Why You’ll Need Three Months to Improve Egg Quality and Support Your Fertility Health

If you have been experiencing fertility challenges, chances are you have heard of the importance of egg quality on fertility health. The quality of a woman's eggs plays a major role in her fertility. The great news is, there are some steps you can take to improve the quality of your eggs and increase your chances of conceiving.

In this blog post, I'll go over some tips for improving egg quality and supporting fertility in three months. Why three months? That’s the amount of time it usually takes for eggs to mature. During this time, nutrients that a woman gets from their diet and supplements and benefits from an improved lifestyle can benefit the maturing eggs. By the time they fully mature, their quality will be improved from the changes implemented. 

So what things can you do to support egg quality? I'll cover diet and nutrition tips, supplement suggestions, and even some exercise and sleep tips. I'll also discuss the role of acupuncture in improving egg quality. Finally, I'll talk about some common mistakes to avoid when trying to improve egg quality.

Whether you're trying to get pregnant naturally or are preparing for IVF, you’ll want to keep reading.

It Can be Done, but it Takes Time…

With the right diet and lifestyle changes, you can make a big difference in the quality of your eggs. This, in turn, can give you a better chance of conceiving. Here are some tips to get you started.

First, it’s important to understand that improving egg quality is a process. It takes time and effort to make lasting changes. It may take several months before you start seeing results. 

Second, lifestyle changes may be necessary. This includes changes to your diet, exercise routine, and sleep habits. Third, you may need to take supplements to support egg quality. Finally, acupuncture may be beneficial for some women.

Now that you know the basics, let's talk about how to improve egg quality and support your fertility..

How to Support Fertility and Improve Egg Quality

The first step in improving egg quality and supporting fertility is to make some lifestyle changes. This includes changes to your diet, exercise routine, and sleep habits. All of these can play a role in improving egg quality.

First, let's talk about diet. Eating a healthy, balanced diet is essential for supporting fertility and improving egg quality. This means eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats, and whole grains. Avoid processed and refined foods, which can be detrimental to your fertility.

It's also important to get enough vitamins and minerals. Some of the most important vitamins and minerals for fertility include B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc, selenium, and iron. You can get these from food sources such as leafy greens, nuts, and legumes. Alternatively, you can take a quality prenatal vitamin to ensure you're getting enough of these important nutrients.

Diet and Nutrition Tips to Improve Egg Quality

In addition to eating a healthy, balanced diet, there are some specific foods that can help to improve egg quality.

One food group that can be beneficial for fertility are omega-3 fatty acids. These are found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines. They can help to reduce inflammation, which can improve egg quality.

Antioxidants are also important for fertility. Foods high in antioxidants include blueberries, dark chocolate, and green tea. These can help to reduce oxidative stress, which can damage the quality of your eggs.

Finally, it's important to get enough protein. Good sources of protein include lean meats, eggs, nuts, and legumes. Protein is essential for the development of healthy eggs.

Supplements to Support Egg Quality

In addition to a healthy diet, there are some supplements that can help to support egg quality.

One supplement that can be beneficial for fertility is Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). This is a powerful antioxidant that can help to reduce oxidative stress, which can damage the quality of your eggs. Make sure you find one that’s in the form of ubiquinol, which is a superior form of CoQ10. 

Another supplement to consider is DHEA. This is a hormone that can help to improve egg quality and support fertility. It's important to note, however, that it can have some side effects and is not for everyone. If you are considering taking DHEA, it is best to get tested first because for some it can cause adverse effects if their DHEA is already high. It's best to talk to your doctor before taking it. 

Finally, Vitamin D can be beneficial for fertility. Vitamin D is important for the development of healthy eggs. You can get Vitamin D from exposure to early morning sun or by taking a supplement. Keep in mind that if you are deficient in Magnesium, it may affect your absorption of Vitamin D.

Exercise to Improve Egg Quality

Exercise can have a positive impact on egg quality. Moderate exercise such as walking, jogging, swimming, fertility yoga, and cycling can help to improve circulation, which can be beneficial for fertility.

It's important to find an exercise routine that works for you. Try to find something that you enjoy and that you can stick with over the long term. It's also important to remember that too much exercise can have an adverse effect on fertility. So make sure to find a balance that works for you.

Sleep Tips to Improve Egg Quality

Getting enough sleep is essential for improving egg quality. Studies have shown that not getting enough sleep can lead to a decrease in egg quality. Aim for at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night.

It's also important to establish a good sleep routine. Make sure to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day. This will help to regulate your sleep cycle and will make it easier to get the rest you need.

Finally, make sure to create a sleep environment that is conducive to good sleep. This means keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. Avoid using electronics in the bedroom and limit your caffeine intake in the afternoon and evening.

The Role of Acupuncture in Improving Egg Quality

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice that can be beneficial for fertility. It involves stimulating specific points on the body with needles. This has been shown to help improve egg quality and increase the chances of conception.

Acupuncture works on balancing a person’s “pattern” so that their body can get into a natural, self-healing state. When patients come in, I first assess their pattern and tendency in order to create a treatment protocol. The points chosen are both distal and local. Meaning that distant points can be used to treat something they aren’t necessarily close to.

Local points are usually placed around the pelvis to encourage blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. This assists in helping the blood carry the nutrients that are absorbed from the diet and lifestyle protocols implemented for egg health, so that it can support the maturing eggs.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Improving Egg Quality

When trying to improve egg quality, it's important to avoid some common mistakes.

First, don't rely solely on supplements to improve egg quality. Supplements can be beneficial, but they should be used in combination with a healthy diet and lifestyle changes. It’s also important to keep inflammation down so that absorption of supplements can be optimized. This can be done with a balanced diet.

Second, if you are stressed trying to do everything perfect in regards to egg quality, it will impact your hormone balance as well as sleep. So make sure to find a balance that is realistic for you.

Finally, don't try to rush the process. Improving egg quality takes time and patience.

Conclusion

Improving egg quality and supporting fertility may seem overwhelming at first. But with the right diet, lifestyle changes, and supplements, you can make a big difference in your fertility health and egg quality. 

In this blog post, I discussed why three months is a necessary time to improve egg quality and support fertility. Diet and nutrition tips, supplement suggestions, and even some exercise and sleep tips were discussed. I also shared the benefits of acupuncture on improving egg quality. Finally, I talked about some common mistakes to avoid when trying to improve egg quality.

If you're trying to get pregnant or just want to make sure you have the best quality eggs possible, then following these tips can help. Keep in mind that improving egg quality takes time and patience, so be sure to be consistent and stick with it. If you would like more customized help in order to improve your egg quality with acupuncture or online consultations, be sure to schedule your free fertility discovery call. 

5 Ways to Boost Sperm Health

Many couples that I have seen have overlooked sperm health at the beginning of their fertility journey.  Approximately 40-50% of fertility challenges is due to “male factor” infertility.  About 2% of all men exhibit suboptimal sperm parameters.  

Based on the most recent World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, experts consider a healthful sperm count to be 15 million per milliliter (ml), or at least 39 million per ejaculate.
Doctors consider a sperm count under 15 million per ml abnormal and can result in male fertility challenges.

The markers of sperm health include:

Sperm Motility: Sperm mobility refers to sperm movements. Sperms must be able to swim to reach and fertilize the egg.

Semen Volume: A minimum volume is required to carry the sperms through the female reproductive region. A normal semen volume ranges from 2 to 5ml per ejaculation.

Sperm morphology: The average ideal size and shape of sperm cell in a sample.

Sperm Count: The concentration of sperm cells per ejaculation.

There are many contributing factors that can impair male fertility.  Some factors to consider are genetics defects, STD’s, Varicocele (enlarged veins in the testes), alcohol, smoking, drug use, poor diet, obesity, stress, EMF’s, and cell phone radiation.

Just as it does with women, reproductive health is a reflection of overall health and wellness.  

The following are some natural ways to increase sperm count:

1. Get enough exercise and sleep:  Sleep is very restorative for the hormonal balance and production and is needed in order to produce healthy sperm.  Sperm health has been shown to be impaired by sleep deprivation and a late bedtime schedule. Exercise is also an important factor in sperm health and overall vitality.  However, over exercise can deplete the body and as a result impair reproductive health. 

2. Make sure you are getting proper amounts of vitamin D:  Vitamin D has been linked to sperm quality and is a very important vitamin to supplement for male reproductive health (as well as female).  Not only is it important to supplement with vitamin D, but it’s also important to get enough sunlight.  If you live in a warm climate, it is safest to get sunlight before 8:30 or 9 am.  This is the best time to soak up the sun and it also increases “yang” energy which is essential for male reproductive health.

3. Avoid excessive alcohol or smoking:  Alcohol has been shown to negatively impact sperm count, shape, and motility.  Excessive drinking is defined by the CDC as 5 or more drinks within 2-3 hours or on one occasion. Smoking has been shown to lower semen volumes, sperm counts, and motility percentage compared to men who do not smoke. 

4.  Increase anti-oxidant consumption:  30-80% of infertility cases are due to oxidative stress and decreased total antioxidant capacity in seminal levels.  Studies were done on various antioxidant supplement effects on male infertility, DNA fragmentation, low sperm count, subfertility, sperm motility, concentration, and morphology.  Vitamin C and E which are powerful antioxidants have been shown to improve sperm motility and morphology.  L-Carnitine has been shown to improve sperm count.  CoQ10 has been shown to improve sperm concentration and motility.  Selenium has been shown to improve sperm counts, concentration, motility and morphology.  N-Acetyl-cysteine has been shown to increase serum testosterone.  Antioxidants can be absorbed in foods such as blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, dark chocolate, pecans, kale, goji berries among others. 

5.  Consider Ashwagandha: Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb that is used as a tonic and a stress reliever.  Clinical evidence shows a significantly increased sperm concentration and overall motility.  It also has been shown to increase the semen volume.  Besides sperm improvement, testosterone and LH serum levels increased for those with suboptimal testosterone levels before taking Ashwagandha.

Foods that have a wide range of health benefits that may also benefit sperm count include:

·       Walnuts

·       Citrus fruits

·       Whole grains

·       Most fish, especially wild salmon, cod, and sardines

·       Dark chocolate

·       Garlic

·       Bananas

·       Broccoli: A green vegetable full of folic acid.

·       Spinach

·       Turmeric Super high in Vitamin C

·       Asparagus: Super high in Vitamin C

·       Nuts and seeds

As in any case of fertility challenge, it is important to get the proper labs and semen analysis when looking into male fertility health.  It is essential to rule out any underlying conditions such as varicocele or genetic conditions.  Living a life of healthy practices such as a whole foods diet, the right amount of exercise, and a proper supplement regimen can help improve sperm health.  With that being said, it is wise to reach out to a healthcare practitioner before implementing any type of new diet and supplemental regimen.  

5 Questions to ask yourself when trying to conceive

The fertility journey can prove to be a real rollercoaster when it comes to emotions and personal energy! There are so many factors to consider and while I recommend that all couples go and rule out any underlying conditions, I wanted to share some important things to consider that many may not think about when they first start trying to conceive.  

We all learn in high school the false idea that we can get pregnant at any time in the cycle (eye roll).  And we eventually learn that this can’t be farther from the truth!!  The truth is, there are so many factors that need to align in order for conception to occur.  Here are just five things to consider when trying to conceive that may be affecting your chances.

1.     Are you ovulating and if so, when?  

The reality: no ovulation =  no pregnancy.  This is why the menstrual cycle as a whole is so pivotal in regard to conception.  Ovulation is the process in which the follicle releases the most viable egg monthly, and without this process there will be no egg to fertilize. Many people can have monthly bleeds without ovulating.  And many people may have positive OPK tests without ovulating.  This can become very confusing because what that means is that your body istrying to ovulate by releasing LH from the pituitary gland, and it doesn’t confirm that your ovaries responded to the LH or the FSH.  One of the best ways to confirm this is by tracking your basal body temperature – you can find details on how to do this in my fertility resources page.  By tracking your temperature you will not only see if you are ovulating, you will also see when.  Many people who have a regular 28-day cycle may assume that they are ovulating on day 14.  But this is not always the case – some may ovulate early, and some may ovulate late.  Your fertile window is about 4-5 days before ovulation so it’s important to know when that occurs.

2.     Do you have food sensitivities?  

Food sensitivities can greatly impact your chances of conceiving!  Inflammation is one of the factors that may not only prevent implantation but also contribute to miscarriages.  It is important therefore that inflammation is kept to a minimum.  This can be done through diet and supplements but first it’s important to see if there is a food that is causing inflammation and sensitivity.  Many cases of unexplained infertility are linked to women having celiac disease.  Celiac disease is a type of autoimmune condition where the small intestine becomes damaged from the body’s reaction to consuming gluten.  The issue with celiac disease is that it can present in so many ways with a range of symptoms, so it may not be easy to recognize and needs to be tested with a physician.  Another condition that may get exacerbated with food sensitivities is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.  Similarly, gluten among other foods can worsen the condition – which can in turn impact fertility adversely.

3.     How is your dental and gum health?  

This one may seem surprising, but there is a link between dental health and fertility.  We know that gum health can impact inflammation not only in gums but systemically.  It has been known to contribute to other conditions such as type II diabetes and heart disease.  It is now also being linked to fertility health!  As written above, inflammation is not beneficial when trying to conceive and is important to keep to a minimum.  This is a simple solution – brush well morning and night (and after meals if you’re disciplined!) and make sure to floss daily!  I also recommend a good neem toothpaste and mouthwash.  Oil pulling (an ayurvedic practice) is also a great way to keep the mouth and gums clean and healthy!

4.     Are you deficient in supplements?  

Studies have linked unexplained infertility to deficiency in vitamins.  I wouldn’t recommend randomly supplementing without first speaking to a licensed practitioner.  But you can easily start with a good prenatal.  Keep in mind though, not all prenatal vitamins are created equal!  Many companies are not third party tested and what that means is, since vitamins are not FDA regulated – you cannot be sure that they really have the ingredients they claim to have.  There are other companies that are third party tested, which means that they hire a separate company to test their quality to show practitioners that they adhere to high quality standards.  Another thing that I personally prefer is that prenatal vitamins have methylfolate instead of folic acid.  Folic acid is synthetic and is harmful for people who have the MTHFR gene mutation.  Since not many people get tested, it is best for all to simply avoid folic acid.  I have a list of recommended prenatal vitamins on my fertility resource page. 

5.     Are you well rested? 

Did you know that sleep can help you not only recharge, but regulate and metabolize hormones?  Sleep is vital when trying to conceive!  It also reduces overall stress and helps you focus on important daily tasks and decisions (there are so many decisions people who are on the fertility journey need to make!).  One of the ways in which sleep can be improved is by regulating the circadian rhythm.  It gets regulated by daylight as well as darkness at night.  What can confuse your inner cycle is artificial light at night.  This can be regulated by reducing screen time in the evening and allowing an hour or two before sleep to be in a dim environment which is not too bright.  You can also find a sleep hypnosis audio here for suggestions on deep sleep.  

These five questions may not be as obvious when you first begin the journey, but they can really make a difference in how your journey progresses!  If you want more in depth support I am happy to jump on a discovery call with you!

Body Awareness: A Vehicle to Reproductive Wellness?

Chinese medicine is rooted in Taoist philosophy.  Taoism literally translates as “The Way”.  “The Way” refers to the way of nature and balance which is symbolized beautifully in the yin and yang.  The idea is that if everything is balanced, optimal life force is able to thrive.  This can be seen in all of nature and is reflected in all living things on earth.

The symbolism of yin and yang shows two opposing forces which turn into one another and are interdependent.  If there was too much sunlight, plants would dry up – too much rain, they would get over saturated - too much darkness, they would be deprived of the sun’s energy.  Nature is designed to reflect this perfect harmony in order to sustain life.  

Our bodies reflect this nature.  They are microcosms of the earth’s ecosystem and have their own elements.  When those elements get out of control, disharmony arises and can lead to disease or imbalance.  This imbalance can show up as hormone disruption, sleep disruption, or menstrual irregularities – to name a few.

Fertility health reflects our overall health.  It is a branch that depends on the trunk of our vitality.  Fertility can be compared to sprouting, and sprouting can’t occur unless the existing plant has sufficient vitality to sustain the sprout.  In order for this to occur, we need to look at what is sustaining the body so that it is optimally primed to support new life.

Not everyone is able to go to an acupuncturist or holistic practitioner, but we are all designed to connect with our body’s needs.  Our bodies are programmed to point out imbalances so that we can attend to our own health.  This design happened way before anyone made a living as a healthcare provider.  While seeing a qualified provider is essential in many cases, I want to point out that we still have power to tune into what our bodies are telling us.   

In order to address the imbalance, we need to first observe.  One of the easiest ways to do that is through body awareness or interoception.  This is our body’s way of signaling us to cool down when it’s hot, to eat when we’re hungry, or to avoid certain foods if they cause a reaction.  

This body awareness can increase with time and may need consistent practice, especially if we’ve conditioned ourselves to ignore its cues for many years. Once we begin to sharpen this innate ability, it will open a window into our wellness.  It will show us which foods give us vitality, and which foods drains us.  It will show us when we’re tired and how to surrender to rest.  It will show us when we are over-exercising or under-exercising.  It will also show us if what our doctor is telling us is in line with our body’s truth – i.e. it may be time to get a second opinion!

3 Steps to connecting with your body’s intelligence:

1. Meditation

1.    Meditation:  Meditation is one of the best ways to train your mind to ‘listen’ and tune into your body.  It is actually how some people theorize that acupuncture meridians were discovered.  Getting quiet helps us tune in to our subtle sensations and get guided by our innate intelligence.  Meditation has a very balancing effect – it creates a state of flow which is an optimal state for the body to ease back into balance.  There are many types of meditations, one of which focuses on body awareness.  Doing so not only reveals what is happening in the body, but it also helps the body to harmonize and reset.

2. Become Mindful

2.    Mindfulness: I know, this is often associated with meditation because there is a type of meditation called “Mindfulness meditation”, but mindfulness refers to a deep present awareness that can be carried through into every activity and non-activity throughout the day – including eating.  Mindfulness helps us tune into how our bodies respond to conversations and can help us connect with our intuition, which is our inner compass.  This intuition has come in handy to many of my patients who have shared that they were guided to get a second opinion when what they heard from their doctor didn’t feel like the right advice to them.  And they were proven right as their journey progressed! 

3. Yoga

3.    Yoga:  Yoga brings an immense state of body awareness by moving consciously.  It is referred to as ‘yoke’ which unites body and spirit.  If spirit is referred to as consciousness, the practice of yoga threads this consciousness into every movement and breath of the body.  I often refer to yoga as an ancient ‘intelligent exercise’.  It not only strengthens the body, but it also awakens its vitality and consciousness. 

Awareness not only helps us tune into what requires balance in our bodies, but it also acts as a lifegiving force.  As Tony Robbins says, “energy flows where attention goes”.  If you think back, you may notice moments when just your mere attention breathed life into things.  Our awareness is more than simply observation, it is charged with life force energy.  Just the simple act of noticing can regulate and rebalance.

The key to remember is that our bodies are designed to revert to balance naturally, and one of the ways it does that is to cue us like it does when we are hungry, hot, cold, or tired – we automatically know what to do!  Once we tune in to these cues (eating right, resting when we need) and the body is able to align like a lock opening up, reproductive health follows suit and is able to thrive.  I have worked with many women both virtually and in my practice.  When I am working virtually and am unable to implement acupuncture, we work on awareness and implementing balance through a variety of protocols.  I have seen amazing transformation in menstrual cycles and fertility health all due to simply tuning in and working with the body’s amazing intelligence!     

How Can Breath of Fire Improve Your Vitality?

Kapalabhati, or breath of fire is a powerful breathing technique that works to increase agni (digestive fire) and burn up stagnation in your abdomen.  It is very cleansing for the lungs and digestion.  It creates blood flow to your pelvis and reproductive organs so it is a great exercise to do to support fertility health.  It also benefits the mind – the translation of Kapalabhati is ‘forehead shining’ to signify the bright awareness that gets cultivated in the mind as a result of consistent practice.  In TCM, both the abdomen and the mind are important aspects of conception.  The mind (which the heart houses) is where the hormones are controlled.  The abdomen energy feeds the gonads of both men and women and needs to be supplied with fresh blood and energy in order to function optimally.  

Breath of fire is used in Kundalini yoga and is combined with specific poses to create various benefits in the body.  For the sake of simplicity, I recommend starting practicing in a cross legged position so you can focus on the technique. The practice is best done on an empty stomach.

Begin by sitting comfortably with loose fitting clothes.  It is important not to have constriction in your abdomen so that you can do the exercise comfortably.

Take a few deep inhalations and exhalations to prepare.

Then inhale and forcefully exhale with your mouth closed as you feel your abdomen constrict with the exhalation.  It is important to note that all of the breath happens in the abdomen and not the chest.  This is a practice that takes time to get used to.

All you need to focus on is the pumping of the abdomen as you exhale and the inhale will happen automatically.  This is an exhalation based breathing technique.  This is a great video that I found showing for a visual of breath of fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V86Xao9bcRI.

You can begin by doing the breath of fire for a continuous 30 seconds and slowly increasing it over time. The best time to do this is in the morning before breakfast.  This should be avoided for women who are pregnant or menstruating.  

 Photo by Liset Verhaar 

Dairy & Fertility: Getting to the Bottom of it

As a fertility acupuncturist, I constantly find myself researching and learning information regarding fertility. Luckily, even though there are varying opinions out there, in the natural medicine world of fertility there aren’t too many extreme conflicts of information - at least not in my experience. In regards to fertility, I knew it would be really important for me to be able to guide my patients on diet which is one thing that is more in their control than anything. So I wanted to address the one topic that continuously causes confusion for my patients, and that is dairy. Specifically milk products.

In Chinese medicine, dairy can cause phlegm which is why we suggest to keep it to a minimum. Dairy has also been an issue for certain people who cannot digest it properly. Yoghurt seems to be a lot more compatible with our digestion because it has healthy bacteria which is healthy for the gut.

In a book called The Fertility Diet, the authors share information that was retrieved from the most comprehensive study to date from the long-standing Nurses’ Health Study on how a certain foods can affect fertility. In this book they say that skim or reduced fat dairy can have adverse effects on fertility. On the other hand, full fat yoghurt or milk has shown to increase chances of conception. My understanding for the reason there are so many conflicting reports on this is that some milk products add hormones which are known to disrupt the endocrine system therefore causing fertility challenges. It can also be that people who have noted adverse responses due to reduced fat dairy, which has been shown to reduce the rates of fertility, associated it with dairy as a whole.

So according to these studies, if you are to have dairy make sure it’s whole and full fat. Fat is actually an important part of our diets and it is found to be a lot more beneficial than we have thought for the past several decades. Healthy fats are also listed as the foods necessary for improved conception in the The Fertility Diet.

As an Oriental Medicine practitioner, I look at the person’s individual constitution. If they have phlegm damp symptoms I would not recommend dairy. And if the person doesn’t have any symptoms of phlegm damp, is not lactose intolerant or sensitive to dairy, I would suggest full fat organic yoghurt once a day if they are looking to get pregnant. This will give their bodies a needed serving of fat which is shown to increase fertility. I would also suggest to drop sugar which is another ingredient that is associated with poor fertility outcomes.

Image by Nikolai Chernichenko 

Can CoQ10 improve Egg Quality?

It all comes down to ATP – aka energy!  ATP is created by an organelle called the mitochondria which is present in all of our bodily cells.  From what we understand, our ATP decreases with age which can be a cause of our reproductive decline as our cells age.  

How does CoQ10 play a role?

CoQ10 is a compound that is produced by the body in order to help the mighty mitochondria generate ATP – i.e. cellular energy.  CoQ10 acts as a powerful antioxidant for the cells which is why it can prevent cellular aging. Depending on our age, lifestyle and constitution, we can be deficient in our naturally occurring CoQ10. Many foods naturally have CoQ10 such as organ meats, dark leafy vegetables (kale, broccoli, spinach), nuts, seafood, and meat though it may be best to supplement to get a sufficient amount. 

Because CoQ10 plays such an important role in increasing ATP in the mitochondria, it can directly influence an increase in egg quality. Just to give you a clear picture, an average healthy cell in the body needs 1000-2000 mitochondria to function properly, an ovum or an egg needs about 300,000! Eggs that are considered poor quality will have a lower amount of mitochondria.

This just shows how much energy the egg needs in order to become an embryo. It is everything in fertility because even if a lower quality egg does fertilize it can lead to an early miscarriage because it did not start off sufficiently charged. That’s where CoQ10 comes into play. Because it has a key role of increasing cellular energy it not only helps fertility but it also helps overall cellular health in the whole body.

Key points to keep in mind when taking CoQ10 supplements. There are two types of CoQ10 and they are called Ubiquinone and Ubiquinol. Ubiquinol is the final state in which CoQ10 acts as an antioxidant in the cells. So this would be the more potent and pricier version of CoQ10. Since it’s more potent though you will be able to take less amount for the same effect as you would Ubiquinone.

Another point to mention is that although this information is about how CoQ10 can affect egg quality, it is also beneficial for increasing sperm quality as well.

Recommended books on this topic:

It Starts with the Egg: How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF by Rebecca Fett

Your Mitochondria: Key to Health and Longevity by Warren Cargal