Let’s talk SUPPLEMENTS!
Whether you’re just starting the journey of growing your family, or you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while, you’ve more than likely fallen down the rabbit hole of thinking there are a million and one supplements you should be taking.
There are supplements to help with egg quality, reproductive health, increasing blood flow, healthy PH balance, reducing stress… and the list, (especially for women of ‘advanced maternal age’), goes on.
At one time during my fertility journey I was taking 20+ supplements a day! Yes, you read that correctly. I was constantly researching different vitamins for fertility health and adding more to my daily intake. So, long story short, the toxic build up from taking all of these supplements resulted in me having hives all over my body, and the worst part was that they wouldn’t go away.
I told my amazing Acupuncturist what was happening and she asked me to bring in every supplement I was taking so that she could review the ingredients in them for quality and help me cut back to just three supplements per day for two weeks to see if that would help. My hives cleared almost immediately. It was then that I learned the importance of checking labels before buying a supplement.
A lot of popular vitamin brands that claim to be 100% natural are actually packed with tons of synthetic nutrients that aren’t good for our liver. As a result, our body tends to show it’s distress through our skin with rashes, hives, welts, acne, hot spots, etc.
My body was essentially unable to filter all of the toxins I was taking in due to the amount of synthetics that were present in most of the vitamins I was taking.
What to Look For:
1. Look for the words “100 percent natural” on the label. Manufacturers can claim “natural” if at least 10 percent of the product comes from natural food sources. The Organic Consumers Organization recommends looking for products that contain “100 percent plant-based” or “100 percent animal-based” on the label.
2. Find the “food source” list on the label. If no natural food source is listed, then the product is most likely synthetic. Look for food sources such as yeast, fish, vegetable and citrus.
3. Identify whole foods in the ingredient list instead of the particular nutrient. Dr. Ben Kim, a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist, says to look for foods on the list of ingredients that contain a certain vitamin, such as “acerola cherry powder,” which contains vitamin C. If you can identify “vitamin C” in the ingredient list, Kim says you can almost guarantee that the vitamin is synthetic.
4. Look for salt forms on the label. Some salt forms to look for include acetate, bitartrate, chloride, gluconate, hydrochloride, nitrate and succinate.
5. Learn how to read the product’s label by looking for keywords that indicate the supplement is synthetic. Words that end in ”ide” or “ate” indicate the product contains salt forms, which are synthetics.
If you see chloride, hydrochloride, acetate or nitrate on the list of ingredients, the manufacturer is using synthetics.
If you see the letters “dl” that appear before the name of an ingredient it also indicates the supplement is synthetic.
The above info was taken from: https://www.foodmatters.com
Common Synthetic Vitamins to Avoid:
Vitamin A: Acetate & Palmitate
Vitamin B1: Thiamine Mononitrate, Thiamine Hydrochloride
Vitamin B2: Riboflavin
Pantothenic Acid: Calcium D-Pantothenate
Vitamin B6: Pyridoxine Hydrochloride
Vitamin B12: Cobalamin
PABA: Aminobenzoic Acid
Folic Acid: Pteroylglutamic Acid
Choline: Choline Chloride, Choline Bitartrate
Biotin: d-Biotin
Vitamin C: Ascorbic Acid
Vitamin D: Irradiated Ergosteral, Calciferol
Vitamin E: dl-alpha tocopherol, dl-alpha tocopherol acetate or succinate
(The above list taken from: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/synthetic-vs-natural-vitamins/)
So now that you’re an expert at identifying synthetics, lets identify which supplements are key for fertility health.
Supplements recommended by my acupuncturist:
Chlorophyll Complex, 780mg - 4 per day
Why take it? The nutrients in chlorophyll may help to promote hormone balance and healthy ovulation, making it easier for an egg to be fertilized. In addition, the antioxidants in chlorophyll can help to protect eggs and sperm from damage, making them more likely to survive the journey to the womb. Adding chlorophyll or wheat grass on a daily basis will decrease inflammation in your system, which may increase egg production and quality as well as promote good implantation.
Wheat Germ Oil, 385mg - 2 per day
Why take it? Whether preparing for natural conception or assisted reproduction, wheat germ oil is one of the best supplements to prepare and thicken the uterine lining. The vitamin E in wheat germ oil supports sex steroid production, and therefore, is good for both male and female fertility.
D3, 5000iu, 1 per day
Why take it? Studies have shown that vitamin D levels are associated with female fertility and healthy pregnancy outcomes. Taking vitamin D has been shown to improve female fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Studies have shown that vitamin D levels are correlated with sperm production and motility.
Prenatal, 2 per day
Why take it? Taking a daily prenatal helps prepare your womb for its future tiny resident. I had a good experience with Ritual. All Ritual products are vegan and free of gluten, sugar, GMOs, and other major allergens. None of Ritual’s supplements contain artificial sweeteners or synthetic flavors, fillers or colors. No, we are not in a paid partnership with Ritual lol. This is 100% my honest recommendation!
Taking prenatal vitamins before conception has been shown to reduce the chance of irregularities such as neural tube defects, heart defects, limb deformities, and cleft palate, according to research published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada.
Ubiquinol QH (CoQ10), 200mg - 3 per day
Why take it? This one in particular is crucial for all you future geriatric mamas! CoQ10 has been shown to improve egg quality, sperm quality, and pregnancy rates. Sperm and eggs both take about 90 days to develop. Fertility specialists recommend taking CoQ10 for 90+ days for best results. My acupuncturist recommended Jarrow Formulas QH. It’s an active antioxidant form of CoQ10 and overall a better product.
Additional supplements I discovered through my own research:
Resveratrol Complex, 1800mg - 1 per day
Why take it? Can support fertility by protecting eggs and sperm from oxidative stress. In addition, it reduces inflammation, protects the heart from the effects of aging and is insulin-sensitizing. Resveratrol is found in red grape skins, peanuts, berries and RED WINE. Pinot Noir and Malbec wines contain the highest amounts of Resveratrol. Another excuse to drink more wine? Yes please!
Omega 3 Fish Oil, 3000mg - 1 per day
Why take it? Omega 3’s have been found to aid in fertility by reducing inflammation, boosting ovulation and hormone production, and positively affecting the growth of oocytes, or immature eggs, in the ovaries.
Methyl Folate, 1000mcg - 1 per day
Why take it? Folate, also known as vitamin B9, is an essential vitamin that comes in different forms, including methyl folate, with important implications relating to pregnancy and pregnancy loss. Taking methyl folate has been shown to improve fertility outcomes, decrease miscarriage rates, and reduce the risk of birth defects (mainly neural tube defects). Taking a prenatal or multivitamin with methyl folate may be more beneficial than taking one with folic acid. Methyl folate is the most active form of folate in the body. It is well absorbed and can effectively raise folate levels better than folic acid.
Ashwagandha, 1300mg - 2 per day
Why take it? Consumption of Ashwagandha is considered very useful in increasing fertility and getting rid of the problem of infertility. The properties present in Ashwagandha are very beneficial in balancing hormones in the body and keeping the reproductive organs healthy. In addition, Ashwagandha contains chemicals that help calm the brain, reduce swelling, lower blood pressure, and alter the immune system. In other words? Its a natural remedy for stress! We all know the role stress plays on fertility, so adding this gal to your daily supplement lineup isn’t a bad idea!
Before we had medicine, we had food. Supplements alone can only take you so far. Preparing your body for pregnancy and reversing the effects of aging requires a full lifestyle overhaul and commitment. It doesn’t matter how strict of a supplement regimen you follow, if you’re eating Big Mac’s and tossing back a bottle of wine every night, you might as well be tossing your supplements in the trash. Fertility health includes diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight.
You got this mama!
