The best vitamins and minerals for fertility

The best vitamins and minerals for fertility

Some vitamins and minerals are essential for our bodies to function properly. They are found naturally in the food that we eat, but they can also be taken as dietary supplements. A healthy diet is the best way to make sure that you get all the nutrients that you need, but it is recommended that women who are planning to get pregnant supplement their diet with certain dietary supplements. If you’re trying to get pregnant, you can reduce the risk of birth defects by supplementing your diet with certain nutrients, described below. Some of them could also help to improve fertility.

Iodine

Iodine is a mineral that is part of the thyroid hormones, thyroxine and triiodothyronine.

The purpose of these hormones is to regulate our metabolism and to maintain healthy connective tissue. Iodine deficiency among women can cause irregular menstrual cycles and suppress ovulation and, as a result, impact fertility.

Studies show that a moderate to high shortage of iodine correlates to a 46% reduction in the likelihood of falling pregnant. Another study shows that between 50% and 70% of woman have an iodine deficiency.

Vitamin D

Studies show that low levels of vitamin D can adversely affect fertility. Vitamin D has receptors in the various organs of the body that are relevant to fertility of the uterus and ovaries. A deficiency of vitamin D receptors causes difficulties with egg maturation and general infertility.

Vitamin D also plays a role in the production of hormones. Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to infertility by disrupting the estrogen system and by also lowering the AMH hormone associated with ovarian follicle growth. In addition, a low level of vitamin D contributes to the formation of endometriosis and the polycystic ovary syndrome.

In a study published in 2013 that examined the effect of adding vitamin D supplementation to women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), it was observed that there was a significant increase in endometrial thickness but not a significant increase in pregnancy rates.

According to a recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, it was discovered that vitamin D aids IVF treatments by improving the quality of the eggs, the health of the embryos, and the likelihood of embryonic implantation in the uterus. The researchers explain the link between vitamin D levels and success rates of IVF treatments in that vitamin D has a beneficial effect on the endometrium, which affects the chances of embryo implantation in the endometrium.

Another study shows that the rate of live births is greater in women with high vitamin D compared to women with a deficient or insufficient vitamin D condition.

Magnesium

 Magnesium is an essential mineral and is responsible for many enzyme systems in the body. It supports chemical reactions in the body, helps to detoxify whatever is impairing fertility through the liver and is responsible for converting the food we eat into cellular energy.

Human beings need magnesium in significantly large quantities. Magnesium can be found in the following foods: dairy products, bread and grains, legumes. Vegetables and meat are also all good sources of magnesium; however, processing all these foods can lead to a significant depletion of magnesium.

According to a study, taking the magnesium supplement during pregnancy should reduce the likelihood of multiple rounds of pregnancy.

Magnesium helps to balance the fertility hormones, progesterone and estrogen. Magnesium controls the FSH hormone (the hormone that stimulates the follicle) because estrogen is dependent on the state of magnesium and FSH is the hormone that stimulates the ovaries. Low magnesium levels could be an indication of a low level of progesterone, which could lead to a short luteal phase (the period between ovulation and onset of menstruation) and increase the likelihood of a miscarriage.

For someone who suffers a lot from premenstrual syndrome (PMS), it is highly recommended to take the magnesium supplement. The levels of magnesium fall just before menstruation starts, thus making sure that you have enough magnesium helps you to produce serotonin and to feel good.

Magnesium is also responsible for enzymatic functions in men; therefore, infertility in men is also associated with lower magnesium levels, so it’s important that men take this supplement too.

In addition, magnesium is a supplement that relieves stress. Magnesium deficiency causes the stress hormone, cortisol, to rise. Stress lowers magnesium levels in the body. When this happens, the body’s natural balance is destroyed and all other hormones can be affected by this. Maintaining optimal levels of magnesium is one way to prevent stress from overwhelming us and destroying the natural balance that is essential for a well-functioning, healthy reproductive system.

Calcium

 Calcium is an important mineral that is involved in many biological processes, and it is important that both men and women take it to prevent nutritional deficiencies in the body. Over time, calcium nutritional deficiencies can lead to bone loss and other diseases.

According to research, a calcium deficiency in men can cause infertility and a lower fertilization rate. This is because calcium takes part in the production of sperm. The level of calcium in men with infertility problems should therefore be monitored.

Zinc

 Low zinc levels could lead to a higher probability of miscarriage. The body needs zinc in order for the enzymes to work with estrogen and progesterone. Important for both men and women, zinc can improve all areas of reproduction.

Zinc can improve the quality, motility, and morphology of sperm, and improve male fertility as a whole.

Iron

A deficiency of iron affects pregnancy and its results. A survey done by the Ministry of Health in Israel found that 49% of women of child-bearing age (25–34) report that they have anemia from iron deficiency. In a follow-up of women of child-bearing age, it was found that among women who took an iron supplement (a single supplement or in a multi-vitamin) reduced by 40% the risk of fertility problems related to ovulation disorders compared to women who did not take iron.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 acts as a hormonal regulator and balances the estrogen and progesterone hormones. Reproduction is largely dependent on these two hormones.

Vitamin B6 increases the mucosa in the cervix. In order for the sperm to reach the egg, it is necessary to help it along. The mucosa in the cervix does exactly this and vitamin B6 helps to produce cervical mucosa.

It is well known that the luteal phase of the monthly cycle is fortified by vitamin B6. (This is the phase between ovulation and the day the bleeding starts. In this phase, the hormone that dominates the process is progesterone.) Vitamin B6 makes the uterus more susceptible to pregnancy factors. The existence of adequate quantities of vitamin B6 in the body helps to produce the hormones that strengthen the endometrium and increase the levels of progesterone and thus increase the chances of thickening.

Prenatal multivitamin

This multivitamin is intended to be taken by pregnant women and, of course, also contains folic acid (preferably natural, as we discuss here).

It’s advisable to take a multivitamin because when you nourish the egg in its maturation stages, you are actually nourishing the very foundations of the embryo, which can develop with all the vitamins and minerals it needs.

Selenium

 In studies, this mineral has been proven to be a powerful antioxidant. It’s important for protecting the egg and reducing the risk of disease and deformities, including cancer. In many countries, there is an insufficient amount of selenium in the diet, the reason being that if the land lacks a certain mineral, the food that grows on the land will also lack it. If the land lacks selenium, it’s recommended to take the selenium food supplement. There are many reports of a link between selenium deficiency and fertility deficiency among both men and women, miscarriages, preeclampsia, intrauterine growth restriction, preterm labour, gestational diabetes, and other diseases associated with pregnancy.

Selenium is essential also for the proper functioning of the thyroid and, subsequently, for the overall hormonal balance.

Myo-inositol

Myo-inositol is a type of sugar molecule that is naturally present in food, such as fruit, vegetables, grains, and nuts. It is considered a type of vitamin B (vitamin B8) but it is not an essential vitamin because the body can manufacture it from glucose. Myo-inositol has become a recommended supplement for fertility.

Studies have shown that Myo-inositol is beneficial for the healthy metabolism of sugar in the blood, which is essential for maintaining a hormonal balance and improving the quality of the eggs and the embryos among patients undergoing IVF treatments, and it even shortens the period in which hormonal treatment is necessary. By doing this, reduces the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome especially in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome and thus increases the pregnancy rate.

The combination of treatment with melatonin and Myo-inositol increases the positive effects described above. Patients have shown an improvement in the number of good quality eggs and embryos and a shortened period of hormonal injections during IVF treatment cycles.

L-arginine

L-arginine is an amino acid that helps to improve blood circulation.

The body uses L-arginine to synthesize nitric acid, an acid that relaxes and dilates blood vessels and thus increases blood flow to the reproductive organs. In women, this contributes to the proper maturation of the eggs and prepares the uterus for proper implantation by thickening the endometrium. Studies have proven the effectiveness of
L-arginine to thicken the endometrium because it dilates blood vessels and so facilitates blood flow to the uterus.