You’ve likely never heard of Calcium-D-Glucarate (CDG), a salt-based substance produced naturally by humans and animals and found in many fruits and vegetables. It’s most abundant in oranges, grapefruit, and cruciferous vegetables, such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale and cabbage.
When treating infertility, natural medicine physicians will use CDG to facilitate liver detoxification, a process directly linked to estrogen metabolism. According to Judith Thompson, ND, this is especially relevant for women who have conditions such as PCOS or endometriosis in which metabolism may be impaired due to a buildup of estrogen levels. In response to this “excess estrogen” the body perceives progesterone levels to be low and may respond by “thinking” it doesn’t have enough progesterone to maintain a pregnancy. Other medical conditions (e.g., damage to ovaries, ovulation problems) are associated with excess estrogen and thus can hinder pregnancy.
By supplementing with Calcium-D-Glucarate, the ratio of progesterone and estrogen can be brought into balance through optimal detoxification. There are no known contraindications, but CDG can affect how the liver metabolizes other medications. Therefore, it should be used under the careful supervision of a qualified health practitioner.