EGG QUALITY - What impacts It and HOW you can optimise this

What Impacts Egg Quality…

All the eggs we will ever have are within our ovaries at birth and we cannot add to these, this means that genetics and lifestyle factors (such as age) both have a massive part to play when it comes to our actual egg quality. Testing AMH (Anti-Mullerian Hormone) can provide a snapshot of the ovarian reserve but it can’t actually tell you anything about the quality of the eggs present.

Long or difficult fertility journeys and struggling to conceive can be heartbreaking, often many women find it difficult not to start looking to the ‘what if’s’ especially as time goes on - what if i didn’t have that glass of wine… what if I didn’t go out for that run, had that late night etc.. but it’s worth knowing that sometimes there can be factors that are totally outwith our control, things that no matter what we do we cannot change. This includes the actual number of eggs we are born with, the genetic quality of these eggs and is also true when it comes to aging. We cannot change the fact that as we age, fewer eggs naturally become available for conception and also that these eggs will become genetically damaged. Every cell in our bodies ages and degenerates as we grow older, and eggs are no different, and with it comes an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities, miscarriage and failure of implantation. It is widely recognised that fertility does start to decline as we grow older and the age of 35 years is tauted medically to be when it is shown to decline significantly.

As many women blow out candles to celebrate their mid 30 something birthdays, this number often can generate additional stress and pressure- maybe they haven’t met right person yet, or aren’t in the right place financially for a baby or maybe they are just not ready or wanting to think about starting a family at that time. When it comes to statistics it is worth bearing in mind that although eggs do decline naturally, 35 years is a ‘on average’ figure and does not apply to every single woman out there. Many women DO successfully conceive and have healthy babies in their late 30’s early 40’s.

Despite the fact that we cannot change our biological age, our actual egg numbers or genetics, we absolutely CAN influence and optimise the environment within our ovaries. The egg(s) you ovulate this month will have been growing, recruited and nourished inside a follicle - a fluid filled sac that contains cells to support egg growth and produce hormones. There is a 3 month window just before ovulation when this egg is being nourished and affected by all the nutrients and hormones in the body.  This means it can offer women the ideal opportunity to support oxygen and blood flow to the ovaries and these follicles to provide the best possible environment for any genetically normal eggs to grow optimally ensuring they have the best chance of successful ovulation, and go onto produce the highest quality embryo(s) either naturally or within a lab.

Ways you can optimise Egg Quality

The bottom line is there is lots you can do, and it’s no surprise that lifestyle and nutrition all play a big part -

• Diet- eat for optimal health - a nutritious ‘rainbow’ or Mediterranean style diet rich in antioxidant foods, including wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and fish is widely considered to be the optimal diet for ensuring fertility.

• Reduce exposure to toxins - eliminate plastics - these act as hormone disrupters by binding and mimicking hormones or blocking their actions in the body. Cooking in or heating up plastic packaging means these toxins are released into the food we eat, so opting to store and cook food in glass jars or dishes can be a the first step to prevent this. The same can be said for drinking water - glass bottles a better choice to plastic.

  Pesticides in foods (choose organic if possible), and non-stick cookware (stainless steel, cast iron, or ceramic are alternatives), have also been shown to negatively impact egg quality and fertility.

• Exercise -this reduces oxidative stress in all the cells in the body so influences and positively impacts egg quality too.  

• Stress - high stress increases cortisol production in the body and in turn affects hormone production within the ovaries and can result in irregular or absent ovulation. No ovulation = less chance of conception. Cortisol has been shown to also lower estrogen levels. Low estrogen can sometimes be associated with diminished ovarian reserve, therefore means fewer and potentially lower quality eggs.

• Sleep - promotes good hormonal balance, and helps with regulating insulin.  Insulin plays a big part when it comes to the PCOS picture, and lends itself to higher levels of inflammation in the body, again negatively affecting ovulation and and egg quality.

• Acupuncture - Research shows that acupuncture can not only support the body by calming the nervous system and reducing stress and anxiety, but it has also been successfully shown to increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, benefit hormone production and support healthy egg development and ovarian function.

If you would like more information or would like me to support you with your fertility journey please get in touch..