Fertility Supplements for Women

You eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly but not intensely, get six to eight hours of sleep (most nights), and have intercourse a few days before ovulation. Isn’t that enough to get pregnant? Or should you also be adding a fertility supplement for women to your regimen?

If you’ve decided it’s time to start trying for a baby, even those of us who are super focused on nutrition might be missing out on key nutrients that can make the road to parenthood a little easier, faster, and with better results. Even well-structured diets can lack the recommended levels of certain nutrients that are critical to a woman’s fertility.

That’s where adding a fertility supplement for women can come in. 

But with so much information to dig through and so many options, how do you know where to start? What nutrients are important and why? When should you take a female fertility supplement? What brands have the best fertility supplements for women? 

Those are all great questions and things that should be understood before heading out to the store and purchasing.

This article will serve as your guide. We will cover exactly what fertility supplements for women are when to take them, what nutrients to look for and why, and recommend some of our favorite high quality, doctor-trusted, and CNY-recommended fertility supplements for women.

What are Fertility Supplements for Women?

You might be wondering what even are supplements for fertility.  In short, nutrients like vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids are extracted from plant or animal food sources (or created synthetically in a lab) and turned into a pill, powder, or liquid form.

Consuming them in this form allows a person to augment their diet and increase their levels of a particular nutrient. 

Usually, supplements are recommended with an express purpose, like improving egg quality, reducing inflammation, or raising iron levels. Fertility supplements are formulated with one goal in mind– getting pregnant.

In general, fertility supplements are formulated to target one or more of the following:

• Supplements for egg quality
• Balancing hormones
• Improve embryo implantation odds
• Pregnancy and fetal support

Below we’ll go into each of these ideas a bit more before sharing some specific nutrients you want to look for in a fertility supplement for women.

Supplements for Egg Quality

Egg quality is, in essence, the key measure of female fertility. There are a few ways to measure egg quality, including:

• From a genetic standpoint (i.e., is the egg chromosomally normal or abnormal?), which determines its ability to develop normally and be fertilized. 
• IVF fertilization rates
• Number and quality of embryos in an egg freezing or IVF treatment
• AMH
• Implantation rates
• Pregnancy rates
• Live birth rates

The studies we examine later in this article will attempt to evaluate potential supplements for egg quality on these measurements. 

One example of a supplement shown to improve egg quality is CoQ10, but more on that later.

Supplements to Balance Hormones

Your entire fertility is driven and governed by hormones. They are the chemicals responsible for telling various body systems what to do and when to do it. 

If your hormones are out of whack, chances are your monthly cycle and ability to conceive are also affected.

Your hormone balance is affected by many different factors, including stress and diet.  Your body requires specific vitamins and minerals to synthesize hormones. An imbalance in or complete lack of certain nutritional precursors to hormones can affect hormonal balance.   

Inositol and fish oil are examples of fertility supplements for women that help to balance hormones. More on those later as well.

Supplements to Improve Implantation

When achieved through intercourse, embryo implantation in the endometrial lining of the uterus happens around eight to nine days after ovulation and 5-6 days after fertilization (which takes place in the fallopian tubes). 

After implantation occurs, a woman is considered pregnant.  But, not every embryo implants successfully (such is the case for trying naturally, IUI, and IVF). 

Implantation failure can happen for a variety of reasons, including:

• embryo quality, including chromosomal abnormalities of the embryo
• uterine problems
• systemic causes like inflammation, autoimmune disease, or endocrine/hormone imbalances and disruption 

Female Fertility Supplement for Pregnancy Support and Fetal Development

Some nutrients help increase female fertility by supporting fetal development. While fetal development may not seem like a “fertility supplement,” fetal defects can lead to pregnancy loss and lower the chances of a live birth, which is certainly the most important measure of fertility.

Folate and choline are important nutrients that fit into this category.

As you can see, each of these categories (egg quality, hormones, implantation, and pregnancy support) have quite a bit of overlap, and each is intimately connected to the main goal, a live birth.

Who Should Take Female Fertility Supplements?

Any woman planning to get pregnant should be taking supplements. 

Of course, someone with no fertility issues should probably stick to the simpler side of things, with a high quality prenatal and fish oil, where those with diagnosed female infertility or who are otherwise struggling to conceive should probably step up their game and look at supplements that specifically improve egg quality or other aspects of female fertility.

How Long Should a Woman Take Fertility Supplements?

What you’re taking is almost important as when you start taking it. That’s because eggs start to develop approximately 90 days before they have the opportunity to be ovulated (or retrieved), and you’ll want those eggs to have grown the entire time in an optimal environment.

Furthermore, it’s important to build blood levels of certain nutrients critical for fetal neural development (like folate and choline) up to their desired state before pregnancy is achieved. Achieving the right blood levels of these various nutrients can take some time.

Key Nutrients in Fertility Supplements for Women

Some of the most common and important vitamins and nutrients found in female fertility supplements are:

• Vitamin D
• CoQ10
• Inositol
• Omega 3s
• PQQ
• IgG
• Choline
• Folate
• Iodine
• Vitamin E
• Arginine

Below we will go into specific studies and other details about each of these vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are proven to boost egg quality and female fertility.

Vitamin D

Even with regular sun exposure and a healthy diet, most women don’t get enough vitamin D.  Our skin uses sunlight to stimulate the production of vitamin D. However. Still, nearly 40% of adults are deficient in this important fertility nutrient.

Some studies show this number to be even higher, partly because very few foods are a significant source, and you would need to eat a lot of them to consume the recommended 800 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day. This is particularly concerning for women trying to conceive since vitamin D plays an important role in fertility.  

Additionally, low vitamin D levels have been associated with a long list of female fertility issues– endometriosis, PCOS, uterine fibroids, and lower pregnancy rates, all of which can make bringing home a baby quite a challenge even with the assistance of a fertility doctor.

A 2018 NIH study looked at vitamin D blood levels in approximately 1,200 women who had experienced a previous pregnancy loss before pregnancy and then again during their eighth week of pregnancy. Researchers found women with sufficient preconception vitamin D concentrations were 10% more likely to become pregnant and 15% more likely to have a live birth when compared to women with insufficient concentrations prior to pregnancy. Among women who became pregnant, each 10 nanogram per milliliter increase in preconception vitamin D was associated with a 12% lower risk of pregnancy loss. Vitamin D levels in the eighth week of pregnancy were not linked to pregnancy loss, suggesting the importance of preconception vitamin D in maintaining pregnancy.

An earlier 2009 study of women undergoing IVF concluded that each ng/mL increase in blood vitamin D levels increased the likelihood of achieving clinical pregnancy by 6%.

Additional studies have provided evidence that vitamin D levels play a critical role in predicting fertility success for women and men.  

Given this, it’s critical to ensure you’re getting enough vitamin D each day and fertility supplements for women are an easy way to make it happen.

CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10 (commonly called CoQ10) is part of the energy-producing mitochondrial chain that’s partially responsible for egg quality and fertility. It’s also an antioxidant that protects the mitochondria and helps defend against oxidative stress. CoQ10 is naturally produced in the body, but it diminishes with age. CoQ10 has been shown to increase the number and quality of a woman’s eggs retrieved during an IVF cycle as well as lead to better fertilization rates, better embryo development, and a higher chance of pregnancy, all signs that demonstrate CoQ10’s value as a supplement for female fertility.

When used as a pre-treatment, CoQ10 has been shown to improve fertility outcomes in younger women with poor ovarian reserve who are undergoing fertility treatment, resulting in a need for fewer medications, a high number of eggs retrieved, better fertilization rate, and more high-quality embryos than women who did not pre-treat.

In one study involving 169 women, the study group was given 600 mg. of CoQ10 for 3 months prior to undergoing IVF treatment while the control group was not. Women in the study group who took CoQ10 experienced higher fertilization rates (67% vs. 45%) and higher quality embryos. Fewer women in the CoQ10 study group had their embryo transfers canceled because of poor embryo development than the women in the control group. And the live birth rate was slightly higher in the CoQ10 group (28.95% vs. 15.54%). This study concluded that CoQ10 supplements could improve ovarian response in women who had previously had poor ovarian reserve. showing CoQ10 to be an important fertility supplement for women

Inositol

Inositol, in its most common form of myo-inositol, is a key fertility supplement for women that helps support normal and balanced glucose and hormone levels, and is considered by many to be the most important fertility supplement for women with PCOS.  

Inositol is responsible for insulin signaling and glucose metabolism, which are common problem areas for women with PCOS. Indeed, many studies have shown that women with PCOS have high insulin levels coupled with low natural inositol levels, leading some fertility specialists to believe that insulin and glucose disturbances may be at the root of PCOS. Inositol also plays a role in many reproductive processes.

A 2021 study of poor ovarian responders undergoing IVF showed subjects who took 4 g myo-inositol + 400 μg folic acid instead of the control group who took only 400 μg folic acid retrieved more eggs (oocytes), transferred more embryos. The number of chemical and clinical pregnancies was higher.

Omega 3s

Omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in wild-caught sardines, anchovies, and mackerel, are another important fertility supplement for women that help support hormone balance and synthesis and improve female fertility because they are used in hormone production and function. . Omega-3s can also help regulate the menstrual cycles of women with PCOS

Many people recognize that taking omega-3s throughout pregnancy positively affects your child, helping with everything from brain development and intelligence to communication skills and decreasing the risk of autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, and other developmental delays. , but omega-3 supplementation is important for improving fertility prior to conception as well and has been shown to increase your chances of getting pregnant.

A 2018 study of women receiving fertility treatment showed that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids were associated with a higher probability of clinical pregnancy and live birth. The probability of clinical pregnancy and live birth increased by 8% (4%, 11%) and 8% (95% CI: 1%, 16%), respectively, for every 1% increase in omega-3 levels.

Additionally, there’s evidence to suggest that  omega-3 fatty acids may help delay ovarian aging and improving oocyte quality in older women. .  Its anti-inflammatory properties may also prevent endometriosis, as women with high levels of omega-3s were less likely to have endometriosis, which can cause infertility than women with low EPA levels.  

PQQ

Pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) is a powerful antioxidant that stimulates the growth of new mitochondria. Mitochondria generate most of a cell’s energy supply and turn nutrients into useable energy at the cellular level. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a symptom of age and disease. It directly affects egg quality.

Most research about PQQ and its positive effect on female fertility has been entirely on animals. However, PQQ supplementation was shown to improve the reproductive performance and growth  of mice and rats. Many fertility specialists believe PQQ can stimulate cell growth in the reproductive organs and assist with improving egg quality, thereby helping women with diminished ovarian reserve by improving egg quality and egg production.

PQQ is usually recommended to be taken in conjunction with CoQ10 to optimize mitochondrial function and repair.

IgG

Immunoglobulin G, or IgG, is part of a family of immune-fighting molecules found everywhere in the body. IgG works primarily by binding with antigens in the gut to prevent them from entering the body and causing inflammation or damage and helps to provide immune protection from various toxins, viruses, and bacteria.

Keeping inflammation in check and a healthy digestive tract are factors that play a role in promoting fertility. Because IgG reduces inflammation, it can be effective in improving a woman’s chances of conceiving. 

Even with a perfect cycle, a woman only has a 20-25% chance of getting pregnant each month. After conception, nearly 1 in 4 pregnancies will end in miscarriage for one reason or another. But a woman dramatically increases her odds of a successful pregnancy if her body isn’t excessively inflamed, which can signal the adrenals to produce other hormones—such as stress hormones—instead of the reproductive hormones necessary for conception.

Folate

Folate is well-known and one of the best female fertility supplements that helps support egg and ovulatory structure and function and helps reduce the risk of neural tube defects . All women who plan to become pregnant are advised to increase their folate intake at least three months prior to conceiving. It’s so important that it is often found as an additive in mainstream foods such as cereal, pasta, and rice. 

Folic acid and folate are actually two distinct compounds with different functions in the body and cannot be used interchangeably. Folate is the natural form of vitamin B9 found in many foods, while folic acid is its synthetic counterpart.

Recent research also supports its use as a supplement for improving fertility in women trying to conceive naturally and those using fertility treatment.  Studies show that folate can improve oocyte counts and embryo quality in couples undergoing fertility treatment. and found that women with higher folate levels in their blood were 162% more likely to have a live birth than women with lower folate levels.

Another study of 232 women receiving fertility treatment produced similar results, concluding that higher folate intake was associated with higher implantation rates, clinical pregnancy, and live birth.

Folate is a ‘must-have’ in any prenatal vitamin and easy to start and keep taking prior to and throughout pregnancy.

Choline

Less acclaimed than folate, but equally important for supporting fetal development is choline.  New research shows that choline plays a critical role during the prenatal period, helping with multiple functions, including tissue expansion, brain development, and neurotransmission.

The human body naturally produces some choline, but food is our major source.   It helps supports cell growth, metabolism, liver, and muscle function. 

Like several previously mentioned, choline is another key nutrient most Americans don’t get enough of.  It’s estimated that over 90% of us are choline-deficient.   Pregnant women are recommended an even bigger daily intake, and most fall short as well. Like folate, studies indicate that women who supplement with choline can improve their pregnancy outcomes and protect against some neural and metabolic impairments.

Because of choline’s importance in fetal development, it’s surprising the many prenatal vitamins don’t include it as a standard nutrient. It’s important to check the label to ensure you’re getting enough choline if you’re planning to get pregnant.

Iodine

Iodine is another female fertility supplement that’s critical to normal fetal brain development. It’s found in many types of seafood, such as cod, shrimp, and tuna. Your thyroid gland requires iodine to produce thyroid hormones, which regulate the body’s metabolism, helps control cell growth, and repair damaged cells. In utero, babies require thyroid hormones from their mothers for brain development. Low maternal levels of iodine during pregnancy can impair fetal neurodevelopment. Taking iodine supplements ensures sufficient iodine levels.

Iodine deficiency is widespread, particularly among pregnant women. It may also affect how long it takes a woman to get pregnant. Because of iodine’s effect on the thyroid, there are a number of biological mechanisms by which iodine deficiency can interfere with fertility. A study of close to 500 women demonstrated that women with iodine levels in the moderate to severe deficiency range took significantly longer to become pregnant, experiencing a 46% decrease in the probability of becoming pregnant over each cycle compared to women with sufficient iodine levels.  

Vitamin E

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin essential to many physiological functions and processes. In women, vitamin E plays an important role in maintaining proper reproductive system function. Known as “the birth vitamin”, vitamin E cannot be made by the human body, and without it, it’s impossible for the body to reproduce. A famous 1922 rat study by Evans and Bishop discovered that rats with no vitamin E in their diets were sterile. Once vitamin E was re-introduced, the rats could reproduce. 

Vitamin E helps women produce chemicals called prostaglandins, which, in turn, reduce the production of a hormone called prolactin. Maintaining balanced prolactin levels is important for the female reproductive system.  Vitamin E has been shown to improve endometrial thickness after just 12-weeks of supplementation, which can contribute to implantation failure.

Vitamin E comes in many different forms, but the most important property of all vitamin E forms is blocking the activity of harmful oxygen and nitrogen species, making it an antioxidant.

Vitamin E supplementation has proven beneficial to infertile  women in several clinical studies, helping with endometrial thickness and implantation,

Any woman of reproductive age should be sure they are getting adequate levels of vitamin E. Adults require about 15 mg of vitamin E daily, slightly more if you’re a lactating female.

Arginine

L-arginine is an amino acid that helps the body build protein and produce nitric oxide (NO), which plays an important role in the cardiovascular system because it allows blood vessels to dilate or open.  Your body makes most of the arginine it needs from breaking down proteins–fish, meat, poultry, grains, and dairy.  For women, arginine can improve blood circulation in the uterus and help improve the thickness of the endometrial lining, which can make implantation more likely. Studies have shown improvements in women with thin endometriums when they took Vitamin E, L-Arginine, and amino acid . Arginine has also been shown to improve pregnancy outcomes in women living in poorer economic areas.  

Another small study of 34 women known to be poor responders to IVF gonadotrophins and FSH drugs showed that taking L-Arginine with the IVF drugs made the drugs work better and women produced more follicles than in previous cycles.

The Best Female Fertility Supplements 

Many of the nutrients listed above like choline, folate, iodine, and vitamin D are found in most high-quality prenatal vitamins. That means you can greatly reduce the number of different supplements you need to buy (and take each day) if you start with a well-formulated Prenatal and then add on others like CoQ10, Fish Oil, PQQ, and Inositol as needed. In fact, some of the best female fertility supplements even combine these.

At CNY Fertility we generally recommend a combination of a number of Molecular Fertility products. These supplements were designed by leading experts in fertility and backed by science in peer-reviewed journals and clinical fertility care experience.  

Peak Prenatal

Peak Prenatal is a well-formulated fertility supplement for women that should be ideally taken starting 90 days before planning to get pregnant. It contains many of the nutrients listed above. In fact, it features 41 nutritional ingredients including 14 patented/ trademarked nutrients that have clinically demonstrated absorption, bioavailability, comfortable digestion, and or superior efficacy compared to their generic vitamin and mineral counterparts. Peak Prenatal helps support egg and preconception health, pregnancy and healthy fetal development, and supports mom and baby into and through the 4th trimester.

VivoMega™ Fish Oil

VivoMega™ Fish Oil is a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids that help supports egg quality, hormone function, and overall female reproductive health. Omega 3s support a host of other systems for your general health and wellbeing, including brain, heart, and immune health.

VIVOMEGA™ Fish Oil is a top-quality blend of natural fish oil sourced from sustainable, wild-caught sardines, anchovies, and mackerel that are refined and concentrated in Norway with an ultra-high concentration of Omega-3 Fatty Acids (70%) and the highest levels of purity on the market.

Ovarian Bloom

Ovarian Bloom™ is an effective supplement for egg quality and is uniquely formulated to support egg, ovarian, ovulatory, and uterine health with nutrients to boost female fertility like vitamin E, Co-Q10, vitamin D, myoinositol, and PQQ.  It also includes antioxidants to help protect ovarian, fallopian, uterine, egg, and other cells from free radicals that may cause damage.

Fertile Guard

Fertile Guard Immunoglobulin (igG) is derived from milk and binds and neutralizes antigens like viruses, bacteria, and other toxins in the digestive system to protect the body from damage. It helps support the immune system by reducing the level of inflammation-causing antigens from entering or interacting with the body. This can boost fertility by keeping inflammation in check.

Ubiquinol

Ubiquinol featuring VESIsorb® is one of the most advanced ubiquinol products on the market and helps support healthy egg quality.  Ubiquinol is a form of CoQ10 and supports egg and embryo quality, improving pregnancy rates. It also supports mitochondrial function and the generation of natural cellular energy.

Other Helpful Tips

Exercise 

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, at least that’s the case with exercise. Intense, repetitive motion activities can increase inflammation in the body and contribute to injury. Walking, yoga, Tai Chi, a casual bike ride, lifting gentle weights, and other moderate-intensity movements are perfect for keeping inflammation at bay.    Avoid sprinting and heavy weights.  When you exercise, you heat up your body causing DNA and protein degradation, pain, swelling, friction, and more heat. It robs blood flow from the core where it’s needed, sending it to the arms and legs.

While it’s definitely important to stay active and keep moving, it’s also important to remember that our hunting instincts are still part of our physiology.  High-intensity exercise sends signals to our bodies that we are under physical stress and potential harm.  This puts our bodies on high alert with the message that it’s not a safe time to bring a child into the world.  Slow it down and lighten up!

Diet

What and when you’re eating play a huge role in conception. For best results, a fertility diet that’s high in fats, moderate in protein, and low in carbohydrates can increase sperm quality, egg quality, your chances of achieving pregnancy, reduce the risk of pregnancy complications, and optimize your overall preconception wellness. By reducing inflammation and reducing toxins, you’re able to optimize your pregnancy chances.

Incorporating intermittent fasting as part of your overall eating approach can also be effective in promoting cellular regeneration and controlling inflammation.

Soak Up the Sun

Sun on your face feels good and natural sunlight is a good source of Vitamin D.  Plus, sunshine is free!  Experts recommend about 20 to 30 minutes of sun exposure (without sunscreen) three times a week if you have fair skin, but timing varies based on weather, skin exposure, skin color, time of year, and many other variables.  The bottom line is to take advantage of sunny days. Roll up your sleeves and forgo the hat and sunscreen for a little while so your skin has a chance to absorb all of that solar goodness!

Stop Smoking

If you smoke and wish to conceive, quit now!  Smoking and fertility don’t mix.  Smoking isn’t a healthy habit for anyone regardless of whether a potential pregnancy is in the near future.  The chemicals in cigarettes negatively impact the genetic material in both egg and sperm. For women, the percentage of women experiencing conception delay for over 12 months was 54% higher for smokers compared to non-smokers.

Women take longer than men to see positive effects on their fertility from quitting smoking.  Research shows that women will start to see a positive effect after one year of quitting. So, there’s no time like the present to start the process of quitting. 

Limit Alcohol

Most women know consuming alcohol while pregnant isn’t good for their developing fetus, but it can also affect your chances of conceiving. A celebratory toast now and then isn’t cause for concern, but regular consumption of alcohol can impair your fertility.  Women who imbibe even moderate amounts can expect to see an impact due to hormonal imbalances.

A study published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology found that women beginning an in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment who drank four or more drinks per week were 16% less likely to have a live birth than those who drank less than that or not at all.  A study by the Harvard Medical School concluded that drinking just half a bottle of wine per week could lower their chances of conception via IVF by up to 18%.

If you’re trying to conceive, consider limiting or eliminating your alcohol consumption.

The Bottom Line About Fertility Supplements for Women and Improving Egg Quality

Without a degree in nutrition or food science, it’s really difficult to know exactly what nutrients you’re getting enough of and which you’re lacking. Fertility supplements for women are an easy and convenient way to ensure you’re blood levels of all of the critical fertility-enhancing vitamins and nutrients are at the recommended levels prior to conceiving. Healthy bodies are fertile bodies and anything you can do well in advance of trying to conceive to optimize your health is a smart decision. This is true whether or not you have a diagnosed fertility issue.

With statistics that show a large portion of the population, in general, is lacking in vitamin D, choline, iodine, and several others, it becomes clear that today’s diet alone isn’t enough to get the job done.

Choose a reputable fertility supplement brand, like Molecular Fertility, and start your supplement regimen sooner rather than later whether you’re trying to conceive naturally or with fertility treatment since it takes upwards of 90-days for eggs to develop.

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