Discussions about fertility can be very personal and complex. Those coping with infertility may find some of the topics discussed in this article difficult. Please be gentle to yourself.

With fertility becoming more openly discussed (at last!), you may have heard the term “egg quality” in conversation or in the media lately. Unless you’ve been through a pregnancy or fertility treatment before, or you’re a health professional, the whole idea might seem pretty opaque. But here’s the thing: Egg quality is crucial to conception and healthy pregnancy, so having the right information about it can be a huge boost on your journey.

“Egg quality is crucial to conception and healthy pregnancy, so having the right information about it can be a huge boost on your journey.”

The good news is that even simple, small tweaks can help promote egg quality, and keeping a generally healthy lifestyle directly correlates with better outcomes as well. Below, we go into detail about everything you need to know before (and even after) you conceive, and what you can do now to foster your egg quality.

What is egg quality, in simple terms?

Egg quality is central to healthy conception and pregnancy, and thankfully, it’s not too difficult to explain. 

“Good egg quality means that the eggs are healthy and capable of being fertilized and developing into a healthy embryo.”

– Jenna M. Turocy, MD

“Egg quality refers to the health of a woman’s eggs, which can affect her fertility,” says Jenna M. Turocy, MD, an OB/GYN specializing in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the Columbia University Fertility Center. 

“Good egg quality means that the eggs are healthy and capable of being fertilized and developing into a healthy embryo. Poor egg quality means the eggs may have chromosomal abnormalities, making it harder to conceive and increasing the risk of a pregnancy loss.”

Why is egg quality so important for conception?

When you conceive, one (or more) of your eggs is fertilized and eventually becomes an embryo, so it’s quite straightforward why the health — or quality — of our eggs matters so much. Still, it’s valuable to hear exactly why that is from experts. 

“The health of the egg cell directly impacts fertilization, early embryo development, and a healthy pregnancy,” explains Kalea Wattles, ND, a naturopathic doctor, certified functional medicine practitioner, and founder of Functional Fertility, speaking on behalf of Needed. “Our egg cells carry the genetic material that is needed to create a baby, and higher quality eggs are associated with more efficient cellular energy production, fewer chromosomal abnormalities, and a greater chance of bringing home a healthy baby.”

“Higher quality eggs are associated with more efficient cellular energy production, fewer chromosomal abnormalities, and a greater chance of bringing home a healthy baby.”

– Dr. Kalea Wattles, Founder of Functional Fertility

It’s especially important to protect our egg quality because it unfortunately doesn’t stay the same throughout our lives. “Egg quality decreases with age and is the top factor making it harder to conceive as we get older,” says Natalie Crawford, MD, a fertility doctor in Austin, Texas, and host of the “As a Woman” podcast. “You are born with all the eggs you will have, and you run out of them over time. The longer the eggs stay inside your body, the more cellular damage they will accumulate, ultimately resulting in a reduction in egg quality.”

How much can lifestyle choices help with egg quality?

We know it can feel really overwhelming to know that egg quality decreases over time, but it’s helpful to focus on what we can control — and that’s a lot of things!

“A fertility-friendly lifestyle can have a significant impact on the health of our egg cells,” says Dr. Wattles. “The modifiable lifestyle factors, including nutrition, sleep, stress, exercise, and relationships, are at the foundation of every fertility treatment plan I generate.”

“It can feel really overwhelming to know that egg quality decreases over time, but it’s helpful to focus on what we can control — and that’s a lot of things!”

Aging is an undeniable fact of life, but Dr. Crawford reminds us that that’s not the only thing that matters when it comes to egg quality. “I always like to say that all of our cells age together — we get wrinkles and back pain and our eggs get older too,” the expert says. “The same factors that keep you healthy also can help improve your egg quality. Similarly, the factors that cause inflammation are toxic and lead to an increased rate of cellular damage inside our eggs.” In the same way you may work to preserve and improve your overall health, protecting egg quality is heavily influenced by “diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, and limiting toxins,” says Dr. Crawford.

What lifestyle changes help support egg quality?

If your goal is to support your egg quality, it’s important to focus on all the following areas:

Diet and nutrition

Many of the nutrition choices that support egg quality also support overall health, so they will likely sound familiar to you. Here are some healthy dietary habits recommended by, Drs. Turocy, Crawford and Wattles, as well as Mana Baskovic, DO, an OB/GYN in Southern California, and the chief medical officer at Lushi:

  • Eat a balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.
  • Aim for 75-100 grams of protein per day from high-quality sources like eggs, whole-fat dairy, and legumes, which supports hormonal balance as well as egg quality.
  • Incorporate antioxidant-rich foods into your meals where possible, e.g. blueberries, spinach, and walnuts, which may help protect eggs from oxidative stress.
  • Drink 60-100 ounces of water per day, optionally adding in low-sugar electrolytes, to support cellular health.
  • Limit alcohol and caffeine consumption, as both can disrupt hormonal balance.
  • Avoid certain foods including processed foods, added sugars, and excess red meat, to help reduce inflammation.
  • Avoid smoking.

“Additionally, supplementation can provide key nutrients that may be difficult to obtain from diet alone,” says Dr. Baskovic. “I advise using clean, third-party tested brands like Needed, Perelel, and Wenatal to ensure comprehensive and effective nutrient support.” Eating a whole food-rich, balanced diet is the most important thing, but you may also find benefits from integrating some of the following supplements into your daily routine. Just note that it’s always best to consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional beforehand.

  • CoQ10: “Supplementation with CoQ10 can improve mitochondrial activity within an egg cell and a developing embryo,” says Dr. Wattles. “This is so valuable because the success of a maturing embryo is largely dependent upon its ability to generate cellular energy.”
  • Vitamin D may also support egg quality, and “has also been associated with higher success with fertility treatment,” says Dr. Turocy.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids: “In animal studies, a diet rich in omega 3 fatty acids can improve the health of egg cells, reducing the typical age-related decline in egg quality,” says Dr. Wattles. “Whether omega 3s are obtained through food sources like cold-water fish, or a high-quality fish oil supplement, this is likely a meaningful intervention especially for women who are over 35 years of age.”
  • Glutathione: “Glutathione is one of the most important antioxidants in the follicular fluid (the fluid that egg cells are swimming in within the ovary) and within egg cells themselves,” says Dr. Wattles. “Research is clear that glutathione is important for protecting eggs cells during their maturation process (folliculogenesis), and egg quality depends upon adequate glutathione availability.”
  • Melatonin: Melatonin’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory make it useful for helping to potentially improve fertility. “It is a strong scavenger of free radicals, protecting egg cells from cellular damage,” says Dr. Wattles. “In the IVF setting, higher melatonin levels have also been associated with a higher number of eggs collected, higher fertilization rates, and higher quality embryos.”
  • NAD+: “Treatment with NAD+ or its metabolic precursor nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) appears to rejuvenate egg quality in animal studies, leading to lower rates of aneuploid (genetically abnormal) embryos,” says Dr. Wattles.

Movement

In fertility, as in life, movement comes with a whole host of benefits. “Regular, moderate exercise can improve overall health and egg quality,” says Dr. Crawford. “However, excessive high-intensity exercise can be associated with inflammation and should be limited.”

The experts recommend prioritizing weight training and activities like walking, swimming, or yoga, and discourage heavy exercise such as marathon training. If you don’t know where to start, Dr. Baskovic likes home workout programs like Melissa Wood Health, The Sculpt Society, and Peloton for structured exercise guidance.

General lifestyle

In terms of lifestyle factors that have the most important impact on egg quality, it’s really all about a) sleep and b) stress management.

It’s important to get at least seven hours of quality sleep each night to allow your cells to repair, decrease inflammation, regulate your hormones, and help support egg quality. “Sleeping less than seven hours per night has been associated with poorer egg cell development in the IVF setting, when compared to women who consistently slept 7-8 hours per night,” says Dr. Wattles. “These habits were even more important for women over the age of 30.”

“It’s important to get at least seven hours of quality sleep each night to allow your cells to repair, decrease inflammation, regulate your hormones, and help support egg quality.”

To promote better sleep, Dr. Crawford suggests implementing a regular sleep schedule, avoiding stimulants (AKA caffeine and alcohol) and screens close to bedtime, and ensuring your bedroom is dark, quiet, and comfortable.

Stress is bad news for our health generally, and the same goes for egg quality. “Chronic stress impacts fertility by affecting both physical and mental health — influencing hormone production, increasing inflammation, and generating oxidative stress,” says Dr. Wattles. “Increases in cortisol, the infamous stress hormone, can contribute to changes in the way ovarian follicles function, which can result in worsening egg quality.”

When you’re trying to conceive (and, well, when you’re not), try to prioritize your emotional wellbeing and limit stress where you can. To do so, Dr. Crawford and Dr. Baskovic recommend finding some stress-reducing habits that work for you, such as meditation and mindfulness, yoga, acupuncture, walks, exercise, journaling, and therapy.

Thoughtful consumption

To protect your hormone health and support egg quality, think about reducing your exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which are found in a whole range of products we use and are exposed to every day. Below are some suggestions from the experts about how to limit endocrine disruptors in your daily life:

  • Buy local, organic, pasture-raised, or wild-caught foods when you can.
  • Eat fewer processed foods, fast food, canned, or prepackaged food.
  • Wash your fruits and vegetables in a grape seed extract water bath.
  • Replace Teflon and non-stick cookware with stainless steel or cast iron.
  • Avoid heating plastics in the microwave or placing them in the dishwasher.
  • Replace plastic food and drink containers with glass or metal.
  • Drink filtered water where possible.
  • Avoid beauty and personal care items containing parabens, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance.
  • Look for fragrance-free laundry detergent, hand soap, and body wash.
  • Switch to nontoxic cleaning products.
  • Prioritize clothing, undergarments, and bedding made from organic cotton, linen, or bamboo.

Proactive healthcare

Though egg quality is directly impacted by our daily habits, fertility is obviously a medical issue, especially if you are experiencing difficulties with conceiving. “It’s important if you are experiencing a fertility issue, to see a fertility doctor,” says Dr. Turocy. “Regular check-ups with your healthcare provider can help address any underlying health issues, like thyroid imbalances or PCOS, which can affect egg quality.”

Being knowledgeable about fertility and egg quality can also be a great advantage. “Learn about your body,” recommends Dr. Crawford. “Make sure you pay attention to all the lifestyle factors that impact your egg quality over time. Even before you want to conceive, a healthy lifestyle can help protect your fertility.” ✨

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Iris Goldsztajn (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor based in London, UK. Her work has been featured in British Vogue, Marie Claire, Refinery29, SELF, Bustle and many more. Iris can typically be found on her way to a fitness class or with her nose in a good book.