When you consider how long humans have been making babies, you’d think we’d have all the answers by now on how to get and stay pregnant. Fertility is a complex process and every body is different. East Asian medicine, which has a history of over three thousand years, has a unique view that can sometimes help explain why someone is having trouble with fertility when western medicine cannot provide answers. On the western medicine front, many strides have been made in recent years in understanding how to help couples struggling to conceive both naturally and with ART (assisted reproductive techniques). Science is starting to crack the code on micronutrients role in fertility. Vitamins play an important part in fertility including: menstruation and ovulation, thyroid function, energy production, immune function, and oocyte (egg) quality and maturation. Antioxidants are key for reducing oxidative stress and protecting egg quality. When struggling with fertility issues, or even just as a preparation to conceive, there are a few supplements in particular that show promising evidence that they can help with egg quality. Clinically we see that these supplements, along with a prenatal with folate, a healthy whole foods diet, customized herbal formulas and acupuncture can make a big difference in egg quality and overall fertility. It’s ideal to start using these supplements and at least 3-6 months before trying to conceive naturally or with IVF, as the oocyte (egg) development takes about 90 days, and therefore you will see the full benefits over time. Not all of these supplements are good for every patient. Please check with your licensed acupuncturist or doctor before using them.
Co-Enzyme-Q-10: 200mg 3x/day. An energy source for mitochondria. May improve ovarian response, oocyte maturation and embryo grade according to this study.
Vitamin C: 1000 mg 3x /day. This antioxidant specifically helps improve nitric oxide which promotes blood flow to the ovaries and uterus and showed a slight increase in pregnancies over the control group in this study.
Vitamin E: 800 IU/day. An antioxidant, Vitamin E boosts overall female reproductive health. Vitamin E can offset oxidative stress and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which negatively affect the female reproductive tract and developing oocytes as well as embryo’s.
Melatonin: 3mg at bedtime: Also an antioxidant that appears to improve egg quality by balancing the intrafollicular oxidative status. It may also improve fertilization rates. One caveat- those with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis should avoid using it.
Inositol: 2 tabs/day. Particularly helpful in women with PCOS. It may improve ovulation timing, oocyte and embryo quality. Studies have shown possible improvement when inositol is used along with melatonin.
The team at Double Happiness Health is specialized in using East Asian Medicine and Acupuncture in treating women’s health and fertility. Let us know if you have questions or would like help in supporting your fertility. We look forward to hearing from you!