How to improve egg quality naturally (what actually works)
In 2024, I completed a Critical Literature Review titled ‘Does CoEnzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol) in women of Advanced Maternal Age (AMA) improve oocyte quality when compared with placebo?’
In less words, as a Fertility Naturopath, I was studying what naturally improves egg quality, especially in women over 35 years (those who need it the most).
How do I find out my egg quality?
Egg quality means how intact are the chromosomes and DNA within the egg. Any chromosomal abnormalities = less chance of conceiving or giving birth.
There is no one ‘egg quality test’, really we need to look at a whole range of factors to estimate the quality like:
Age (are you a woman over 35 years) - the older we get the more DNA damage we accumulate
AMH test (egg count test) - how many eggs you have. It does not directly measure egg quality, but a lower reserve is associated with a reduced percentage of normal eggs.
AFC (Antral Follicle Count) via transvaginal ultrasound - more visible follicles = better chance of obtaining mature eggs.
FSH, LH + Oestradiol (Oestrogen) (Day 2/3) - High FSH suggests the ovaries are working harder to recruit follicles, → may correlate with reduced egg quality.
Mid-Luteal Progesterone (7 days before next period) - shows how well the egg matured and the ability to hold an implanting embyro.
Transvaginal Ultrasound Tracking
Antral Follicle Count - more visible follicles = better chance of obtaining mature eggs.
Follicle size at ovulation
Healthy endometrium thickness
If you’re doing IVF egg quality will be assessed by:
Embryo development and grading
Egg and embryo morphology (shape)
Fertilisation rate
PGT testing - embyro genetic testing (anuploidy)
“Essentially, we’re looking at how many eggs you have and the chance of those eggs being genetically normal.”
How a Fertility Naturopath can help improve egg quality
As a Fertility Naturopath, I like to look at WHY your egg quality is low and work to correct those factors.
We know an egg needs very healthy mitochondria (good metabolic function) so we’re going to look at things like your:
Metabolic markers
Inflammatory & oxidative stress markers - including looking at the vaginal microbiome
Thyroid function particulary - TSH, T4, T3 and Reverse T3
Nutrient status - particularly of the nutrients that are crucial to egg development!!
more (patient dependent of course)
What supplements improve egg quality?
CoEnzyme Q10 (Ubiquinol) - this supplement what I studied and wrote a literature review on, the key here is FORM & DOSAGE.
Activated Folate & methylation co-factors - methylation is the process that really determines the chromosomal or DNA quality of the eggs. Folate supplementation is not a one-size-fits-all approach.
I usually will test Homocysteine & Histamine to determine the exact dose you need of folate and the methylation co-factors (B-vitamins) you need.
Stop smoking/vaping & drinking alcohol - this is HUGE, smoking/vaping and alcohol are one of the biggest contributors to reduced fertility. If you’re struggling to quit, there are strategies and ways to dose Nicotine Replacement Therapy to improve your success in quitting; you just need to chat to the right practitioners.
Specific diet, lifestyle & supplemental strategies - almost every therapeutic strategy can improve fertility and egg quality depending on who is using it. For example a Mediterranean diet is the fertility diet, but a woman with Insulin-resistant PCOS will benefit from a reduced-carb Mediterranean diet, whilst a woman with hypothalamic amenorrhea will benefit from a Mediterranean diet with more carbohydrates.
Even Vitamin D can be life-changing for some fertility patients and detrimental to others; that is why speaking with a Fertility Naturopath to get a preconception plan that is tailored to you is key.
Get an individualised preconception plan
There are so many supplements, diet and lifestyle interventions that drastically improve fertility if done by the woman who needs it and are detrimental to those who don’t.
Getting on a tailored preconception plan that is individualised and prescribed exactly for you ensures your eggs have exactly what they need to be the highest quality they can be.
Gina Jerzyk (BHSc)
Fertility Naturopath