How can you improve egg health?

Older thinking was that women are born with all the eggs they’ll ever have and they decline in both quality and quantity as we age and there was nothing we can do about it.

We now know that whilst quality does decline gradually, the three months before the egg is ovulated, during the maturation phase is the most critical and is when we have the biggest opportunity to make a difference to the health of our eggs.

When it comes to supporting egg health, one of the best ways to do this is to support our mitochondria. These are the little energy factories inside our cells...

If you remember learning about cells in GCSE biology, you’ll remember the mitochondria are the little energy factories inside our cells. They are responsible for turning the food we eat into energy for cellular function.

The number of mitochondria varies from 200 to 2000 per cell; muscle, liver and brain cells have higher levels but egg cells have more than any cell in the body - up to 100,000!

As your egg cells mature (completing the process 12 weeks before ovulation), they go from a microscopic primordial follicle cell to a visible egg cell and the mitochondria multiply exponentially.

This is because the egg is actively preparing itself for the increased energy demands of successful fertilisation and the eventual rapid division of embryo development which is a HUGE demand.

As we age the number and efficiency of our mitochondria naturally decline due in part to the oxidative stress of aging, so this is one of the reasons it becomes harder to achieve pregnancy the older we get.

Some older eggs might have just enough mitochondria (and therefore energy) to allow for the initial stages of embryonic development.  However, if there isn’t a surplus of mitochondria, the embryo will run out of “steam” and have problems with development before implantation can be achieved.

The DNA integrity of the egg is also linked to oxidative stress and mitochondrial function.

HOWEVER - the good news is - there are lots of things you can do to improve and support mitochondrial function through - you guessed it! Diet and lifestyle!

Here are a few:

1. Optimise nutrient stores...

For our mitochondria to produce energy (also known as ATP) we need an abundance of specific nutrients that work like little cogs in the machine to turn energy from food into ATP which is the currency of our cells. Some of these nutrients include Zinc, Selenium, Copper, iron Co-Q10, NAC, B-vitamins, ALA, Magnesium, and more.

2. Weight training

Research shows that weight training & building muscle help support mitochondrial function - doing one strength-building session a week is a great way to support your mitochondria.

3. Antioxidants

We know that reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are free radicals produced by normal cellular function can damage mitochondria if left unchecked. As well as reducing toxins that can increase ROS, packing the diet with antioxidants helps protect our mitochondria from damage. Load up on things like berries, cacao, and leafy greens amongst others.

4. Reduce toxins

As well as reducing things like alcohol and cutting out smoking which are huge contributors to ROS (cell damage), also looking at our use of things like soft plastics and avoiding exposure to pollution (e.g. cycling on main roads) can also help to lower mitochondrial damage.

5. Sunlight & vitamin D

We know adequate levels of vitamin D are also important for mitochondrial health. In the winter months, we can't get vitamin D from the sun so supplementing is necessary. Speak to your healthcare provider about this.

If you are struggling with infertility, Book a call to discuss how working with me 121 can help to address this.