3 Nutrients Worth Testing for Fertility - By Dr. Meghan van Drimmelen, ND
Whether you just started to plan for a family, or you have been trying to conceive for some time, working with a licensed naturopathic doctor can help guide you towards better health, and by doing so may help to improve your fertility outcomes.
When you see a naturopathic doctor for preconception and fertility support, you will be offered a laboratory panel that looks at baseline hormone and nutrient levels. Reviewing these baseline numbers can help guide supplement recommendations, and get you started on the right path.
This blog article is going to review the top 3 nutrients I recommend testing to support your reproductive health.
1) Iron
Iron requirements during pregnancy increase dramatically as the mother’s blood volume expands and the baby is growing and developing. Iron helps transport oxygen to all areas of the mother’s body, and to the baby, so ensuring that you have optimal iron levels is key for supporting a healthy pregnancy (1). Iron may also play a role in improving fertility outcomes, as supplementing with iron, and consuming non heme iron through other sources reduce the risk of anovulatory infertility (2).
2) Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is involved in DNA methylation, which is required for normal embryonic gene expression. Synthesis, repair, and methylation of DNA are also crucial for gametogenesis, fertilization and pregnancy (3).
Deficiencies in vitamin B12 have been associated with neural tube defects along with deficiencies in folic acid (4). Hypomethylation of DNA due to vitamin B12 deficiency has been associated with a buildup of homocysteine which can lead to oxidative stress and poorer fertility outcomes (5).
In women undergoing assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF, higher serum vitamin B12 levels have been associated with higher quality embryos (6), and a higher probability of live birth rates (7).
3) Vitamin D
Vitamin D is involved in many processes that impact fertility success including the steroidogenesis of sex hormones (8), follicular development (9), and endometrial receptivity (10).
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with many reproductive pathologies including PCOS (11), endometriosis (12), and recurrent pregnancy loss (13) (14).
Replete vitamin D can improve menstrual regularity in women with PCOS (15), and has been shown to improve chemical pregnancy and live birth rates in women undergoing IVF (16) (17).
Wherever you are in your fertility journey, make sure to ask your naturopathic doctor about nutrient testing. This is a simple blood test, which can be done at a regular laboratory location (ie. Lifelabs). Customizing your nutritional supplements based on your baseline levels, is one step towards building a healthier body for reproductive success!
In health and happiness,
Dr. Meghan van Drimmelen, ND | Naturopath Victoria BC
References:
1) Iron Deficiency in Pregnancy
2) Iron intake and risk of ovulatory infertility
3) Association between serum folate and vitamin B-12 and outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies
4) Should vitamin B12 status be considered in assessing risk of neural tube defects?
5) Association between serum folate and vitamin B-12 and outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies
7) Association between serum folate and vitamin B-12 and outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies
8) Mechanism in Endocrinology: Vitamin D and Fertility: A Systematic Review
9) Role of vitamin D in ovarian physiology and its implication in reproduction: a systematic review
10) Mechanism in Endocrinology: Vitamin D and Fertility: A Systematic Review
11) Serum Vitamin D Levels and Polycystic Ovary syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
14) Recurrent pregnancy loss and vitamin D: A review of the literature
16) Vitamin D and assisted reproductive treatment outcome: a systematic review and meta-analysis