Prepare for Conception With a Multivitamin

When you begin trying to get pregnant you hear from many different sources that it is a good idea to begin using a prenatal multivitamin before you become pregnant. There are now studies backing this advice. Multivitamins serve as a type of “back up” plan to our diets. While eating a healthy fertility diet is of the utmost importance, it is always a good idea to include a whole food prenatal multivitamin in your program as well.

“A study from Harvard Medical school involving 18,000 women has shown that taking multi vitamins, particularly folic acid, can improve chances of pregnancy…”

That study followed nurses who have hoped to get pregnant for an eight year period. Women who took their multivitamin six times a week were 40% less likely to fail to ovulate than women who took none.

The Importance of Nutrients for Fertility & Pregnancy

Nutrition plays a big roll in having healthy fertility and experiencing a healthy pregnancy. Nutritional deficiencies have been linked to ovulation issues, hormonal imbalances, poor egg health, low sperm count and so much more. We are literally what we eat. Every cell in our bodies that makes up our organs, crates hormones and enzymes that make us function is created by the food we eat and the nutrients we take in. If this is being compromised due to a poor diet or poor digestion the side effects could affect fertility.
Did you know that there are specific nutrients like folic acid that are needed by the young fetus before you can even detect pregnancy, and a deficiency in this nutrient could cause serious birth defects? Another example is iron, iron deficiency and low levels of iron in the blood has been linked to lack of ovulation.
So nutrition does play a big roll in our health, fertility and in pregnancy. Taking a whole food multivitamin daily can help to fill the gaps where I diets may be falling short.

Do You Need to Take a Multivitamin?

Ask yourself these questions Do you skip one meal or more a day? Do you have a food allergy or intolerance? Do you have dark circles under your eyes? Are you under a lot of stress at home or at work on a regular basis? Do you eat a lot of processed foods? Do you eat at least 2 servings of fruits a day? Do you eat at least 3 servings of vegetables a day? Do you get sick often? During your menses do you have dark blood, cramps, or blood clots? Do you get enough sleep? Do you eat at least one dark leafy green a day?

Important Nutrients for Fertility

Vitamin D: Vitamin D is needed to help the body create sex hormones which in turn affects ovulation and hormonal balance. Yale University School of Medicine conducted a study of 67 infertile women, where it was discovered that a mere 7% had normal Vitamin D levels.
Vitamin E: Has been shown in studies to improve sperm health and motility in men. Studies have shown a diet deficient in Vitamin E to be a cause of infertility in rats. The meaning of the name for vitamin E ‘Tocopherol’ literally means to bear young. Vitamin E is also an important antioxidant to help protect sperm and egg DNA integrity.
Vitamin C: Vitamin C improves hormone levels and increases fertility in women with luteal phase defect, according to a study published in “Fertility and Sterility”. As for men, vitamin C has been shown to improve sperm quality and protect sperm from DNA damage; helping to reduce the change of miscarriage and chromosomal problems. Vitamin C also appears to keep sperm from clumping together, making them more motile.

“A study published in Fertility and Sterility, states that vitamin C improves hormone levels and increases fertility in women with luteal phase defect.”

B6: Vitamin B6 may be used as a hormone regulator. It also helps to regulate blood sugars, alleviates PMS, and may be useful in relieving symptoms of morning sickness. B6 has also been shown to help with Luteal Phase Defect.
B12: Vitamin B12 has been shown to improve sperm quality and production. It also may help to boost the endometrium lining in egg fertilization, decreasing the chances of miscarriage. Some studies have found that a deficiency of B12 may increase the chances of irregular ovulation, and in severe cases stop ovulation altogether.
Folic Acid: Perhaps one of the best known vitamins necessary for pregnancy is folic acid. This vitamin helps prevent neural tube defects as well as congenital heart defects, cleft lips, limb defects, and urinary tract anomalies in developing fetuses. Deficiency in folic acid may increase the risk of going into preterm delivery, infant low birth weight and fetal growth retardation. Deficiency may also increase the homocysteine level in the blood, which can lead to spontaneous abortion and pregnancy complications, such as placental abruption and pre-eclampsia.
Iron: Studies have shown that women who do not get sufficient amounts of iron may suffer anovulation (lack of ovulation) and possibly poor egg health, which can inhibit pregnancy at a rate 60% higher than those with sufficient iron stores in their blood.

“In a study women who were having ovulation problems, 40% became fertile after supplementing with iron.”

Selenium: An antioxidant that helps to protect the eggs and sperm from free radicals. Free radicals can cause chromosomal damage which is known to be a cause of miscarriages and birth defects. Selenium is also necessary for the creation of sperm. In studies men with low sperm counts have also been found to have low levels of selenium.
Zinc: In women, zinc works with more than 300 different enzymes in the body to keep things working well. Without it, your cells can not divide properly; your estrogen and progesterone levels can get out of balance and your reproductive system may not be fully functioning. Low levels of zinc have been directly linked to miscarriage in the early stages of a pregnancy, according to The Centers for Disease Control’s Assisted Reproductive Technology Report.

What to Look for in a Multivitamin

If you are going to take the time and spend the money on using a prenatal multivitamin, you should make sure you are getting the best you can. There is a big difference between quality of different multivitamins and the body’s ability to breakdown, assimilate and utilize the nutrients. The best type of prenatal multivitamin is one that is made from whole foods. This will be easier for your body to breakdown and use since it is closer to food than synthesized vitamins.
So forget about those cheap, low-cost bottles of multi vitamins you might find at the wholesale clubs, pharmacies or grocery stores and stick to a whole food prenatal multivitamin for the best results for yourself.
Also make sure that the multivitamin you choose contains the essential fertility nutrients mentioned above.