It Starts with the Egg: How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF

BPA used to be considered a “weak estrogen” because it binds to the traditional estrogen receptor about 10,000 times less strongly than estrogen does.11 However, we now know that estrogen works through a number of different receptors and pathways. And BPA in fact binds to some of these other receptors and has biological effects with the same potency as estrogen.12 As a result of those findings, BPA can no longer be called a “weak” endocrine disruptor. Hormonal systems are so finely tuned to regulate biological functions throughout the body that even a tiny dose of a chemical such as BPA can cause big problems.

In the same IVF study investigating the role of folate in women at a clinic in the Netherlands, researchers found that high levels of vitamin B12 are also associated with better embryo quality

Folate also appears to improve egg quality. Women who take folic acid supplements before IVF have also been found to have higher-quality eggs, and a higher proportion of mature eggs, than women not taking additional folate.15

The latest research clearly establishes that folate is important for every stage of fertility, from egg development to ovulation to fetal growth.9

Preventing birth defects is not the only reason to begin taking a prenatal multivitamin before pregnancy. Another benefit of starting early is that vitamins such as folic acid may help you conceive sooner and prevent miscarriage.

Yet another surprising factor that may impact your chance of conceiving and carrying to term is the health of your gums.

Further research has provided some initial evidence that correcting vitamin D deficiency can improve PCOS. For example, a study in Austria found that 50% of women with PCOS treated with vitamin D for 6 months had improved ovulation. Vitamin D supplements also decreased glucose levels and rebalanced hormones.14

It is not yet known how vitamin D is involved in fertility, but researchers suspect that one of the ways it may improve fertility is by making the uterine lining more receptive to pregnancy.5

That study found that in the group of women with the highest vitamin D levels, 47% became pregnant, while among women with low vitamin D levels, the pregnancy rate was only 20%

Of the Caucasian women in the group, the odds of pregnancy were four times higher for women with high vitamin D levels compared to those with a vitamin D deficiency.