We can't make new eggs.
Women are born with all of the eggs that we're ever going to have, and every month, we lose
some more.
But, before you give up all hope, research does show that our nutrition is linked to
our egg count, so even though we can't increase our egg count, we MAY be able to slow the
rate of reducing it.
Interested?
Stay tuned and I'll explain!
There's not a lot of research linking nutrition directly to our egg count.
Most of the research looks at indicators of our ovarian reserve such as the levels of
our AMH or Anti-Mullerian hormone.
But there are a few studies.....
The best research that I've found linking egg count to nutrition focuses on our zinc
to copper ratios.
And, this makes sense as zinc to copper ratios have also been associated with cell aging.
So, what does this mean in terms of our nutrition?
Firstly, ask your doctor to check your zinc to copper ratio with a blood test.
Then make sure that you're not getting excess copper from copper pipes or cooking pots.
Next, choose foods which contain more zinc than copper... oysters, brazil nuts and tofu
are all great choices.
Although far from proven, a link between vitamin D and egg count keeps popping up in the research
as well.
And, we know that this has lots of other health benefits, so if your egg count is low, I definitely
believe that it's worth checking your vitamin D levels, and ensuring that they are maintained
within a healthy range.
Thirdly, there is suggestion that antioxidants play an important role in maintaining healthy
follicles and egg count.
Antioxidants showing promising results include a-tocopherol, retinol and ascorbic acid.
Alpha-tocopherol or vitamin E is best found in nuts and seeds, and healthy oils; retinol
or vitamin A is best found in salmon and eggs....and ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is best found
in fruit and veg.
The last dietary factor to consider is your soy intake.
Some studies have shown that soy foods decrease Follicle-Stimulating Hormone, which is hopeful
as higher levels of FSH have been associated with lower egg count.
But, unfortunately, this hasn't been consistent across all studies, so it's far from a guaranteed
solution.
If you have a low egg count, the best thing to do is to optimise your egg health and try
to conceive sooner rather than later.
You may like to check out my videos on improving egg health.
Having a low egg count can be stressful, but just remember, you only need one egg to make
a baby.
You may also like to download my free fertility meal plan to help you optimise your fertility diet
Just go to www.melaniemcgrice.com/fertility and make sure you subscribe so that you receive
my weekly videos.
I look forward to seeing you in my next video!