Overview | How to Improve Egg Quality After 40?
The quality of the eggs is perhaps the biggest determining factor when it comes to implantation and pregnancy and is also a huge concern for women over 40, natural conception, IVF, etc.
Some statistics indicate that women are born with anything between one and two million eggs; however, only between 300 and 500 can actually mature and be used throughout a woman’s childbearing years.
The capability to conceive as well as the quality of eggs also declines as one ages, as does the quality of eggs. Marred egg quality can also lead to chronic health issues in the body of the offspring.
It should be noted that a woman who seeks to conceive after 40 has low chances of getting pregnant; in case of getting pregnant, chances of having pregnancy loss are also high.
The main important factor in reduced pregnancy and increased pregnancy loss rates is egg quality.
Egg Quality and Age
The most likely indicator of egg quality is the percentage of a woman’s eggs being free of any genetic abnormalities. As a woman gets older, the number of genetically normal eggs one produces remains low. The ovaries also decrease in their ability to respond to a growing egg as the woman ages; therefore, the eggs in a 40-year-old woman may have genetic errors.
Read More: Pregnancy after 40. Benefits and Risks
Ways to Improve Egg Quality after 40
Though nothing can be done to prevent the regular loss of eggs as one age, there are several fertility supplements one can take and dietary and lifestyle changes that can be made to improve egg quality after 40 and ultimately improve one’s chances of pregnant
1. The Fertility Diet
Low-carbohydrate diet and high-fat diet are beneficial for the general fertility and the quality of the eggs. Fat is required for the creation of all cells in the body as the source of energy, as well as cellular growth, nutrient absorption, and hormone creation.
The eggs are also made of fat like everything else in the body, so the fat provides eggs with the energy & nutrition needed to develop properly.
2. Quality Sleep
Quality sleep is related to egg quality and fertility directly. Our bodies repair cells, rebuild energy and release hormones required for reproductive and other processes while we sleep, allowing the body to support the development of high-quality and healthy eggs.
3. Avoid Smoking
Nicotine impairs egg quality and quantity. Also, smoking increases egg loss in the ovaries and increases the number of abnormal eggs produced.
4. Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
Limiting caffeine consumption and restricting or completely excluding alcohol while you are trying to get pregnant helps to improve egg quality.
5. Manage Stress
Stress can cause many imbalances and issues throughout the body related to fertility and egg quality. Our bodies produce increased levels of cortisol and prolactin when we are stressed, and they can decrease ovulation, impeding egg production.
6. Light Exercise/Yoga
With exercises like walking, stretching, and yoga, stress levels drop, and blood flows to your reproductive organs, thus enhancing the immune system. Further, obesity can worsen the level of oxidative stress in cells throughout the body.
7. Supplements
The use of fertility supplements to improve the egg quality of women over 40 can prove beneficial.
Some supplements that have been shown to increase antioxidant levels and support a healthy ovarian environment to improve egg quality are:
- Fish Oil (Omega 3s): Omega 3s is a practical way to delay ovarian aging and can help to preserve fertility and encourage the production of higher-quality eggs, especially for women over 40.
- Co-Enzyme Q10 (Coq10): Co-enzyme q10 levels within the body decrease as we age. It is vital for women over the age of 40 to take CoQ10 supplements when they are trying to get pregnant. CoQ10 is the primary antioxidant that protects and supports mitochondria. The number of healthy mitochondria and levels of CoQ10 decline as women age. CoQ10 supplements can improve the energy in the egg cells.
- Vitamin A: Vitamin A plays a significant role in ensuring egg quality and is also blastogenetic, an essential portion of embryonic development. Other vitamins and nutrients that aid egg quality after 40 are:
- Vitamin E has strong antioxidant effects and can reduce oxidative stress and increase follicular blood supply, which is vital for the development of high-quality eggs.
- Zinc and certain B vitamins play a key role in DNA synthesis, important for the development of high-quality oocytes.
- Appropriate folate concentrations are very useful in encouraging oocyte health, growth, fertilization, and implantation.
- According to the research article done by Courmier, Koubove, Schertzinger, and Block for supplementing DHEA, low levels of androgens in the ovaries can be boomeranged to bring about poor ovarian reserve and poor quality of eggs.
- The knockout anti-oxidant glutathione opposes free radicals and the stress it brings in to the egg cells, enhancing the quality of the eggs and thereby the embryos.
Additional Note
Generally, women over the age of 40-41 years are instantly referred for donor eggs because their eggs are of poor quality.
Studies have shown that prepping the time of egg retrieval in women with poor ovarian reserve or premature ovarian failure can make it possible to extract better quality eggs and improve the success rates of IVF.
Otherwise, donor eggs are an optimal option for women over 40 who wish to get pregnant.
Dr. Shivani Bhutani, a renowned infertility specialist from Eva Hospital, places great emphasis on improving egg quality before opting for fertility treatments.
She has been treating patients with poor egg quality with adequate treatments for several years.
