AboutJacqueline Jacques, ND Expertise I can answer any question related to conditions treated by naturopathic medicine and how they might be approached. These would include (but are not limited to) allergies, arthritis, depression/anxiety, autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel, PMS, menopause, hormone dysfunction, chemical sensitivity, headache, and chronic pain. I am also happy to discuss naturopathic therpaies including herbal/botanical medicine, medical nutrition, diet therapy, detoxification, manipulation, hydrotherapy, and natural hormone replacement. I would also welcome questions on naturopathic philosophy, licensure, scope of practice and education
Experience I am a licensed Naturopathic Doctor (ND) with ten years of experience. The focus of my work has been in women's health, obesity and pain, but I have treated all conditions. I currently see private patients, consult in the natural products industry, own part of a medical nutrition company, write for several publications, and speak across North America. I additionaly serve on the medical advisory board of several companies and non-profit organizations.
Organizations California Naturopathic Doctors Association (member and past board member)
American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (member)
National Nutritional Foods Association (member)
Obesity Actional Coalition (Medical Advisory Board)
Samueli Canter for Integrative Medicine at University of California, Irvine (Board Member)
Publications Nutrition and the MD, Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, Bariatric Times, Today's Dietitian, Integrative Health Retailer
Education/Credentials Lewis and Clark College
National College of Naturopathic Medicine
Awards and Honors Health Professional of the Year (2004) - Bariatric Support Centers International
Question hi, how are you doing? thank you so much for being here to answer questions...i have been trying to conceive for 3.5 years with unexplained infertility...but i started seeing an acupuncturist recently and he ordered a comprehensive female hormone panel and it came back and showed that i had high levels of testerone...my lac said that it was probably due to too much sugar in my diet and that i needed to cut out drinking wine, which i do daily, probably 2-3 glasses. what is your opinion on the sugar, do you think it's from the wine? the rest of my diet is pretty good, i don't normally eat a lot of sugary food or white bread and stuff like that...thank you so much!
Answer Heather,
This may come across sounding harsh, but your acupuncturist clearly does not know enough to be advising you in this area. One of the most common causes of infertility in women is a condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). The hallmark of PCOS is elevated free testosterone (and sometimes other androgens) coupled with insulin resistance, reduced levels of a substance called sex-hormone binding globulin, and sometimes other hormone irregularities. Other symptoms can include (but do not have to): centralized weight gain (belly fat), abnormal/irregular periods, undesirable hair growth (on lip, breasts, belly, etc), and acne. There is also a similar-appearing hormonal problem that is called Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) that can look almost identical but has both a different cause and a different treatment.
If you truly have PCOS, then reducing sugary foods and weight loss can help - but this does not really constitute treatment. You also likely need a more comprehensive hormonal workup and should have CAH ruled out. I would strongly suggest that you consult an endocrinologist or fertility specialist. While you do not necessarily need to follow the conventional route for care, starting with a good diagnosis of what the actual problem is will help you find the best path to treatment. This is most true if you really want to have a baby. Fertility always has a "time factor" associated with it. While I do not know your age, the longer you wait to find the actual problem, the more likely it becomes that you have a problem conceiving even if you fix it. In other words, the younger you are when you get this figured out, the easier time you will have getting pregnant regardless.
So my advice again - get a proper diagnosis, learn your options, then look again at natural medicine. If it is PCOS, then this often can have successful natural treatment - but simply cutting wine and sugar out of your diet will not be it.
