Can You Improve Egg Quality?

There seems to be a myth floating around that there is nothing we can do to change egg quality. I’m here to BUST this myth.

Egg quality can change with nutrition, lifestyle & environment changes that work WITH YOUR body.

Egg Quality

When I say "egg quality" I am referring to the DNA programming that happens during the 90-100 days prior to ovulation. This is a lot of time for numerous errors to occur, which leads to decreased quality of the egg, longer time to conception & increased risk for miscarriage or pregnancy complications not to mention influencing the life-long health of your future tiny human.

Dive a little deeper with me.........

Eggs have 10X more mitochondria than any other cell in the body!! Mitochondria are the little energy producing structures in our cells. This means our follicles (maturing eggs) require a LOT of energy & a LOT of protection from oxidative stress.

Energy production is decreased & oxidative stress is increased from negative exposures like toxins, poor gut health & lack of nutrients.

Oxidative stress leads to DNA damage, resulting in decreased egg quality.

Oxidative Stress

There is a normal process in metabolism that creates what we know as free radicals. Free radicals also result from external sources like air pollution, chemical exposure, smoking or any other toxins. If our exposure to free radicals is high they can lead to oxidation which damages egg & sperm health.

This oxidative damage or oxidative stress, damages the energy source in our cells known as the mitochondria. When mitochondria is damaged, it starts releasing even more oxidation, causing even more damage. 

Since our eggs have 10x more mitochondria than any other cell in the body they need a lot of energy & a lot of protection from oxidative stress for egg development & embryo survival.

Limiting the energy supplied to the developing egg increases chromosomal abnormalities (DNA damage). Chromosomal abnormalities present as a longer time to conception or miscarriage.

So, to connect the dots….Poor egg quality is often a result of increased oxidative stress that leads to increased DNA damage.

Improving Egg Quality

Most chromosomal errors occur during the 3-4 months BEFORE ovulation. It takes an enormous amount of energy for an egg to process chromosomes & mature. The mitochondria change significantly in response to nutrients & lifestyle factors and age.

Antioxidants are queen for protecting our little maturing follicles from damage. Our follicles naturally have quite the antioxidant defense system, but this system doesn't always work as it should, which is seen in unexplained infertility, PCOS, endometriosis, and age-related infertility.

GOOD NEWS!!! There is a lot we can do to support our antioxidant system in BIG ways in order to improve egg quality!!!

For the BEST outcomes, testing and supporting any barriers your body has to protecting egg quality.....BUT if you give me a follow on IG @the.fertility.dietitian or join my newsletter you’ll get a ton of tips to get you started!

If you're ready to clear up any confusion & feel confident in supporting your egg quality, join my waitlist for a free fertility strategy session!