How to Improve Egg Quality
How you can naturally improve egg quality as you plan for pregnancy
How to improve egg quality for a healthy pregnancy and beyond | photo used under license from Shutterstock
Introduction: The Meaning of a High Quality Egg
Few people know how unique and incredible the egg is which gives rise to a new life. Here are a few facts that may surprise you about the eggs in a woman’s body:
They carry the only mitochondrial DNA that will be passed down to her children and set the stage for their metabolic health
They have more mitochondria - cellular energy producers - than almost any cell in the human body
They directly regulate a woman’s menstrual hormones
Their full maturation cycle lasts 220 days, during which time they are sensitive to the nutrient and chemical levels in a woman’s body
They have the ability to repair DNA damage in sperm
Not to mention the obvious: a fertilized egg multiples and gives rise to a new life. A high quality egg is the best starting point for a healthy embryo, successful pregnancy, and a healthy baby. While women are often reminded that they have a finite number of eggs, they are rarely told that there are many dietary and lifestyle factors that can have a profound impact on egg quality. Here are some of the key ways you can take egg quality into your hands.
Balance Blood Sugar and Carbohydrate Levels
Given that eggs are so rich in mitochondria, a woman’s overall metabolic health is one of the most important factors in the quality of her eggs - and consequently her menstrual health and fertility.
As Lily Nichols and Lisa Hendrickson-Jack share in their book “Real Food for Fertility:”
“One large-scale study found that women with the highest intake of refined carbohydrates were at a 78% greater risk of ovulatory infertility compared to women with the lowest intakes…High refined carbohydrate intake has also been shown to negatively impact IVF outcomes, including fewer oocytes retried and lower live birth rates.”
The main reasons behind it are that high intake of refined carbohydrates and imbalanced blood sugar can often lead to elevated insulin and low-grade inflammation over time, both of which contribute to ovulatory dysfunction. Higher levels of dietary carbohydrates can also lead directly to mitochondrial dysfunction.
In a 2022 research article titled “The Bitter Side of Sugar Consumption: A Mitochondrial Perspective on Diabetes Development,” researchers shared that excess levels of dietary sugar impact mitochondrial function and enzymatic activity, paving the way for oxidative stress and cell death. They also shared that pregnant women on high-sugar diets can also alter their off-spring’s metabolism, predisposing them to metabolic dysfunction and ultimately type II diabetes.
Here are a few tips for balancing blood sugar and carbohydrate levels:
Start the day with a savory breakfast (e.g. scrambled eggs with mushroom and spinach) since your body is most sensitive to spikes in blood sugar at the start of the day
Eat food in the right order. According to writer Jessie Inchauspe:
“When you eat the items of a meal containing starch, fiber, sugar, protein, and fat in a specific order, you reduce your overall glucose spike by 73 percent, as well as your insulin spike by 48 percent. The order is: fiber first, protein and fat second, and starches and sugars last”
Aim for an even balance of macronutrients on your plate: ⅓ carbohydrates (or less), ⅓ protein, ⅓ fat
High Quality Fats and Proteins
In studies and reports on Indigenous populations across the world, couples preparing for pregnancy are often fed remarkably similar diets. Among the Inuit of Alaska and coastal tribes in Peru, women preparing to conceive are fed fish eggs while men are fed the sperm sacs of male salmon; among some Indigenous tribes in Fiji, childbearing women are fed a special type of crab; and among some Northern tribes far from coastal areas, organ meats are especially prized.
What all of these diets have in common is that they’re extremely rich in the set of micronutrients essential for egg health and overall fertility: choline, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, DHA, vitamin A (in the bioavailable form of retinol).
Especially important for optimal egg health are omega-3 fatty acids - DHA and EPA - which are associated with improved egg quality, embryonic development, and birth outcomes. According to Nichols and Hendrickson-Jack:
“Some studies have even suggested that higher levels of DHA and EPA may improve ovarian reserve parameters, with one study demonstrating a 30% decrease in FSH values following daily omega-3 supplementation for 2 full menstrual cycles.”
Given the prevalence of processed carbohydrates and the trend towards plant-based diets, many modern women are deficient in the micronutrients needed for optimal fertility and egg quality. The good news about adding high quality fat and protein to your diet is that they are not only rich in important micronutrients for egg quality - they also promote fullness, balanced energy, and are self-limiting and hard to over-indulge on.
Here are a few tips for incorporating more high quality fats and protein into your diet:
Aim to incorporate organ meats in your diet once per week. Though the taste is strong, they are both less expensive and more nutrient-dense than traditional cuts of meat. If you’re not a fan of the taste, try incorporating organ meats into a pâté or in small amounts into ground beef.
Try small, oily fish such as sardines and mackerel. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, low in toxins, and inexpensive.
Look for meat from grass-fed cattle, pasture-raised chicken, and wild-caught fish when possible
Exercise in Moderation
Given that metabolic health is one of the most critical factors supporting egg quality, it is no surprise that exercise can also play a supportive role. In that same way that exercise can supportive metabolic health and help improve insulin sensitivity, it can also support egg health - when it’s done in moderation.
As Nichols and Hendrickson-Jack sum up well:
“The overall message is that low to moderate exercise 1–3 times per week (including walking) is associated with positive effects on fertility, while heavy or vigorous activity 4 or more times per week over an extended period of time may reduce overall fertility and pregnancy rates.”
This is good news for women who are looking for simple ways to boost their metabolic health. Regular cardio and resistance training can be a positive support, while intense and extended exercise is not necessary and in some cases, counterproductive.
What to Avoid
In addition to factors that can enhance egg quality, there are a number that can diminish egg quality and health overall.
According to a study shared by Nichols and Hendrickson-Jack, heavy cigarette smokers consistently produce about 25% less progesterone and are more likely to have a reduction in their ovarian reserves. Marijuana smokers also seem to suffer from similar issues. In another study, women who reported recent marijuana use had a 25% lower rate of oocyte retrieval and 8% reduction in their fertilization rate during IVF. At moderate levels, alcohol has also been found to have a damaging effect on IVF success and live birth rates.
One additional factor that many women don’t consider is that hormonal contraceptives - including most common birth control pills - temporarily lower ovarian reserve and even ovarian volume. It can take 6 to 7 months for a woman’s ovarian reserve to fully normalize after coming off hormonal contraceptives - sometimes more, depending on how long she has been taking them.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a way to measure the impact of diet and lifestyle changes on your egg quality, look no further than your menstrual cycle. Your menstrual cycle is a direct measure of your hormonal and reproductive health overall and the following are useful indicators:
The length of your luteal phase: 11 to 17 days is normal and a shorter phase may lead to difficulty conceiving
Cycle length overall: A normal menstrual cycle is 28-35 days. If your cycles are irregular or skipped, you may have underlying reproductive issues
Perhaps the most important message for women overall is that whether or not you would like to start a family, the same actions that support egg quality support your overall health. Improving your metabolic health, eating nutrient-dense foods, and removing toxins from your life will help your body on every level.
