Why does celiac disease cause infertility

But can this seaweed actually help you or your partner get pregnant? IVF can be a tough road, but it's not one you need to walk alone. Here are 6 books that can support your IVF journey. And today, technology can make tracking your cycle and…. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Mental Health. Research Why this happens What if you are diagnosed? Pregnancy and gluten Gluten intolerance and fertility When to seek care Takeaway Infertility is a challenging diagnosis which has many causes.

What the research says. Why might this be the case? Does it make a difference if you are diagnosed? What if you are pregnant have celiac and eat gluten?

Can a gluten intolerance cause fertility issues? When to talk with a medical professional. The bottom line. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Janet Brito, Ph. Medically reviewed by Fernando Mariz, MD. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Undiagnosed or untreated celiac disease can lead to a host of seemingly unrelated problems, including osteoporosis, depression, and anemia.

Medical researchers — along with some observant obstetrician-gynecologists — are realizing that undiagnosed celiac disease also may be a cause of otherwise unexplained infertility in both women and men. Many doctors define infertility as the inability to get pregnant after one year of unprotected sex. In women, fertility difficulties often result from a problem with ovulation, while in men, infertility usually occurs because the man doesn't produce enough sperm, or produces abnormal sperm. It's not clear why more people with undiagnosed or untreated celiac disease suffer from infertility.

It's possible that malnutrition , which occurs because you can't absorb the nutrients in your food, may be to blame. There also may be some yet-undiscovered reasons. In one study, which found four cases of celiac disease in a group of 98 women with unexplained infertility, none of the celiac women had very much damage to their small intestines. However, two of the women suffered from iron deficiency anemia, which is a symptom of celiac disease.

A large Swedish study of 11, women found that fertility was reduced in the two years preceding the diagnosis of celiac disease and returned to normal ranges following diagnosis and treatment with a gluten-free diet. Fewer medical studies have been conducted looking for male reproductive issues in celiac disease. However, Italian researchers have noted that male celiac disease patients have a greater risk of infertility and other reproductive issues, as well as a greater incidence of androgen male hormone deficiency.

Medically Reviewed. How Celiac Disease Affects Reproduction It is still unclear why celiac disease may be linked to infertility and other reproductive problems, but the following factors may play a role: Malnutrition. In people with symptomatic celiac disease, consuming gluten a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley causes a reaction in the digestive system that does not allow nutrients to be absorbed as they should.

She says that men and women who are malnourished may develop fertility problems, and pregnant women who are not getting the nutrients they need are at increased risk of miscarriage and low birth weight babies. Celiac disease involves an immune response in which a person's immune system abnormally reacts to gluten and attacks the walls of the small intestine.

Green says that this immune response may contribute to recurrent miscarriage and problems with fertility. Lifestyle factors. Aim: We conducted a meta-analysis to find out whether women with infertility are at higher risk of CeD.

Data were extracted about CeD patients in 3 groups-women with infertility including unexplained infertility , unexplained infertility, and controls. Results: Of relevant studies, 5 studies were included for calculation of pooled OR.