“Updated November 28, 2022*
When you are struggling to get pregnant you will do anything to help. Tracking your cycle, eating healthy, exercising, focusing on your mental health, acupuncture. The list can go on and on. One of the simple things that can help is taking supplements, and studies have shown that there are three important supplements that improve fertility.
*** This is just my research and what I have taken, not medical advice… Always check with your doctor before taking something new***
*This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I actually use and love. Please read full disclosure for more information.*
New Supplement I am Taking
We went to the fertility clinic on the 15th of this month to start the process of trying for baby number two. I talked to him about the ovarian rejuvenation procedure I have been looking into, and he wasn’t convinced it is quite the miracle cure I was hoping for. So I asked him, since it has been almost two years since I took my supplements if there was anything new he recommended. And to my surprise he said yes! Not only that, he seemed very optimistic about its effectiveness. He said that it was similar to CoQ10, but seemed to work better.
NMN
The new supplement is called NMN. I have been doing my own research and from what I can tell, the studies seem promising! Reading the studies, kind of makes me go cross-eyed, it is a lot of very scientific information. But the basics are that we have an metabolic cofactor called NAD+ that significantly decreases as we age, and this decrease is associated with decreased egg quality. NMN is a precursor (helps make NAD+) and they have found that supplementing with NMN can increase NAD+ levels and improve egg quality (4).
My doctor recommended the brand Elysium, the supplement name is Signal. I am having a hard time finding the exact recommended dosage, but it seems that 250mg is what most are recommending. Signal includes 250mg per dose. Signal is a subscription based products with different purchasing options. I chose the monthly at this point. If you prefer a non-subscription option, this one from Amazon get really good reviews.
Supplements That Improve Fertility
Coenzyme Q-10
CoQ10 is the supplement both Reproductive Endocrinologists (RE) strongly encouraged (why we switched doctors), and it has been shown to be quite beneficial in the world of fertility. In our 30s fertility decreases significantly due to a decrease in egg quality and egg quantity (for some… those with premature ovarian failure and or diminished ovarian reserve, aka me, this happens earlier than it should). A study focusing on CoQ10’s affect on fertility showed that there was a decrease in the levels of CoQ10 in the oocytes (eggs) of older women. The good news is that the same study showed that supplementing Coq10 could reverse the decline of egg quality and quantity! (1).
There are two types of CoQ10. Ubiquinol which is the active form of CoQ10 and Ubiquinone which still needs to be converted to it’s active state. Some sources say that it’s better to take Ubiquinol because it’s active and your body doesn’t have to convert it. However, both forms have been shown to have benefits for fertility.
The first RE we saw recommended the brand Theralogix because the supplements are researched based and independently tested. Their stuff is expensive though. Our doctor gave us a provider code that takes a little off. If you are interested in this brand I would definitely ask your doctor. You can also get it on Amazon.
Pure Encapsulations is another brand I like because they are also science backed and they exclude any allergen or additive in their supplements. I’ve also taken Qunol and Nature Made, these two are also available at Costco.
Inositol
The other supplement my first RE suggested was Inositol. At the time she said that it might help with egg quality. Recent research suggests that the benefits are much greater.
Inositol has been shown to increase fertility rates in women by restoring menstrual cycles (especially in women with PCOS) and improving both egg and embryo quality. The study also stated that inositol has benefits on maternal and fetal health during pregnancy. (2)
I have used both the Theralogix Ovasitol and Pure Encapsulation Inositol, and I think they are both high quality options. Theralogix is definitely more expensive, don’t forget to ask your doctor about that discount code. Pure Encapsulation is less expensive, but its a 60 day vs 90 day supply. This comes in a powder that you mix into water (or whatever beverage you prefer).
Melatonin
When I first read that Melatonin was beneficial for fertility I was totally surprised. I have always thought of melatonin as something that helps you sleep, which it is, but it is also a pretty potent antioxidant. While research is still new, it appears that melatonin helps the outcome of IVF and can help ovarian aging (3), which is pretty exciting if you ask me!
I took melatonin from Theralogix before my egg retrieval, per the Theralogix website it is best to start taking it six weeks prior to egg retrieval, and it should not be used when trying to conceive naturally because it may interfere with ovulation. If you have any issues with allergies, or just prefer to use something hypoallergenic Pure Encapsulation melatonin is a great alternative.
One More Supplement to Consider
If you have been diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, like me, I would ask your doctor about DHEA. DHEA is actually a hormone produced by our bodies that then helps produce estrogen in women and androgens in men. It has also been shown to help improve success rates for IVF in women with DOR. But since it is a synthetic hormone it is especially important to ask your doc before taking. I did take it before our egg retrieval, and had zero side effects from it. My doctor wasn’t super convinced that it would help, but he also didn’t think it would hurt. I used the Pure Encapsulations brand (Once I find a brand I like, I tend to stick with it, ha!)
Infertility is stressful, and it’s so easy to get overwhelmed with all the things, don’t let fertility supplements add to that stress. These are the types and brands I use and trust, but take what works best for you!
If you need some ideas on how to not loose yourself in the process of fertility treatments check out this post.
Thank you guys for being here, and remember, you are not in this alone!
Xoxo
Mollie
Sources
1. Ben-Meir, A., Burstein, E., Borrego-Alvarez, A., Chong, J., Wong, E., Yavorska, T., Naranian, T., Chi, M., Wang, Y., Bentov, Y., Alexis, J., Meriano, J., Sung, H. K., Gasser, D. L., Moley, K. H., Hekimi, S., Casper, R. F., & Jurisicova, A. (2015). Coenzyme Q10 restores oocyte mitochondrial function and fertility during reproductive aging. Aging cell, 14(5), 887–895. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.12368
2. Gambioli, R., Forte, G., Buzzaccarini, G., Unfer, V., & Laganà, A. S. (2021). Myo-Inositol as a Key Supporter of Fertility and Physiological Gestation. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 14(6), 504. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph14060504
3. Yong, W., Ma, H., Na, M., Gao, T., Zhang, Y., Hao, L., Yu, H., Yang, H., & Deng, X. (2021). Roles of melatonin in the field of reproductive medicine. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie, 144, 112001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112001
4. Bertoldo, M. J., Listijono, D. R., Ho, W. J., Riepsamen, A. H., Goss, D. M., Richani, D., Jin, X. L., Mahbub, S., Campbell, J. M., Habibalahi, A., Loh, W. N., Youngson, N. A., Maniam, J., Wong, A. S. A., Selesniemi, K., Bustamante, S., Li, C., Zhao, Y., Marinova, M. B., Kim, L. J., … Wu, L. E. (2020). NAD+Repletion Rescues Female Fertility during Reproductive Aging. Cell reports, 30(6), 1670–1681.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.01.058
