Vitamin A participates in a signaling mechanism to initiate meiosis (cell division) in the ovaries. Vitamin A deficiency can negatively impact the quality of the egg, the ability of the egg to implant, and the ability of the embryo to develop. A lack of vitamin A can also reduce luteinizing hormone (LH) production, which is important in ovulation.

For women trying to conceive, sufficient vitamin D levels are linked to improved fertility, as well as a healthy pregnancy. Vitamin D controls the genes involved in embryo implantation as well as in making the main female sex hormone estrogen.

Vitamin E is an essential nutrient that acts as an antioxidant by protecting cells from the damage caused by free radicals. It can also help increase a couple’s odds of conceiving as it increases cervical mucus production, allowing sperm to stay alive for longer. Some studies have also shown that vitamin E supplementation can help prevent miscarriage in women who have a history of recurrent miscarriages.*

Vitamin C stimulates production of the fertility-critical hormone progesterone. Progesterone helps prepare the uterus for pregnancy. Vitamin C is especially important for women who have luteal phase defect, which happens when the ovaries do not release enough progesterone or if the lining of the uterus does not respond to the hormone well.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency is a risk factor for infertility and miscarriage by contributing to low-quality oocytes (eggs). Eggs need pyruvic acid as a “vital energy source” ​during meiotic maturation. An enzyme pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and its coenzymes, which play important roles in energy production for this process, are in turn dependent on vitamin B1.

The body uses vitamin B2 (riboflavin) to metabolize fats, protein, and carbohydrates into energy. This means that if an inadequate amount of riboflavin is consumed, the macronutrients that our body needs cannot be properly digested and utilized by the body. If a woman is trying to get pregnant, nutrition is imperative. While all macronutrients are important during this period, research shows that proteins are particularly important, as it is necessary for building fetal cells and tissues. Since vitamin B2 helps break down proteins, a deficiency can cause a negative chain reaction.

Vitamin B3 (niacin) is required to produce a compound called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). Low levels of NAD can damage embryos in the first critical weeks of pregnancy. Supplementation with vitamin B3 has also been found to promote ovarian follicle growth, reducing the risk of oocyte apoptosis (programmed cell death) and overall infertility.*

Vitamin B5 helps the body produce the cholesterol needed to make important sex and pregnancy hormones like estrogen and progesterone. It also promotes healthy body fat distribution.

There are several ways in which vitamin B6 positively impacts fertility:

• Along with B12 and folate, vitamin B6 maintains low levels of homocysteine, an inflammatory and toxic waste product of amino acid metabolism that can build up in the body and negatively affect female fertility.
• Vitamin B6 supports a healthy, regular menstrual cycle.
• Adequate levels of vitamin B6 have also been shown to restore libido, helping couples increase their sex drives.

Folate is essential for the synthesis of DNA, the production of new cells in the body (e.g. red blood cells), and the support of proper brain and immune function. Folate has a powerful effect on female fertility, both before and after conception. It also improves blood flow, maintains low homocysteine levels, and positively affects ovarian health and ovulation.

We use folate as glucosamine salt of (6S)-5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) which is structurally analogous to the reduced and active form of folic acid that completely bypasses the “damaged” MTHFR conversion step that can be seen in a lot of people and delivers a “finished” folate the body can immediately use without any kind of metabolization.*

Vitamin B12 deficiency can negatively interfere with female reproductive health by:

• Causing abnormal ovulation
• Disrupting normal cell division
• Impairing egg development
• Causing implantation difficulty and complications

Inositol (sometimes referred to as vitamin B8) plays a significant role in insulin signaling and glucose metabolism. Research has shown that supplementing inositol can improve insulin-receptor activity and help to restore insulin resistance in women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). PCOS is one of the most common causes of infertility, affecting 4–20% of women of reproductive age worldwide.

This mineral helps to ensure the right amount of blood flow to the uterus. It is also crucial for the production of progesterone, which is important for a healthy menstrual cycle.

Iron deficiency has been linked to infertility, miscarriages, low birth weights, and preterm labor. Women who do not get enough iron are also more likely to suffer anovulation, a lack of ovulation, and poor egg health, making falling pregnant up to 60% more difficult compared to women with normal iron levels. Women who supplement with iron regularly may decrease their risk of infertility by 40%.* Women vegetarians and women with a multiple pregnancy are at higher risk of iron deficiency.

Selenium is crucial for the development of follicles (the small sacs of fluid that hold eggs), including the process where one (or sometimes more) grows to be the “dominant follicle” that ovulates. Eggs also benefit from selenium’s antioxidant action. It helps protect the dominant follicle from damaging oxidative stress, and after ovulation, it defends the endometrium and the developing embryo. Selenium also supports the production of several hormones, including estrogen, progesterone, and thyroid hormone.

Zinc regulates the functions of female hormones and ensures that ovulation is regular. It also maintains proper follicular fluid levels. Without enough fluid in the follicles, an egg cannot travel through the fallopian tubes and into the uterus for implantation. Zinc is also needed to support the metabolism of over 300 enzymes and to help replicate DNA in order to make new cells, which are essential to having healthy eggs and making healthy babies. Without zinc, our cells cannot divide properly, estrogen and progesterone levels can get out of balance, and the female reproductive system may not be fully functioning.

Iodine is an essential nutrient for the production of thyroid hormones, which control our metabolism and support normal growth and development in the body. Insufficient iodine intake leads to hypothyroidism, which has an adverse effect on follicle production, ovulation, and maturation of the corpus luteum, and ultimately influences fertility

Chromium may help improve fertility in people with PCOS because it can help to lower insulin levels in women with hyperinsulinemia and as an indirect result, testosterone levels are also lowered and ovulation stimulated. Insulin resistance is a core condition in PCOS and greatly contributes to hormonal imbalances that cause many PCOS symptoms.

Manganese accumulates in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain that regulates levels of reproductive hormones including luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), a reproductive hormone critical for ovulation. Low levels of manganese may increase the risk of anovulation or failure of the ovary to release an egg during a menstrual cycle.

L-arginine can increase egg quality by increasing blood supply to the ovaries. L-arginine also boosts the production of cervical mucus through improved blood flow. Cervical mucus helps sperm move up the cervix to fertilize an egg.