No matter how you’re trying to conceive, there’s no doubt that the nutrients we feed our bodies help set the stage for conception, implantation, and a healthy pregnancy. Much like our gardens, the soil has a much stronger chance of producing fruit when it has been prepared prior to the seed even being planted. This is where supplements come in. Supplements are just that: isolated nutrient compounds, frequently bound to other ingredients to make them more absorbable, that serve a specific metabolic function in the body. This can often make a huge difference in your fertility journey between success or otherwise.

The internet is vast and full of so much information to the point of being dizzying. It’s often difficult to even know where to begin and what your body even needs. So, let us get rid of the guesswork for you and walk you through some of the best things to be putting into your body on your path to pregnancy.

• CoQ10: If you could only select one supplement to support you while trying to conceive, CoQ10 is undoubtedly it. CoQ10 is most commonly known as an antioxidant, and a powerful one at that. it is also used inside our cells to make energy, and in order for an egg to be fertilized, divide properly, implant properly, and continue to grow properly, it needs a great deal of energy, which requires a great deal of CoQ10. Inside of our cells, the mitochondria are the factory where energy is made. When mitochondria don’t function properly, the cell doesn’t have enough oomph to perform its function. Since the human egg is the largest cell in the body, you can start to understand how if it doesn’t have the energy it needs, it can’t perform that proper division, implantation and growth to sustain a pregnancy. Mitochondrial dysfunction can be at the core of many infertility diagnoses, both male and female, and so supplementation of this precious resource can dramatically help the quality of eggs and sperm.

• Vitamin D3: Available in some food sources such as fish like salmon, sardines, mackerel, cod liver oil, egg yolks, and mushrooms, Vitamin D is still quite tricky to get naturally from foods that aren’t fortified. Most people rely on sun exposure and supplementation to get what they need day to day. Vitamin D helps properly modulate the immune system and reduces inflammation. A 2016 study revealed a 20% higher rate of conception in people with Vitamin D levels over 30ng/ml when compared to their deficient counterparts. While this study only analyzed people with no other known fertility issues, and dealt only with natural conception, the role of healthy Vitamin D levels has been shown to have a significant impact on positive outcomes in IVF cycles too. Vitamin D levels over 30ng/ml in IVF cycles are associated with higher clinical pregnancy rates and live births.
• Myo-Inositol: Thought of as a member of the B-Vitamin family, inositol is an essential supplement for anybody dealing with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), regardless of whether they’re trying to conceive on their own or with the helpful of Western medicine. Inositols are insulin sensitizers. The insulin resistance seen in PCOS can cause a number of problems for fertility, resulting in an imbalanced hormone cascade of elevated testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), irregular cycles, and immature follicles. A number of studies have confirmed inositol’s role in improving sensitivity to insulin resulting in more regular cycles, decreased markers for type-2 diabetes, decreased testosterone levels, and improved response to FSH both inside and outside of IVF cycles.

 

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Molly L.A.c.