Contributed by – Healthians Team
“Your advanced age is the problem, and there’s nothing that can be done about age-related decline in your egg quality.” You’ve probably heard this before. But do not let this statement be an intimidating factor for you.
Acknowledge this simple fact…
Despite what some may tell you, this is incomplete information! YES! You can definitely improve egg quality.
First things first…
Both egg count and egg quality impact your fertility – and both are important.
There’s one big ‘BUT’ to this…
But egg quantity does not equal egg quality. While quantity can be tested directly with hormonal blood work and ultrasound; quality cannot. Unlike egg quantity, no blood test or ultrasound can assess egg quality on an individual basis.
The truth is slightly different…
This distinction is important because egg quality is really the true driver of your fertility. Poor egg quality is strongly related to aneuploidy (chromosomal abnormalities in embryos). When an egg is of a poor quality, it is genetically abnormal – which simply means that it often won’t fertilise. If it does fertilise, it probably won’t implant. If it does implant, it has a very high likelihood of being miscarried. And if it does survive to term, it’s more likely that the baby will have some genetic disorder like Down Syndrome.
Unfortunately, there is far more misunderstanding about quality than quantity. The perception that egg quality is fixed and cannot be improved is completely false. Therefore, improving egg quality can — and should — be a key component of your preconception care.
What it means to you…
You CAN’T change your egg QUANTITY (the count) — this decreases naturally with age. Food and diet cannot help, but neither can anything else. If you want more eggs, you’ll need to invent a time machine to make you younger!
You CAN change your egg HEALTH (the power and energy the egg has) – this also decreases naturally with age — but you can make a difference by making simple tweaks to your lifestyle and diet.
Healthy Choices are the key…
There is quite a lot that you can do to improve the quality of your eggs — just by focusing on 4 areas: Dietary Supplements, Lifestyle, Stress, and Exercise.
Follow a healthy diet
Watch your diet and eat healthy foods to help your eggs stay healthy and achieve high quality. Take good amount of multi-vitamin supplements and take a healthy diet that is full of antioxidants, healthy fats (like omega-3s), lean protein, and vitamins.
A ‘rainbow’ diet, which includes a variety of colourful fruits and leafy vegetables, is one of the best ways to include a high amount of nutrition in your meals. Practice intermittent fasting and try to eat foods as close to their natural states as possible.
Make lifestyle modifications
Limit your intake of caffeine, sugar-sweetened beverages (especially sodas or energy drinks), as these play a villain’s role of creating ineffective hormones. Try eating a ‘clean’ diet — that means eliminating all processed foods and sugar.
Because smoking can have detrimental effects to the eggs as well as reproductive organs, it’s a good idea to quit smoking before you even consider pregnancy. Remember, when you stop smoking, you double the chances of getting pregnant each month.
Reduce stress levels
Avoid stress as it can cause a less-than-ideal environment for your eggs. Focus on your mind to stay calm so that it won’t damage your reproductive health further. Work on breathing and meditation techniques to keep stress at bay. 20 minutes per day or more is sufficient, if you can incorporate this into your daily life. Consider complimentary therapies like acupuncture and yoga to improve blood flow.
Exercise Regularly
Achieve a Normal BMI (body mass index) by sticking to regular exercise and sleeping schedules. Incorporate abdominal stretching exercises daily into your routine. A word of caution: Exercise, but in moderation, so that you don’t give yourself a bunch of nutritional deficiencies in your quest to lose weight. Your goal is not to be one of the Instagram fitness models.
Simple Things but Great Results…
So, forget about your advanced age. Forget about your low AMH levels. The only thing you have to do is focus on improving your ovarian health — that’s it! It makes sense. If your ovarian health improves, it automatically restores your reproductive health and impacts the fertility outcome positively. Remember, you only need 1 good egg!
So make it count.
Please note: the above mentioned are general recommendations only.
