Improve egg quality in 30 days- Fertility naturopath

Improving your chances of falling pregnant

Maybe you’ve been trying to conceive for a while now and you’re wondering what if anything you can do to increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy. In this post I’ll cover the primary nutrients that are helpful as well as lifestyle factors and dietary modifications that are useful for improving egg quality.

Before I go into detail with some of the research we have on improving egg quality, it’s worth mentioning that the ideal time frame for improving your egg quality and chances of conceiving is actually 3-4 months.

This is roughly the length of time it takes for an egg to mature.

Major Lifestyle Changes for improving fertility

Reducing toxic load to increase fertility

This is an easy one to skip over but please don’t underestimate the impact of different toxins on fertility and egg health. Here is a list of the main ones you need to look out for and why:

Phthalates

These are known to block your bodies own natural anti-oxidant enzymes which is important when it comes to egg quality and DNA health. A study done at Harvard found that women undergoing IVF that had higher levels of phthalates had a lower number of eggs retrieved and were less likely to fall pregnant. Stay tuned for a future post on all things phthalate.

Propyl- Paraben

Found in a lot of personal care products another Harvard study found that this preservative was linked to a diminished ovarian reserve. Eliminating it from your daily routine may improve your ovarian health.

Bisphenols

BPA- Has been found in studies to have a direct impact on egg health. Time and again this chemical has been linked to fewer eggs, lower oestrogen levels and lower fertilisation rates. It is also linked to and increased risk of miscarriage.

Heavy metal toxicity

Unfortunately this one is on the rise and there have been some studies that have shown an elevated amount of certain minerals like copper or more toxic metals like Mercury and lead can impact your egg quality and ability to fall pregnant. How do you know if you have an excess of toxic minerals? You can have these checked with a hair mineral analysis find out more here.

Move your body

Exercise helps on many levels, but in terms of hormonal health regular exercise helps to increase your levels of Human growth hormone, this hormone has been linked to longevity and healthier egg and sperm. Exercise also increases feel good hormones that help with overall mental health and fertility.

The ideal diet for healthy eggs and fertility?

Keeping simple carbohydrates to a minimum and managing your blood sugar levels and insulin has been shown to be significantly important when it comes to better fertility outcomes. The high glucose running around in the blood after a starchy meal can cause damage to cells including the delicate cells in your ovaries.

Celiac Disease

This is a must to eliminate as a factor, I can’t tell you how many patients I’ve seen who’ve gone undiagnosed, and while this is a condition that is closely related to poor digestive function it will absolutely impact your fertility. Long term this condition will actually impact your ability to digest and absorb essential vitamins. This chronic low grade inflammation can impact your absorption of iron and folate, which in turn leads to an elevated homocysteine levels, which compromises your egg quality.

This is where having a health practitioner who leaves no stone unturned is helpful.

Keep caffeine down!

This one can get a bit of push back and I get it I’m a coffee lover, however a study of 15,000 pregnancies found that women who consumed 4 or more cups of coffee a day pre-pregnancy had a 20 percent higher risk of miscarriage. So it’s one to keep on the low side or eliminate it all together if you can.

Nutrients that improve egg quality

Now before we get into specifics with this list, please note that not all products are created equal, there are various publications highlighting supplements that have been bought online and tested either don’t have the advertised amounts of actives listed on the bottle. Or they have fillers and other nasties which can actually hinder your fertility.

This post is not here as a prescription but rather to provide you with some of the research on what has been proven useful.

Vitamin D

This vitamin works a little like a hormone in the body, it’s commonly referred to as the sunshine vitamin and research has shown that fertilisation and implantation rates in IVF patients were significantly higher for clients who had higher vitamin D levels. You can request a vitamin D serum test from your GP to find out what your current levels are.

Folate

This is a B vitamin that has received a lot of attention, and so I don’t want to spend too much time here, we know it directly influences egg health and fertility. The key point to note here is to be checked for the MTHFR gene, this is a genetic factor that affects your ability to metabolise and utilise folate. So you could be taking folate and still be deficient because your body can’t utilise it.

CoEnzyme Q10

As far as improving egg quality in 30 days this is one you don’t want to leave off the list. It’s helpful in providing the powerhouses of your cells to produce the energy needed for optimum function. So you can think about it like the fuel to optimise your eggs. If you’re in your mid 30’s or older, if you’ve been diagnosed with a low ovarian reserve then this is one to consider. Check out more on fertility over 40 here.

Vitamin C

Last nutrient to cover here it’s a master anti-oxidant and oxidative damage is a significant issue when it comes to egg health and fertility. Including vitamin C either through your diet or supplementation can help with both immune system function and cellular health.

This is a shortlist of the supplements that we know help to improve egg quality and therefore fertility. There are many others that have evidence to support their use. It should be taken on a case by case basis and where possible testing should be done in order to assess your current baseline and optimum levels required for fertility outcomes.

One way to check your essential mineral levels and any potential heavy metals that could be impacting your fertility is through a hair tissue mineral analysis. You can find out more about that here.

The insights are extensive and very useful in understanding your current hormonal health. To find out more about this test click here.

Improving Male Fertility

A final note! You’re only 50 percent of the equation, if your partners sperm quality is poor or there is a high amount of DNA fragmentation you will have lower chances of falling pregnant as well as a higher Incidence of miscarriage. So please make a point of addressing his sperm health. To find out more about how this impacts your chances of falling pregnant check out this article.

To find out more about how I can help you conceive check out this page.

To organise an appointment for optimising your fertility and having the testing done please fill out the form below: