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Egg Quality Vs. Egg Quantity
As women age, fertility health often becomes a point of focus. When you hear that you’re born with 500,000 to 1 million eggs, but lose about 95% of them by the time you reach age 37 (leaving around 25,000), it’s hard not to feel a bit anxious—especially if you have family plans on the horizon.
The pressure of “beating the clock” can feel overwhelming. You might find yourself Googling your options, turning on the “Eggs” episode of New Girl, joining Facebook groups, or scrolling through Instagram reels in search of answers. The question on your mind: How can I preserve the eggs I have left?
It’s a bit of a mixed bag. While it’s true that we lose much of our ovarian reserve as we age, there’s also a lot we can do to preserve and even improve egg quality naturally—within 3 to 8 months before trying to conceive.
If you’re in your 30s (or even 40s), boosting fertility might be on your mind. With modern medical technologies, you may also be considering egg freezing (fertility preservation) or preparing for fertility treatments like IVF. Either way, ensuring you’re doing the best you can to support the process is key. After all, when it comes to conception or fertility treatments, what really matters is the quality of the egg being implanted.
So, let’s dive in!
The Science Behind Egg Quality
Egg quality can be influenced by many factors, ranging from age and inflammation to metabolic health and lifestyle. To bring some peace of mind, your menstrual cycle is a key indicator of egg quality. As we know, the menstrual cycle is considered the 5th vital sign. If your cycle length and symptoms are well-regulated, it’s a good sign that your egg quality is on track.
Egg cells contain more mitochondria—the energy powerhouses of the cell—than any other cell in the body, usually in the hundreds of thousands. This is because eggs have an important job—growing a human (no big deal, right?). The mitochondria play a crucial role in ensuring DNA is correctly transcribed, which ultimately impacts the viability of a pregnancy and the long-term health of the baby. So, when we talk about an egg quality diet, we’re focused on supporting this vital function.
Some Key Nutrients for Egg Quality
CoQ10
An antioxidant that protects the body from oxidative stress. It has been shown to protect body tissue from the natural aging process and improve mitochondrial function. While CoQ10 is often taken as a supplement (consult your healthcare provider before starting any supplementation), it can also be found in organ meats like heart and liver.
Vitamin A (Retinol)
Plays a crucial role in follicular development, egg cell quality, and ovarian hormone production. Many people don’t consume enough vitamin A in its most bioavailable form—retinol. Low levels can lead to cycles without ovulation.
Vitamin D
Another nutrient many of us tend to be deficient in, but it’s essential for ovarian function and follicle development.
Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Folate, Zinc, and Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)
Antioxidants that work together to prevent oxidative damage and support mitochondria. These nutrients can all be obtained through food, so aim to include a variety of colorful fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains in your diet.
Low Levels of Iodine
Has been associated with difficulty conceiving, so ensure adequate iodine intake through foods like seaweed, dairy, and eggs.
Best Foods for Boosting Egg Quality
Eggs
They’re packed with protein and healthy fats that help manage blood sugar, along with cholesterol that’s essential for hormone production and synthesis. Plus, eggs are rich in important micronutrients.
One standout nutrient is choline, which plays a crucial role in early fetal development—and eggs are one of the best sources. They also contain DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid that supports brain health and enhances choline absorption. In addition, eggs provide folate, B vitamins, antioxidants, iodine, and selenium—all key nutrients for egg quality and reproductive health.
For the highest nutrient content, opt for pasture-raised eggs, although all eggs offer excellent nutrition.
Liver and Organ Meats
Are often referred to as “nature’s multivitamin” due to their exceptional nutrient density. They provide choline, iron, copper, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin K2, vitamin D, vitamin E, folate, and a range of B vitamins.
Fatty Fish
They provide DHA and EPA, essential omega-3 fatty acids that the body cannot produce on its own and must be obtained through food. These healthy fats are linked to improved egg quality and may help delay ovarian aging, making them a vital part of a fertility-supportive diet.
Fruits & Vegetables
These should be the main players in all your meals. A colorful plate ensures a diverse range of nutrients while providing antioxidants, which are essential for maintaining egg quality and overall reproductive health. Eat the rainbow!
Now you can go make your grocery list!
Sample One-Day Meal Plan for Egg Quality
- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes, and whole-grain toast with a scoop of ricotta cheese.
- Snack: Sliced bell peppers with guacamole
- Lunch: Lentil soup and a side of mixed greens, veggies, avocado with olive oil-lemon juice dressing
- Snack: Greek yogurt with walnuts and dark chocolate
- Dinner: Grass-fed beef stir-fry with brown rice noodles, broccoli, snap peas, ginger, and turmeric
Lifestyle Habits that Complement the Egg Quality Diet
The egg quality diet is not just a food diet, it’s also a “lifestyle diet”. What we eat is only one piece of the puzzle. When it comes to fertility health, we take a holistic approach to ensure that lifestyle factors are supporting our diet.
Avoid or Limit
Processed and ultra-processed foods can have the opposite impact on egg quality. Foods such as high sugar sweets, foods high in refined carbohydrates like pizza, pasta, and breakfast cereal, and foods with low quality fats like fast food french fries and packaged donuts.
Additionally, it’s advised to avoid common endocrine disruptors like exposure to plastics and chemicals in home products. As well as cigarettes, high intake of alcohol, and excessive amounts of caffeine (over 200mg). These are substances that can impact our hormonal health, and in turn impact our egg quality.
Stress Management
Both physical and emotional stress on the body has an impact on our reproduction system including ovulation. Choose to manage your stress on the micro and macro level. When you are stressed on a day-to-day (micro) for example a nasty email from a co-worker engage in techniques such as breathing exercises or a short walk outdoors. When you experience stress, anxiety on the large scale this is when professional mental health counseling is recommended.
Sleep Hygiene
This is the time when the body needs to rest and recover. We need time to rest and recover – and it is best if we can stick to our natural circadian rhythm. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep, every night, with a regulated sleep schedule through all 7 days of the week, will aid our hormonal system in working efficiently.
Movement
When we physically move our bodies, we aid in movement inside our bodies. The health benefits of activity are too long to list here – so we will emphasize that regular movement is associated with improved estrogen metabolism. Beyond natural movement and light intensity exercise like walking or stretching, it is beneficial to include fitness at least 2 to 3 times per week. Focus fitness on strength training and resistance training, while also building endurance.
Key Takeaways
- Egg quality matters more than quantity when it comes to conception and fertility treatments.
- Egg quality is influenced by age, inflammation, metabolic health, and lifestyle.
- Essential Nutrients for Egg Quality include CoQ10, vitamin A, and Antioxidants.
- Some of the best foods for egg quality include liver, eggs, fatty fish, and fruits & vegetables.
- Avoid: Processed foods, high sugar, refined carbs, low-quality fats, plastics, excessive alcohol, and caffeine.
- Other lifestyle factors for egg quality include sleep, stress management, and movement
If you’re thinking, “Okay, but where do I even start?”—you’re in the right place! Head over to our Services page or hit the Explore The DWN Programs button below to get the support you need for nourishing meals throughout your fertility journey.
Disclaimer: The information in this post is for general educational purposes only and should not be considered personalized medical advice or a substitute for professional guidance. Always consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian before making any changes to your diet, lifestyle, or supplement routine.
