Let me start with a hypothetical question that you can think about while you read this article… would you rather have 10-15 poor or average quality eggs before an IVF cycle or before trying to conceive or 1-2 amazing quality eggs?Â
For so long the focus on fertility has been on egg quantity via testing options like AMH (anti mullerian hormone), but what has not been focused enough on is that quality is more important than quantity. I want to guide you through how focusing on egg quality can not only enhance your fertility and conception success but reduce perimenopausal symptoms, lighten periods, reduce period pain and improve mood and sleep!
What is egg quality?
When we are talking about the quality of our eggs, we are talking more widely about the quality of our follicles, follicular fluid and therefore our eggs at different stages right up to when they are released at ovulation. Quality involves aspects such as the genetic and chromosomal make-up and integrity, the nutrient status, the mitochondrial function, cell structure and resulting hormonal balance too.
And how does egg quality impact fertility?
Essentially the odds of achieving conception and a healthy pregnancy increase as the quality of your eggs increase. This is due to the improved cell structure, DNA, nutrient status and mitochondrial function as examples. The better the quality of your follicles and eggs the better the chances of conception, implantation, healthy placental growth and decreased risk of miscarriage.
What impacts egg quality?
1. Age
We need to talk first about age. One of the main factors impacting our egg quality is age and as there is no scientific test for quality, age remains a main predictor for egg quality. It is true that as we age the quality of our eggs decrease. BUT it is not the only factor and therefore no matter your age you can still improve egg quality.
2. Nutrient status
Nutrients are vital for egg quality, for example B vitamins, protein, folate, antioxidants and iodine all support egg quality. There is so much promising research in this area, for example omega-3’s are shown to prolong reproductive lifespan by impacting egg quality and NAD+ has very promising research rejuvenating female fertility and egg quality. As part of your personalised plan we often recommend some specific supplements and dietary changes to boost egg quality.
3. Environmental toxins
Environmental toxins have a profound impact on fertility and egg health. Toxins such as parabens, dioxins, pesticides and BPA have been found to be linked to increased DNA damage, poor mitochondrial function, poor ovarian health and even lack of ovulation. Ensuring that you are detoxifying well is vital, we assess phase 1 and 2 of oestrogen detox which is vital for healthy hormone levels and egg health. Poor methylation, or a strong preference for the 4-OH or 16-OH pathway in Phase 1 can negatively impact egg quality.
Read more here about oestrogen detoxification.
4. Oxidative stress
Oxidative stress refers to the imbalance in the body between free radicals and antioxidants. When there is increased oxidative stress there are increased free radicals, DNA damage, lower mitochondrial function and therefore lowered egg quality and increased risk of fertility issues. We test oxidative stress in our Advanced Hormone test.
5. Other examples of factors that impact egg quality:
- Low protein consumptionÂ
- Genetics
- Medication use
- Poor sleepÂ
- Underlying conditions such as PCOS
- Exercise (under or over)
- Stress and cortisol levels
- Hormone levels
We test many of these factors in our Advanced Hormone Test including cortisol levels, oxidative stress, nutrient status and hormone levels.
3 benefits of egg quality to our health as women (that aren’t related to fertility)
As I mentioned, egg quality isn’t just important for fertility but for healthy periods, sleep, mental health and perimenopausal symptoms, mainly due to the production of progesterone.
Progesterone levels are made from the degrading follicle (that releases the egg at ovulation) called the corpus luteum, therefore the quality of this follicle can determine your progesterone levels, which support fertility but also our mood, sleep, anxiety and even appetite. We look for progesterone levels of at least 8 ng/ml in our tests as a sign of egg health.
1. A Smoother Perimenopause
Preserving egg quality for as long as possible = a smoother perimenopause. Essentially better egg and follicle health is associated with more stable hormone production and therefore reduced fluctuations of oestrogen and progesterone into perimenopause. This can lead to reduced symptoms such as hot flushes and anxiety.
2. Better Period health
Having better quality eggs can lead to robust, healthy and consistent cycles. This is attributed again to healthy hormone production and regulation and can help reduce period pain (thanks to healthy progesterone levels!), reduce irregular periods with PCOS and even support endometriosis to support healthy endometrial growth.
3. Better mental health and improved sleep
As I mentioned the benefits of focusing on egg quality extend way past fertility into sleep and mental health. Again healthy egg quality supports healthy hormone production which in turn supports our circadian rhythm, appetite, melatonin production, serotonin and results in steady neurotransmitters and therefore decreased risk of anxiety and depression.
What should I do if I want to improve my egg quality?
Focusing on optimal egg quality is one of the most important aspects of fertility, this is something our practitioners can help you with by testing with the Advanced Hormone Test to look at many factors that can shed light on your possible egg health such as hormone levels, cortisol levels, oxidative stress and nutrient status. These are all modifiable factors that we can assess to support your egg health and quality through diet, lifestyle and personalised supplementation.
