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Which vitamins do you need for fertility?
Written byNatalie Beastall
Reviewed byDr Anojan Arulananthan
Whatever your gender, certain vitamins are vital to fertility – but how do they help and which ones should you take?
Summary
1What are prenatal vitamins for fertility?
Prenatal vitamins are supplements you should take while trying to conceive and during your pregnancy to help your body stay healthy…
2Why do I need prenatal vitamins?
A lot of a baby’s key development can occur in the first month of pregnancy – specifically the brain and spinal cord…
3What supplements to take for fertility?
Vitamin D – it’s recommended to take a vitamin D supplement of 10ug a few months before conception all the way through pregnancy…
Long before you start planning the names and picking out nursery furniture, there are some things you can do to get your body ready for having a baby. A healthy lifestyle will help to prepare your body for pregnancy and improve fertility, so you'll want to be thinking about exercise and nutrition. This includes vitamins for fertility, some of which you can get through diet and others that you may need to take separately.
What are prenatal vitamins for fertility?
Prenatal vitamins are supplements you should take while trying to conceive and during your pregnancy to help your body stay healthy.1 Although a healthy balanced diet should provide you with many nutrients you need, additional supplements can help top up the vitamins you’re not getting from food. Indeed, the NHS recommends taking folic acid up to three months before you start trying to get pregnant.
Ideally, you should start taking prenatal vitamins before conception – this will help support your fertility and help with your baby’s growth in the womb.
Why do I need prenatal vitamins?
A lot of a baby’s key development can occur in the first month of pregnancy – specifically the brain and spinal cord.2 This can often mean that people aren’t aware they’re carrying a baby when these initial key stages are occurring. Observing a healthy fertility diet plan, including prenatal vitamins1, means your baby will get the nutrients it needs, even if you don’t know you’re pregnant yet.
What are the best supplements to take to help fertility?
Vitamin D
It’s recommended to take a vitamin D supplement of 10ug a few months before conception until you've had your baby to help support the pregnancy.3 A deficiency in vitamin D has also been linked to fertility issues4 and thought to impair sperm motility5, which is when the sperm isn’t able to swim efficiently enough to reach the egg.6
"The best way to improve your vitamin D levels is to get out in the sunshine, but we know this can be tricky here in the UK"
What are the best supplements to take to help fertility?
Studies show that a vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy can increase your chances of gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia and bacterial vaginosis.7 These issues can lead to a high-risk pregnancy and potential complications, including a lower birth weight7 and a lowered cognitive function.8
The best way to improve your vitamin D levels is to get out in the sunshine, but we know this can be tricky here in the UK so, consider taking vitamin D all year round. The sunshine vitamin may help increase sex drive,9 reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression,10 and improve energy levels11 – which will all help when you’re trying to conceive.
Folic acid
Folic acid early on can encourage healthy foetal development, and prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.1 It’s a common misconception that folic acid is only important if you’re pregnant – but a lot of people don’t realise it’s a really crucial pre-pregnancy supplement.
Those trying to get pregnant are advised to take at least 400ug of folic acid a day for the eight weeks prior to conception and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, to ensure there’s a good folic acid supply until the neural tube closes.1 If you have certain pre-existing conditions or a family history of neural tube defects, you should discuss this with your doctor as you may be prescribed a dose.
Zinc
Some small studies have shown that zinc12 could help promote healthy sperm, for lack of zinc can impact the sperm's ability to fertilise an egg. It’s recommended you take 5-45mg a day, depending on your current level of zinc. However, you should speak to your doctor beforehand to understand the right dosage for you personally.
Zinc may also help promote healthy eggs, improving the quality of the egg and their ability to be fertilised.13
Omega-3 fatty acid
Omega-3 fatty acid helps fertility14 in numerous ways including improving the quality of your uterus by increasing blood flow to your sexual organs. It also increases cervical mucus and promotes ovulation.14
"Speak to your GP before taking omega-3 or fish oil supplements as they may interact with medications..."
The body doesn’t produce omega-3 fatty acids, so it’s important to include it in your diet or as a supplement. Fish oil and flax oil are rich in omega-3, so if you’re trying for a baby it’s advisable for you to take at least 650mg of fatty acid a day until you’ve given birth, then you can stop.
Speak to your GP before taking omega-3 or fish oil supplements as they may interact with medications you take or medical conditions you have. Plus, taking with vitamin A can also be harmful.
Which vitamins support sperm production?
There are various vitamins you can take to help improve your sperm count, as we’ve discussed above (zinc and vitamin D), but let’s talk through some others that may help.
- Vitamin C – small studies have suggested taking 1,000mg a day may increase quality of sperm15
- Vitamin E – sperm production can be affected by oxidative stress16 (free radicals and antioxidants that can lead to cell damage), but vitamin E may help protect sperm from this.17 Try increasing the vitamin by including foods such as sunflower oil, corn flour, nuts, seeds, spinach, and broccoli18
The final say
Overall, you should be aiming to get your vitamins and nutrients from a balanced diet. But sometimes a helping hand is needed, especially when it comes to fertility (and when you’re busy ‘babymaking’...). For example, your body can only absorb a max of 80% of folic acid from food but can absorb a maximum 100% from supplements.19 So, have a look at what foods can support your fertility.
If you’re unsure if you’re deficient in any of the vitamins we’ve discussed, we suggest speaking to your GP or fertility expert to understand what’s right for you.
1. National Health Service. Vitamins, minerals and supplements in pregnancy [Internet]. nhs.uk. NHS; 2020. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/
2. NHS. You and your baby at 4 weeks pregnant [Internet]. nhs.uk. 2020. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/1-to-12/4-weeks/
3. Vitamins, minerals and supplements in pregnancy [Internet]. nhs.uk. 2020. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/vitamins-supplements-and-nutrition/#:~:text=You%20need%2010%20micrograms%20of
4. Irani M, Merhi Z. Role of vitamin D in ovarian physiology and its implication in reproduction: a systematic review. Fertility and Sterility [Internet]. 2014 Aug;102(2):460-468.e3. Available from: https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(14)00406-3/pdf
5. Arab A, Hadi A, Moosavian SP, Askari G, Nasirian M. The association between serum vitamin D, fertility and semen quality: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Surgery. 2019 Nov;71:101–9.
6. Cito G, Cocci A, Micelli E, Gabutti A, Russo GI, Coccia ME, et al. Vitamin D and Male Fertility: An Updated Review. The World Journal of Men’s Health [Internet]. 2020 Apr 1;38(2):164–77. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7076312/
7. Pouya B, Shahgheibi S, Farhadifar F. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on gestational diabetes in high-risk women: Results from a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Journal of Research in Medical Sciences. 2016;21(1):2.
8. Camprubi Robles M, Campoy C, Garcia Fernandez L, Lopez-Pedrosa JM, Rueda R, Martin MJ. Maternal Diabetes and Cognitive Performance in the Offspring: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Meyre D, editor. PLOS ONE. 2015 Nov 13;10(11):e0142583.
9. Krysiak R, Szwajkosz A, Marek B, Okopień B. The effect of vitamin D supplementation on sexual functioning and depressive symptoms in young women with low vitamin D status. Endokrynologia Polska. 2015 Oct 29;
10. Akpınar Ş, Karadağ MG. Is Vitamin D Important in Anxiety or Depression? What Is the Truth? Current Nutrition Reports [Internet]. 2022 Sep 13;11(4). Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9468237/
11. Sinha A, Hollingsworth K, Ball S, Cheetham T. Improving the vitamin D status of vitamin D deficient adults is associated with improved mitochondrial oxidative function in skeletal muscle. Endocrine Abstracts. 2013 Mar 1;1–1.
12. Zhao J, Dong X, Hu X, Long Z, Wang L, Liu Q, et al. Zinc levels in seminal plasma and their correlation with male infertility: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports. 2016 Mar;6(1).
13. Garner TB, Hester JM, Carothers A, Diaz FJ. Role of zinc in female reproduction. Biology of Reproduction. 2021 Feb 17;104(5).
14. Shivtia Trop-Steinberg, Gal M, Azar Y, Kilav-Levin R, Heifetz EM. Effect of omega-3 supplements or diets on fertility in women: A meta-analysis. Heliyon. 2024 Apr 1;e29324–4.
15. Ahmadi S, Bashiri R, Ghadiri-Anari A, Nadjarzadeh A. Antioxidant supplements and semen parameters: An evidence based review. International journal of reproductive biomedicine (Yazd, Iran) [Internet]. 2016;14(12):729–36. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5203687/
16. Pizzino G, Irrera N, Cucinotta M, Pallio G, Mannino F, Arcoraci V, et al. Oxidative Stress: Harms and Benefits for Human Health. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity [Internet]. 2017 Jul 27;2017(8416763):1–13. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551541/
17. Ghafarizadeh AA, Malmir M, Naderi Noreini S, Faraji T, Ebrahimi Z. The effect of vitamin E on sperm motility and viability in asthenoteratozoospermic men: In vitro study. Andrologia. 2020 Nov 24;
18. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin E [Internet]. Nih.gov. 2021. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/
19. Ohrvik VE, Witthoft CM. Human Folate Bioavailability. Nutrients. 2011 Apr 18;3(4):475–90.
Speak to your GP before taking omega-3 or fish oil supplements as they may interact with medications you take or medical conditions you have.
Some fish oils (like cod liver oil) are high in vitamin A, which can be harmful in large doses. You should not take omega-3 supplements containing vitamin A if you’re pregnant or planning to become pregnant.10,11
But don’t worry – you can still get pregnancy friendly omega-3 that doesn’t contain cod liver oil or other sources of vitamin A.11
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