I’m so eggs-cited and I just can’t hide it!

Let’s talk egg health. Egg health is a topic on a lot of women’s minds as they age, and for good reason. Did you know that a woman is born with all the egg cells, or ooycytes, she will ever have? And as she ages, this number begins to reduce, with only about 300-400 oocytes turning into eggs through the process of ovulation. Some women test AMH (Anti-Mulleriam Hormone) to check the numbers of oocytes they have available. This is the reason it is common to hear that a woman’s peak fertility age is in their 20’s and early 30’s.

Number of oocytes a woman has as she ages.

This can feel quite scary if you have low AMH levels, or are starting to try for a family when you are a bit older. However, the good news is that you only need one, healthy, and mature egg to create a baby! And we can improve the health of the egg with some nutrition and lifestyle changes.

It takes 90-100 days for the oocyte to mature into an egg ready for release, therefore, nutritional changes need to be implemented for at least 3 months to ensure the egg is nourished.

Fats

Research has shown that diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids can prolong reproductive function into advanced maternal age (Nehra et al. 2012), This may be due to the anti-inflammatory effect, although the exact mechanism is not known. However, the study demonstrated that a high intake of omega-3 fats over a longer time period was more beneficial than acute treatment. Other studies have also shown that an omega-3 rich diet may improve oocyte and embryo quality in artificial reproductive therapy (ART) (Abodi et al. 2022).

Omega-3 rich food sources: salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, oysters, chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds

It is also beneficial to reduce your intake of trans fats and saturated fats as these can increase oxidative stress.

Zinc

Zinc is an important nutrient in multiple areas of fertility and pregnancy including egg health and maturation, implantation and embryo/foetal development. This is due to number of processes involving zinc, with it thought that 10% of human proteins known or predicted to use zinc (Garner et al. 2021). One study found that mice with a zinc deficiency affected the total number of follicles as well as the number of mature follicles (Garner et al. 2021). Follicles are where the oocytes are stored before release of the egg. Studies have also shown that adequate zinc consumption is correlated with increased blastocyst formation following IVF, thought to be due to reduced DNA damage (Garner et al. 2021).

Zinc rich foods include: oysters, red meat, pumpkin seeds, oats, cheddar cheese, sardines, peanuts, milk, and eggs.

Antioxidants

Increasing your antioxidant intake can help with egg health as they work to counteract the adverse effects of oxidative stress that can occur when our bodies are exposed to different factors, including ageing, pollution, obesity, smoking, alcohol, and psychological stress.

To get a good range of antioxidants in your diet, be sure to include a range of plant foods in all different colours, including berries, green leafy vegetables, nuts, fruit, orange or red vegetables, and soy beans.

CoQ10

CoQ10, also known as ubiquinone, is a coenzyme and fat soluble substance that is involved in energy production and antioxidant activity. The amount of CoQ10 your body produces decreases as you age, but luckily you can also get it from your food. Whilst evidence is limited, it is thought that this natural decline in CoQ10 can negatively impact egg quality and quantity (Ben-Muir et al. 2015), with some studies suggesting increasing intake of foods rich in CoQ10, or supplementation, helps improve oocyte quality in IVF through the impact on the mitochondria, or energy making factory (Xu et al. 2018)

Food sources of CoQ10 include: salmon, tuna, liver, red meat, turkey, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, and some other legumes, nuts, and seeds. Be sure to talk to your health professional before starting supplementation, as it is not suitable for everyone.

References:

Nehra D, Le HD, Fallon EM, Carlson SJ, Woods D, White YA, et al. Prolonging the female reproductive lifespan and improving egg quality with dietary omega-3 fatty acids. Aging Cell. 2012;11(6):1046-54.

Abodi M, De Cosmi V, Parazzini F, Agostoni C. Omega-3 fatty acids dietary intake for oocyte quality in women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques: A systematic review. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 2022;275:97-105.

Xu Y, Nisenblat V, Lu C, Li R, Qiao J, Zhen X, Wang S. Pretreatment with coenzyme Q10 improves ovarian response and embryo quality in low-prognosis young women with decreased ovarian reserve: a randomised controlled trial. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 2018; 16(1):29.

Ben-Meir A, Burstein E, Borrego-Alvarez A, Chong J, Wong E, Yavorska T, et al.. Coenzyme Q10 Restores Oocyte Mitochondrial Function and Fertility During Reproductive Aging. Aging Cell. 2015; 14(5):887–95.

Garner T, Hester J, Carothers A, Diaz F. Role of zinc in female reproduction. Biology of Reproduction. 2021; 104(5): 976-994.