Crowning Achievement Birth Services

10/18/2025

10/12/2025

Research has revealed that men should abstain from alcohol for at least 3 months before trying to conceive to improve s***m quality and fertility outcomes and to reduce the risk of birth defects and other health issues in their offspring. Paternal drinking, particularly in the weeks or months before IVF treatment, has also been linked to a higher risk of miscarriage!!!

To elaborate, alcohol consumption negatively affects s***m production and health in several ways, with heavy chronic drinking being the most damaging. Studies show that men who consume more than 5 alcoholic drinks per week have a lower total s***m count and concentration.

Alcohol impairs a s***m cell’s ability to swim properly, making it more difficult for it to reach and fertilize an egg. Heavy drinkers are also more likely to have abnormally shaped s***m (poor morphology), which also reduces fertilization chances. Alcohol can also cause DNA damage in s***m cells through oxidative stress, leading to genetic issues and birth defects. Research has also found that alcohol disrupts DNA methylation in s***m, which can alter how genes are expressed in the resulting embryo.

Paternal drinking before conception has also been linked to increased risks for the baby, even if the father stops drinking right before the pregnancy occurs. Fathers who drink in the months before conception have a significantly higher risk of having a baby born with a congenital heart defect.

This risk is even greater for binge drinkers. Emerging research suggests that male alcohol consumption can increase the risk of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (previously blamed solely on a woman’s alcohol use during pregnancy) and other alcohol-related developmental problems, such as facial defects and brain abnormalities. A 2022 study found an association between paternal preconception alcohol consumption and an increased risk of behavioral issues in children, including anxiety, sleep problems and rule-breaking behaviors.

PMID: 35010587

10/10/2025

Manganese is having is spotlight in the preeclampsia nutrition research sun right now, and it is exciting. ⁠
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A 2023 Meta-analysis looked at 18 studies and found that women with PE had significantly lower blood manganese levels. Three of the studies in the pool showed that women with higher blood manganese had 29-50% lower risk. DOI 10.1007/s12011-023-03796-9.
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In another 2020 large US cohort study, women with the highest tertile of manganese had half the risk of PE compared to those in the lowest. Each 1 SD increase in magnesium was associated with a 28% lower risk. ⁠DOI: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001227⁠
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The 2019 Boston Birth Cohort Study found that 1 SD increase in manganese was linked to a 32% lower risk of PE. ⁠DOI:10.1161/JAHA.119.012436⁠
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A 2023 Nigerian study found that women with PE were twice as likely to be manganese-deficient. ⁠DOI: 10.1177/03000605231209159⁠
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A 2023 dietary study from China found that women in the highest quartile of manganese intake had a 34% lower odds of preeclampsia. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43481-4 ⁠
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Currently, studies that look at the effects of supplementation on prevention and treatment are limited (1 animal study from 2024). These studies highlight the importance of adequate dietary manganese intake before and during pregnancy.

10/10/2025

Betaine (trimethylglycine) is a naturally occurring compound found in foods such as beets, whole grains (including quinoa, rye, and bulgar), spinach, beef/veal, mushrooms, liver, and shellfish. It is also derived from dietary choline.

It functions as a methyl donor (similar to folate), and in fact, it's a sibling to folate in the methionine pathway that produces SAMe, our primary methyl donor.

While choline is converted to betaine through two enzymatic steps, dietary betaine is directly absorbed and utilized by the body.

Betaine also helps to regulate cell volume and protect cells from osmotic stress. Also important in preeclampsia prevention.

A large 2024 case-control study in China showed that women with higher plasma betaine (≥24.94 μmol/L) at 16–20 weeks of gestation had a significantly lower risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia. DOI: 10.1038/s41440-023-01563-w

In the 2022 Boston Birth Cohort, higher maternal plasma betaine was associated with lower odds of preeclampsia.

Both choline and betaine work a little differently. Choline not only works in methylation, but also in neurotransmitter and cell membrane support.

Betaine is more effective at supporting methylation and osmolarity than choline and thus should be part of a preeclampsia prevention diet, along with choline-rich foods.