology of each study and identifies significant design flaws that call their findings into question. Lisa discusses the difference between time-to-pregnancy studies and discontinuation studies that track cycle characteristics, and makes the case for more robust, inclusive research designs that could provide clearer answers for women and the practitioners supporting them. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!

Lisa examines a peer-reviewed study that tracked liver consumption and vitamin A status in young children from an impoverished South African community — and what the findings reveal about food as a nutrient delivery system. Lisa unpacks a striking paradox at the heart of the research: the poorest households consumed the most liver not for health reasons, but out of economic necessity and were consequently the most protected against vitamin A deficiency. Whether through whole food sources or desiccated liver capsules, Lisa makes the case that eating liver for vitamin A remains one of the most efficient and nutrient-dense strategies available for supporting fertility and reproductive health. Follow this link to view the full show notes page! This episode is sponsored by Lisa's new book Real Food for Fertility, co-authored with Lily Nichols! Grab your copy here! Would you prefer to listen to the audiobook version of Real Food for Fertility instead? 🎧 Listen here! This episode is also sponsored by FAMM, the Fertility Awareness Mastery MentorshipTM program! Apply now to join the waiting list for our next class! Have you grabbed your copy of the Fertility Awareness Mastery Charting Workbook? It is the first fully customizable paper charting workbook of its kind, available in both Fahrenheit and Celsius editions. Click here to grab your copy today! 📚 If you haven't grabbed your copy of The Fifth Vital Sign, grab it here! Would you rather listen to the audiobook version of The Fifth Vital Sign? 🎧 Listen here!