High FSH Levels? Could Your Blood Type Be A Factor?

If you’ve got high FSH levels you may be interested in this new finding.

An American study of 560 women who sought fertility treatments at the Yale University IVF program and the Montefiore Institute in New York discovered that your blood type could play a factor in your fertility.

According to this study women with blood type O have high FSH levels when compared to other blood types (A, B and AB).

The researchers discovered that women with blood type O, who participated in this study, were twice as likely to have a high FSH levels of above 10 — which is right on the cusp of fair to diminished ovarian reserve.

The study also found that women with blood type A were protected from this effect as their blood cells carry an A antigen — which is missing in blood type O.

The scientists are suggesting that women with blood type O should consider having children earlier to avoid fertility treatments. However the researchers also said that the study should be carried out on fertile women in the general population as well before further conclusions and any such advice is given to the general public.

This is very interesting because blood type O is the oldest blood type and 46.1% of the worlds’ population are blood type O. Blood type O is followed by blood type A which makes up 38.8% of the world’s population.

What causes high FSH levels?

1. Low estrogen levels
2. Very high estrogen levels
3. Menopause
4. Extreme stress
5. Ovarian resistance or poor response to FSH

An egg will be of poor quality if 90 days prior to ovulation something goes wrong with the activation of primordial egg cells — the form of eggs you were born with. It takes 120 days for the eggs to “wake up” and ripen before they can be ovulated as mature eggs, ready for implantation.

How to lower high FSH levels and produce high quality eggs?

• First and foremost is optimal nutrition with adequate intake of protein, good fats and complex carbohydrates.
• Iron and vitamin E are crucial for healthy egg development and maturation. Many women are low in iron which leads to general fatigue, pallor and heavy periods.
• The herbs Shatavari, Dong Quai and Rehmannia have traditionally been used to treat poor egg quality and are often prescribed to women in their late thirties and early forties.

Extra tips for O blood types

Anti Mullerian Hormone test shows what your ovarian reserve is like — the amount of primordial follicles you have left. So don’t assume just because you are blood type O that your ovarian reserve is low.

Dr. Adamo is the pioneer of blood type diets and he recommends that blood type O’s eat a predominantly meat based diet and avoid dairy and wheat, among other things. This contradicts the Nurse’s Health study findings from Harvard, which suggests that women who eat predominantly plant based diets have lower instances of ovulatory infertility.

Dr. Adamo discovered that O blood types should consume adequate amounts of iodine or sea algae Kelp, as it acts as a blood tonic for O blood types and has a medicinal effect. What’s interesting to note here is the fact that iodine is crucial for healthy thyroid function. Ovaries have receptors for thyroid hormone thyroxine, which is required for ovarian activation of hormone and follicle production. Thyroid disorders often lead to infertility. So I’m hypothesizing that it’s possible that this thyroid – blood type O link has something to do with high FSH levels. Nevertheless healthy thyroid function is of essence to all blood types.

Other nutrients and herbs found to be beneficial for O blood types are B-group of vitamins, vitamin K, calcium, N-Acetyl Cysteine and licorice. Licorice is an adrenal tonic which calms the adrenal glands and nurtures them. High stress levels are associated with high FSH levels, and O blood types are also known as ‘A-type’ personalities or leaders who are much more prone to stress!

So leading from this it would be also wise for O blood types to engage in some stress reducing activities such as running, kick-boxing, breathing exercises, yoga and meditation. As an O blood type I can vouch for these activities!

What are your thoughts on this new finding? Do you have high FSH levels? What blood type are you? Do you have any other O blood type tips.

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