{"id":68601,"date":"2019-08-23T09:43:09","date_gmt":"2019-08-23T15:43:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/getting-pregnant\/using-antioxidant-supplements-to-boost-fertility-copy\/"},"modified":"2022-06-17T14:36:46","modified_gmt":"2022-06-17T20:36:46","slug":"boost-your-fertility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/getting-pregnant\/infertility\/boost-your-fertility\/","title":{"rendered":"Boost Your Fertility with Supplements"},"content":{"rendered":"
Our modern world abounds with pregnancy-harming substances known as free radicals and other toxins. Our stress-filled lifestyle doesn\u2019t help matters any. Even your age might be working against you when it comes to free radical damage. Let’s take a look at how a few lifestyle changes and\u00a0 quality fertility supplements can help safeguard you from these modern-day threats, boost your fertility and increase your chances of becoming pregnant.<\/p>\n
Every day, your body comes into contact with fertility-harming substances called reactive oxygen species\u2014ROS for short. ROS are also called free radicals. It\u2019s normal for your body to make some free radicals. And in some cases free radicals are important for normal physiological processes. For example, free radicals are needed during ovulation.1 <\/sup>\u00a0But, excess free radicals lead to a condition called oxidative stress, which negatively impacts both female and male fertility. Enter the role of antioxidant supplements to help combat this oxidative stress and increase fertility.<\/p>\n Here are just some of the things that can cause your free radical levels to skyrocket:2-4<\/sup><\/p>\n When you come in contact with any one or all of these modern-day exposures listed above, it increases your risk of infertility.<\/p>\n Oxidative stress is to blame for many fertility problems as well as factors that lead to miscarriage. Recurrent pregnancy loss, spontaneous abortion, preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy), and fetal death are all linked to oxidative stress.5<\/sup> Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), a condition where the fetus is smaller than expected for the number of weeks of pregnancy, is also linked to too many ROS.5<\/sup> Oxidative stress can play a role in embryonic resorption, where the fetus is reabsorbed back into the body, leading to miscarriage.5<\/sup><\/p>\n Antioxidants help cancel out the effects of too many free radicals. By doing this, they can improve egg quality and make your cycles more regular. There are a lot of different antioxidants including well-known ones like vitamins C and E. Many botanical antioxidants also exist. Researchers have performed antioxidant studies and found antioxidants can improve fertility for both men and women by fighting free radicals.<\/p>\n When choosing natural antioxidant remedies for fertility, it\u2019s best to look for a supplement that has well-researched ingredients. Ideally, to cover all the bases, you should try to boost both male and female fertility with specially formulated supplements. It\u2019s also essential to choose antioxidant supplements that have been studied not to interfere with drugs used to stimulate and regulate hormones.<\/p>\n Many fertility doctors recommend that their patients take an antioxidant-rich prenatal supplement<\/a>. By the time a woman is in her mid- to late thirties, she\u2019ll have more abnormal eggs in her reserve than normal eggs. So, it\u2019s critical that that women take steps to protect egg quality. By blocking free radicals before they reach the eggs in a woman\u2019s ovarian reserve, antioxidants can protect the quality of eggs. For example, melatonin supplementation can improve egg maturation during IVF treatments.6 <\/sup>\u00a0Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is another antioxidant powerhouse that can increase egg quality. In a human trial, supplementation with CoQ10 led to higher fertilization rate and more high-quality embryos.7\u00a0<\/sup>CoQ10 also has increased the number of ovarian follicles and improved ovulation.8 <\/sup><\/p>\n Raising levels of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals through a good prenatal vitamin helps resolve issues that may play a role in irregular cycles and unpredictable ovulation. For example, myo-inositol increases the rate of ovulation.9<\/sup> N-acetyl cysteine increases ovulation and pregnancy rates.10 <\/sup>D-chiro-inositol is another fertility friendly nutrient, as it supports healthy insulin secretion, especially in women with polycystic ovary syndrome.11 <\/sup>When insulin levels are excessively high, it can cause problems that interfere with pregnancy. Studies also have shown D-chiro-inositol can support pregnancy-promoting levels of luteinizing hormone and LH\/follicle stimulating hormone.11<\/sup><\/p>\n It’s also important your prenatal antioxidant includes the active form of folate. That\u2019s because many potential mothers have a mutation that causes poor absorption of folic acid.12<\/sup> That means your unborn baby won\u2019t get enough folate, a nutrient necessary to prevent birth defects.12<\/sup> This mutation can lead to a reduced rate of live births after IVF.12<\/sup><\/p>\n For men hoping to increase fertility, the goal is to make sure sperm are healthy. Antioxidant supplements can help. Researchers studied 101 infertile men who had abnormal semen.13<\/sup> The men used an antioxidant supplement contains L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), vitamin E, lycopene, N-acetyl L-cysteine, vitamins A, D3, C, and K, B-complex vitamins, iodine, selenium, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, grape seed extract, benfotiamine, and L-arginine.<\/p>\n In addition to taking antioxidant supplements, you can take these steps to help to stop free radical damage from interfering with fertility:<\/p>\n References:<\/strong><\/p>\n Our modern world abounds with pregnancy-harming substances known as free radicals and other toxins. Our stress-filled lifestyle doesn\u2019t help matters any. Even your age might be working against you when it comes to free radical damage. Let’s take a look at how a few lifestyle changes and\u00a0 quality fertility supplements can help safeguard you from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":69115,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[56],"tags":[],"faq-categories":[8401],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFactors Contributing to Oxidative Stress<\/h3>\n
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Antioxidants Can Boost Fertility<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Antioxidant Prenatal Supplements for Female Fertility<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Male Fertility Antioxidant Supplements<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Ways To Reduce Free Radical Damage While You\u2019re Trying To Get Pregnant<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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By Chris D. Meletis, ND
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