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Pomegranate, a symbol of fertility via Shutterstock

Can nutritional supplements make you more fertile?

Up to 30 Irish couples are to take part in Europe’s first clinical nutritional supplements and whether they can affect fertility.

DOES WHAT YOU eat affect how fertile you are, and can nutritional supplements affect fertility?

That is what is being looked at in a new trial involving up to 30 Irish couples who have been unable to conceive.

They are going to take part in Europe’s first clinical study on how nutritional supplements can help fertility in both men and women.

The study, which begins before the end of this month, teams up Wexford-based nutritional supplement manufacturers, Pillar Healthcare, and fertility specialists, ReproMed Ireland.

According to Pillar Healthcare, the study “will examine sub-fertility in Irish couples and will attempt to discover why conception has not occurred for them and many others”.

Supplement

Pillar Healthcare says that already 12 Irish couples who have taken their nutritional supplement, pre-Conceive, in the last year have gone on to conceive.

Now their trials will be expanded with this new study, which will be overseen by Repromed Director, Declan Keane and his team.

Over the 90-day trial each couple will take pre-Conceive daily – which is on sale already nationwide – and will also follow a healthy lifestyle regime.

Pillar Healthcare’s Matt Ronan said that in 2011, 3,000 children were born with assistance from Irish fertility clinics.

“We have put forward this nutritional approach as a viable option for many people for whom assisted conception is an impossible expense,” he said. “Research clearly indicates the amazing impact that high dose nutritional supplements can have on male and female fertility.”

Read: The male contraceptive pill now a step closer>

Read: Study ties chemical to possible miscarriage risk>

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18 Comments
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    Mute DaVe O'm
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    Jan 27th 2014, 7:53 AM

    30 people is hardly much of a “study” this reads more like an add than a serious article

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    Mute Brian Lyons
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    Jan 27th 2014, 9:02 AM

    There’s also no controls; all couples are taking the supplement, all are also follow a healthy lifestyle…. and it’s being run by a nutritional supplements manufacturer, for feck sake!
    Also, if this is the first study of its kind, why are they already selling it?

    36
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    Mute Rkmr
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    Jan 27th 2014, 1:12 PM

    Does that mean that trials on other drugs should not be trusted,
    Considering they are carried out and funded by the pharmaceutical companies who sell the drugs??

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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Jan 27th 2014, 7:59 AM

    Seems like an add this article more than likely giving false hope to couples. When people are desperate they more than likely try anything. It is interesting to see no price in the article so I bet there is a nice price tag.

    33
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    Mute Hugh Jarse
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    Jan 27th 2014, 8:59 AM

    You’re spot on there Declan. You may also notice that they say that 12 couples who were taking the supplement went on to conceive but they conveniently neglect to tell us how many couples didn’t conceive.

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    Mute Jim Higgs
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    Jan 27th 2014, 10:52 AM

    Exactly. It’s not rocket science, if couples have sex, some of them with conceive. Is that 12 out of 12,000 over 5 years, or 12 out of 12 over a bank holiday weekend?

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    Mute Orela Krawczyk
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    Jan 27th 2014, 8:44 AM

    Your right there Declan I just checked out their website €170. As you said desperate couples will try anything, I know I was one of hose propel till 22mths ago. I had a lot of trouble conceiving and tbh if I had been told to sacrifice a cat on the full moon I’d of done it. But I think it was was once we started taking better care of ourselves,better diet exercising more etc and using ovulation kits. That did it for us now we did take pregncare supplements as €24:99 for 30 days so who knows

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    Mute Orela Krawczyk
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    Jan 27th 2014, 8:45 AM

    * one of those people* my little girl helped me write that comment

    13
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    Mute J. Dunn
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    Jan 27th 2014, 10:12 AM

    13 months and taking dictation? What kind of supplements were you taking?

    21
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    Mute Jim Higgs
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    Jan 27th 2014, 10:49 AM

    Dear Author, this isn’t a clinical trial, it is an advertising campaign. It would help if you knew what a clinical trial involved before writing an article.

    A clinical trial would involve
    1. A sound biological basis for the study
    2. Lots of evidence in animals etc to show that this “treatment” worked
    3. Ethical approval – what happens if these pills make you sterile, or worse, cause harmful birth defects? Is the company insured against this?
    4. Some level of medical input.
    5. A control group

    Please don’t write advertising pieces in the guise of reporting. It shows you either know nothing about medical trials, or that the journal is being paid to place advertisements posing as articles.

    13
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    Mute Cormac Ryan
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    Jan 27th 2014, 1:46 PM

    I agree this is a demo if anything.
    If this were to be a proper trial 1 control, 1 placebo and the product

    2
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    Mute Jacuzzi Diver
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    Jan 27th 2014, 7:57 AM

    Galway…. I just love the white. Me & the burd absolutely shovelling the stuff into uz

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    Mute Orela Krawczyk
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    Jan 27th 2014, 10:34 AM

    We took the vitabiotics pregnacare, you can get them in every chemists, there’s ones for woman, couples ,pregnant women and breastfeeding mums. It’s a fairly common one. I have no idea if they helped. I truly feel it was eating healthier and doing to ovulation kit that helped us . Saying that we didn’t go crazy with taking temps etc. I got pee- strips online and used them , didn’t spend a fortune on digital stuff. I think baby making has become a huge cashcow of a business like weddings. Put the word bridal in front of something ie bridal shoes and you can charge through the nose for a white satin pair of shoes. My doctor did warn my not to put too much faith in supplements , he felt if we had a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle that we should need a supplement,told I was making expensive pee because at the end of the day your body is only gonna absorb what it needs.

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    Mute Zozzy Zozimus
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    Jan 27th 2014, 10:37 AM

    “Over the 90-day trial each couple will take pre-Conceive daily – which is on sale already nationwide – and will also follow a healthy lifestyle regime.”

    Well this certainly sounds like a flawlessly designed clinical study! Upon completion, we’re definitely going to know exactly what made the difference. Since this is “Europe’s first clinical study on how nutritional supplements can help fertility in both men and women” I suppose we can also expect to find out that both men and women should pay out for this expensive and remarkable product!

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    Mute Ina Smidiríní
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    Jan 27th 2014, 3:44 PM

    Wanna raise T? Zinc, magnesium supplements and Brazil nuts will make your lad as hard as a horse’s hoof. Believe me it’s fabulous.

    2
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