Being as healthy as possible in the months leading up to trying to conceive has been shown to boost your chances of falling pregnant and give your baby a better chance of good health. It is as equally important that both the male and female reproduction systems are functioning properly when trying to fall pregnant.

A fertility-friendly diet and cleaning up your lifestyle are top priority for those wanting to conceive. Fertility supplements can also help to fill the nutritional gaps and make sure there is abundant supply of the vital nutrients to facilitate conception and the creation of a healthy baby. This blog will cover everything you need to know about our top recommended male and female fertility supplements.

What are Fertility Supplements?

Fertility supplements contain specific nutrients designed to support the quality of eggs, sperm, or other aspects of reproductive health. Fertility supplements typically contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs, antioxidants, whole foods, biomolecules, and other nutrients.

When Should you Take Fertility Supplements?

It takes around 100 days for an ovarian follicle (egg) to fully mature and be released during ovulation. Similarly, it takes around 74 days for sperm to mature. This is why I recommend that preconception care starts three to four months prior to conception. This provides both men and women time to get their bodies, mind and hormones aligned to prepare for a healthy pregnancy.

Should men take fertility supplements?

The old saying “It takes two to tango” applies to making healthy, happy babies. Infertility affects around 15% of couples worldwide, with approximately 40-50% of cases are a result of male infertility. Preconception care for men can therefore be very beneficial. When combined with improved diet and physical activity, male fertility supplements can assist in meeting nutritional recommendations. The aim of male fertility supplements is to typically support reproductive hormones, improve sperm health and provide a healthy conception.

What causes male infertility?

There are many different causes of male infertility. Typically, a male’s fertility is dependent on the quantity and quality of his sperm. If the number of sperm is low, or if the sperm is of a poor quality, it will be difficult, and in some cases impossible, to get pregnant.

There is a variety of things that can damage male sperm. These include being overweight, smoking, older age, and exposure to harmful chemicals. Nutrition can also play an important role in sperm health, which is where fertility supplements come in.

Male Fertility Supplements

Herbs of Gold Ultra Zinc

Zinc is one of the most important supplements for the male reproductive system. It not only increases testosterone levels, but also improves sperm count and quality. When deficient in Zinc, sperm generation decreases and can increase sperm abnormalities. Men have a higher need for Zinc due to it being such an integral part of spermatogenesis. Therefore, correcting any deficiency is vital to improve conception.

Naturobest Preconception Multi for Men

This multivitamin, multimineral and antioxidant formula is designed to sperm health, sperm motility and testosterone levels to help maximise conception. It contains key nutrients to assist with sperm health including a high dose of B12, Vitamin C, Zinc, magnesium, and alpha lipoic acid.  For best results, men should begin taking for at least 3 months prior to conception.

Fusion Health Vitamin C Advanced

There is evidence that shows that Vitamin C may improve fertility. Taking Vitamin C may counteract the effects of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which may promote inflammation and can lead to infertility. This vitamin is also well known to improve sperm motility, quality and count and reduce deformed sperm cell occurrence.

Herbs of Gold Natural Vitamin E

Vitamin E helps to protect sperm cell membranes for damage, as it is a potent antioxidant and inhibits production of ROS. Supplementation also improves motility and function. Combined with Vitamin C and/or selenium, Vitamin E can improve sperm motility and impregnation. Vitamin E also contains alpha-lipoic acid which helps to protect sperm DNA integrity.

Herbs of Gold Bulgarian Tribulus Complex

Tribulus has been used as a traditional fertility herb for years, in both Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda. There is recent evidence that has shown Tribulus to play a positive role in male fertility. Taking Tribulus daily may result in significant improvements in sperm concentration and motility. It is believed Tribulus increases natural DHEA levels, helping to increase a male’s libido and improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction.

Female Fertility Supplements

Naturobest Preconception Multi for Women

The Naturobest preconception is a pre-pregnancy multivitamin, multimineral, and antioxidant designed to help enhance preconception health and prepare the body for pregnancy. Packed full of important nutrients in their active forms including B2, B6, B12 and folate. What separates it from the rest of the market, is that it is Australia’s first preconception multi with Quatrefolic®, which is a form of biologically active folate and also includes an optimal dose of hydroxocobalamin (natural vitamin B12). Not only does this multi help your body prepare for a healthy pregnancy. It also supports healthy thyroid function and enhances energy levels. It is best to begin taking this multi for at least 3 months prior to conception for best results.

MTHFR Group Folate B Drops

Folate has been extensively studied for reducing the risk of spinal cord defects in pregnancy and has shown to support a healthy placenta. Folate supplementation prior to conception has been associated with a greater chance for getting pregnant and improved success with fertility treatments. Always look for folate in its biologically active form 5-MTHF, not folic acid. Folic acid can be problematic for women with methylation issues.

MTHFR Group Prenatal Methyl

The MTHFR Group have created a MTHFR friendly prenatal vitamin. It is estimated that 40% of the population has an MTHFR gene mutation, which means they have limited ability to convert folic acid into the usable methylfolate form. This prenatal supplement provides a source of folate that doesn’t require enzymatic conversion before it can be used by the body. It also an ideal daily dose of 26 important nutrients for both the mother and baby including Vitamin B12, Iodine, Choline, CoQ10, Vitamin D, Calcium, Magnesium, and zinc.

Fusion Health CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10, often referred to as “CoQ10” has become a very popular fertility supplement in recent years due to its role in providing energy to our cells, particularly the female oocytes, or eggs. Healthy ovulation, the joining of an egg and sperm, the process of fertilisation and implantation are energy intense processes for the body. CoQ10 plays a central role in energy production by powering up the mitochondria within these cells. Whilst the human body can produce its own CoQ10, we produce less and less the older we get so CoQ10 can be particularly beneficial for couples trying to conceive that are 30 years of age+.