System Biology
The core issue for women with Blood PFPs revolves around the health of their blood and the energy that blood provides for fertility. Blood tests are routine diagnostic tests, with multiple aspects of blood health and narrow ranges for “healthy” blood. Many factors can alter blood health, including age, diet, trauma, hydration and immune challenges. Changes in body functions can indicate that blood health can be improved, along with fertility levels.
Blood tells us much about our health, and the quality and quantity of a woman’s blood naturally change across the menstrual cycle, with lifestyle, diet and pregnancy. We all experience fluctuations in energy, but Blood PFP women tend to be more tired than most because they have blood issues (which may not show up in tests).
There are close connections between Blood PFP and Energy PFP as blood is essential for the transport of oxygen and nutrients to muscles and organs. The digestive weakness and dietary issues that are common features of Energy PFP also contribute to the development of Blood PFPs, and anaemia creates feelings of tiredness. In many ways, our blood is a significant energy reserve that supports muscle and organ function, and it’s crucial for fertility. There are variations in how a Blood PFP can develop, which we’ll call “Constitutional” and “Life” Blood.
“Constitutional Blood”
Our constitutional health is based on the genetic packages we inherit from our parents, and the genes on our chromosomes determine much about how we develop and respond to life’s challenges. The genes we carry have a profound effect on how we make blood and how well it functions; however, genes aren’t 100% stable, and their behaviour (and structure) changes in response to age, diet and the environment:
- Our genes determine our health at birth, how quickly we age, and changes in our fertility
- Genetic variations affect the characteristics of blood, including how efficiently it carries oxygen and responds to immune threats and clots
- Our genes aren’t “set” or constant, and different genes are “expressed” throughout our lives; for example, aplastic anaemia can be purely genetic or triggered by toxins
- Triggers of gene expression include hormones, diet, exercise and chemicals
- Modern living is full of new chemicals, and many are “endocrine-disrupting chemicals” (EDC) that alter hormone levels and disrupt egg production
Constitutional Anaemias
Anaemias are conditions that reduce red blood cell numbers, the amount of haemoglobin in the blood, or haemoglobin’s ability to transport oxygen and waste products. They all leave the person feeling tired and reduce their ability to function.
| Name | Cause | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Thalassemia | Genetic (HBA1 & HBA2) | Reduction in haemoglobin production |
| Acanthocytosis | Genetic | Abnormal blood cells as a result of an inability to digest fats fully |
| Aplastic anaemia | Genetic, immune disease or toxins | The bone marrow doesn’t create enough blood cells |
| Megaloblastic anaemia | Genetic | DNA synthesis in red blood cells is inhibited |
| Sickle cell anaemia
Hereditary elliptocytosis |
Genetic | Abnormal cell shapes have developed in response to potential local diseases |
“Life Blood”
These forms of anaemia are due to lifestyle choices or events that reduce red blood cell numbers, the haemoglobin in the blood, or haemoglobin’s ability to transport oxygen. We’ve listed the main causes of non-genetic anaemia, but other triggers, including exposure to severe cold, or menopause, can also induce anaemia.
| Name | Cause | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Iron deficiency anaemia | Dietary | Low iron levels reduce the production of red blood cells |
| Protein deficiency anaemia | Dietary | Low protein in the diet restricts blood cell formation |
| Scurvy | Dietary | Low Vitamin C, which is needed to make collagen which is part of blood cells |
| Vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia | Dietary | Low B12 reduces the production of red blood cells |
| Folate deficiency anaemia | Dietary | Low folate in the diet reduces the production of new blood cells |
| Post-haemorrhagic anaemia | Blood loss | Trauma or any other causes of bleeding reduces blood cells in circulation |
| Pernicious anaemia | Loss of gastric cells | The loss of gastric cells reduces the absorption of Vitamin B12 and red blood cell production |
| Chronic disease anaemia | Inflammation | The body converts iron into ferritin in response to inflammation |
| Drug-induced anaemia | Medication (esp. penicillin) | High doses of drugs reduce blood cells in the spleen or trigger an autoimmune reduction of blood cells |
Diet is a significant factor for abnormal blood values, which offers the possibility of improving blood reserves and function with dietary changes. Blood loss is another consideration, and as women can have heavy periods, they’re more likely to be Blood PFPs than men. However, both sexes can silently lose blood, and this is usually via intestinal ulcers.
Blood is crucial for our health and wellbeing as it moistens, provides oxygen and nutrients to cells, removes waste products, is vital for immune health and distributes heat around the body.
Symptoms of low blood reserves (anaemia) include:
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Pale skin
- Cold hands and feet
- Postural dizziness
- Lower immunity
- Breathlessness
- Anxiety and vulnerability
- Insomnia
Blood PFP and Emotional Health
Our emotional well-being and the state of blood have some close connections:
- People with anaemia are more likely to experience depression, and the more depressed a person is, the more likely they are to be anaemic i
- Anaemia raises the risk of depression, insomnia and anxiety ii
Given how crucial blood is for heart health, this isn’t surprising, and lower blood volumes and function increase the chances of feeling vulnerable and of palpitations. This connection to emotional vulnerability increases the importance of maintaining a healthy autonomic nervous system (ANS) balance to support the autonomic “feed and breed” side of the ANS.
The ANS is crucial for our hormone balance, sexual arousal and fertility levels, and a balanced ANS increases oxygen supply to the ovaries, enhances mood and promotes sexual health.
Blood Health and Female Fertility
Healthy blood is crucial for immune balance and vitality, and for women, it’s also crucial for supplying the energy for eggs, follicles, and the womb lining to grow. Problems with circulation and blood function reduce female fertility as blood carries oxygen and hormones, and low oxygen levels raise the chances of sub-optimal organ function and cell death.
Anaemia can play a significant role in female infertility by disrupting the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis. This is because low oxygen saturation leads to hypoxia and “oxygen debt”, which puts great pressure on cells, especially when they’re growing and dividing. The expert advice is:
“Any attempts to treat infertility [ ] should be delayed until anaemia is treated.”
Hormonally normal women with iron deficiency anaemia are more likely to have:
- Low haemoglobin levels
- Ovulatory infertility
- Gallstones
A staggering 30% of non-pregnant women have anaemia, and anaemic women are up to 60% more likely to have fertility problems due to:
- Higher egg loss rates
- Lower egg quality
- Miscarriage due to low oxygen levels
Thalassemia major is the most common haemoglobin disorder in the world, and those of Mediterranean, Arab or Asian origin are particularly affected. About 1.5% of people worldwide carry the gene, and 40-80% of women with the condition have damage to their pituitary glands that affects menstrual cycles. Despite this, medical advances enable many women (and men) with this condition to conceive.
Making blood is a complex business, relying on genetics, multiple dietary factors, gut health and unexpected issues such as the hormone erythropoietin (EPO) from the kidneys stimulating stem cells in the bone marrow to produce red and white blood cells. Not all Blood PFP women have a medical condition, but improving the health of their blood goes a long way to raising their fertility and the chances of conception.
Morefertile and Blood PFP Women
Premium morefertile® membership gives you access to:
- Your secondary PFP (if you have one)
- A rating for each profile and what the combination means for you
- Natural treatment options for PCOS, endometriosis and more
- Clear dietary advice and recipes
- Lifestyle changes to raise energy
- Discounts on supplements
- Access to cutting-edge testing
We also outline the best ways for Blood PFPs to adjust their weight and manage stress to improve monthly conception rates. The different profiles have different challenges and needs, which is all part of the PFP discussion, along with personalised ways to improve fertility health, and the tests and treatments most likely to be appropriate for you. The morefertile approach:
- Is informative and empowering
- Raises general and fertility health
- Speeds up natural conception times
- Improves IVF success rates
- Increases resilience and lowers stress levels
ii Evaluation of Patients with Iron Deficiency Anemia, Article 17, Volume 70, Issue 7, Winter 2018, Page 1169-1173. The Egyptian Journal Of Hospital Medicine
