At some point during IVF, supplements seem to enter the picture. They certainly did for us.
As our IVF journeys went on, we both found ourselves adding more and more bottles to the cupboard. Things we’d read about in studies, heard about in fertility groups or been recommended by someone who swore it had made the difference.
And when you’re going through IVF, it’s easy to understand why. Supplements are accessible. They’re something you can actually do. And when a cycle hasn’t gone the way you hoped, it’s natural to wonder whether there’s something you could change next time. We were always looking for that elusive golden tweak too.
Towards the end of our journeys, we began to realise that more isn’t necessarily better. The more useful question became:
Which supplements have real evidence behind them – and which might make sense for your particular IVF situation?
That’s what we’d like to explore in this post.
Think Ahead - The Months Before Egg Retrieval
One thing that’s easy to miss when you first start researching supplements is timing.
If you’re considering supplements for egg quality, it can be worth thinking about them a few months before your planned egg retrieval rather than waiting until stimulation starts. Follicle development takes place over several months, which is one reason the roughly three-month period before retrieval is often talked about as a useful preparation window.
That doesn’t mean every supplement needs to be taken for three months. Studies use different timings, and what – and when – to take will depend on the supplement and your situation.
Our Experience
It’s hard to remember exactly when we both started taking supplements. Probably somewhere around a year into IVF.
What we can tell you is that, between us, we eventually worked our way through nearly everything in this article – and quite a few things that aren’t in it.
Early on, neither of us had made huge lifestyle changes. We already ate pretty well, cut back on alcohol and, like so many people starting IVF, thought:
Normal people get pregnant all the time. Surely our time would come too.
But after a few failed cycles with little or nothing to transfer, the search for anything that might support egg quality began to feel increasingly urgent. And that’s when the supplement rabbit hole really began. Between us, we’d research something online, order it – sometimes before we’d even finished reading about it – then discover a frightening possible side effect, get cold feet and become scared to actually take it.
At one point, opened, half-used and unopened bottles were all stacking up in our kitchen cupboards. All while we were messaging each other, debating whether taking something or not taking it was the better decision.
Looking back, those cupboards probably said a lot about where we both were emotionally. We were desperate for something to make a difference, and heartbroken by everything we’d already been through.
Seeing a nutritionist helped. She introduced more targeted options and, perhaps more importantly, helped us ask better questions. Gradually, our approaches changed. We stopped trying to take everything and started trying to understand what actually made sense for our individual situations.
It wasn’t about doing more. It was about feeling informed, intentional and a little less lost.
Three Supplement Mistakes We’ve Made (So You Don’t Have To)
1. Taking too many things at once
When you’re desperate for a cycle to work, it’s incredibly tempting.
But taking everything makes it harder to know what you actually need — or what might be causing side effects.
Instead: start with your individual situation and ask what you’re actually trying to address.
2. Looking for the answer in a bottle
We’ve both done this.
Supplements feel tangible. Sleep, food, movement and looking after yourself somehow feel less exciting or promising.
But supplements are just one small piece of a much bigger picture.
Instead: make the changes that feel realistic. You don’t have to overhaul your entire life.
3. Supplementing without checking whether you need it
It took us a while to realise that sometimes a blood test tells you more than another evening spent Googling.
Instead: test where appropriate and use the results to help guide the conversation.
The Foundations
Before getting into the more targeted supplements, these are some of the basics we kept coming across.
Prenatal Multivitamin
A quality prenatal is a sensible starting point for most people trying to conceive, providing foundational nutrients such as folate alongside other vitamins and minerals.
But even here, more isn’t automatically better. Check what’s already in your prenatal before adding individual nutrients on top.
As always, check the full ingredient list against anything else you’re taking to avoid doubling up.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a little different because, rather than automatically supplementing more, the sensible first step is often finding out what your level actually is.
Vitamin D plays an important role in general and reproductive health, but when researchers look specifically at IVF outcomes, the results are mixed.
Ask your doctor whether checking your 25-hydroxyvitamin D level makes sense and, if you’re deficient, how much you actually need.
Our takeaway: correcting a deficiency makes sense from a fertility and overall health perspective. Taking increasingly large doses in the hope of improving IVF success doesn’t have strong evidence behind it.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s — particularly EPA and DHA — are among the most researched dietary fats and have been investigated in relation to fertility, inflammation and embryo development.
Some studies have found associations between higher omega-3 intake and better fertility outcomes, including fertilisation and pregnancy, but studies vary considerably.
So we’d describe the evidence as encouraging, rather than conclusive.
If you do supplement, look for a reputable purified fish-oil or algae-based product containing EPA and DHA.
Supplements Being Studied Around Egg Retrieval
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
CoQ10 was one of the first supplements we both tried, and it’s probably one of the names you’ll come across most often when researching egg quality.
CoQ10 is involved in cellular energy production, which has made it particularly interesting to researchers looking at ovarian ageing and diminished ovarian reserve.
Some studies have found improvements in ovarian response, fertilisation and measures of egg or embryo quality. What we don’t yet know is whether this ultimately translates into more live births.
Research may be particularly relevant if: you have diminished ovarian reserve or are looking at age-related ovarian factors.
The research has mainly looked at: ovarian response, fertilisation and egg/embryo quality.
Doses used in research: vary. One commonly cited IVF trial used 600 mg per day for 60 days before treatment.
You’ll also often see ubiquinol mentioned. It’s a form of CoQ10 commonly used in supplements.
Myo-Inositol
You’ve probably heard of myo-inositol if you have PCOS.
It has been widely studied for insulin sensitivity and metabolic health, and researchers have also explored whether it might affect ovulation and fertility.
Some individual IVF studies have been encouraging. One study using a supplement programme that included myo-inositol, melatonin, vitamin D and folic acid reported a clinical pregnancy rate of 42% compared with 24% in the control group.
That sounds impressive, but because several supplements were used together, we can’t say myo-inositol itself caused the difference.
More broadly, the fertility evidence for inositol remains limited and uncertain.
Research may be particularly relevant if: you have PCOS or insulin resistance.
The research has looked at: metabolic health, ovulation and some IVF outcomes.
Doses used in research: vary between studies, so there isn’t one established IVF dose.
Melatonin
Yes, the sleep one.
Melatonin is best known for regulating our sleep-wake cycle, but it also acts as an antioxidant and is naturally present in ovarian follicular fluid.
Some research has reported improvements in mature eggs, fertilisation and good-quality embryos, but there isn’t strong evidence yet that melatonin improves live birth.
Research may be relevant if: egg maturity or egg quality has been an issue in previous cycles.
The research has looked at: egg maturation, fertilisation, oxidative stress and embryo quality.
Doses used in research: vary. Around 3 mg per day is common in some IVF studies, but there is no universally agreed fertility dose.
Because melatonin is biologically active and can cause side effects or interact with medications, this is one to discuss rather than automatically adding it to your bedtime routine.
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC)
NAC is another antioxidant that has attracted interest in fertility research.
It has been studied in PCOS and in women of advanced reproductive age undergoing IVF/ICSI.
One prospective study in women of advanced reproductive age reported encouraging findings around ovarian response and measures of egg and blastocyst quality, but larger clinical trials are still needed.
Research may be relevant if: you’re older, have PCOS or insulin resistance.
The research has looked at: oxidative stress, ovarian response, hormonal factors and embryo development.
Dose used in one IVF study: 600 mg three times daily for around 45 days.
DHEA
DHEA deserves a bigger warning label than most supplements on this list. It was one we both approached with caution.
DHEA is a hormone precursor and has been studied for years in women with diminished ovarian reserve and poor ovarian response.
The research is conflicting. Earlier observational studies looked promising, but newer analyses focusing on randomised trials haven’t shown a clear improvement in live birth.
That makes DHEA very different from simply adding another vitamin.
Research may be relevant if: you have diminished ovarian reserve or repeated poor ovarian response.
The research has looked at: ovarian response, retrieved eggs, pregnancy and live birth.
Dose commonly used in studies: 75 mg per day, often as 25 mg three times daily.
If you’re considering DHEA, discuss it with your fertility doctor first. They may want to check androgen levels such as testosterone and DHEAS before deciding whether it makes sense for you.
What About Everything Else?
Once you start digging into IVF supplements, the list gets very long, very quickly.
Some of the other names we repeatedly came across included alpha-lipoic acid, probiotics, selenium, iron, magnesium, choline, L-cysteine, resveratrol, turmeric/curcumin and milk thistle.
And that’s before you get into all the fertility blends.
Some have interesting early research behind them. Others may be useful when you have an actual deficiency or another medical reason for taking them.
But interesting research isn’t the same as a reason to add another pill.
Resveratrol is a good example of why caution matters. There have been concerns about continuous use around embryo transfer and implantation, so it isn’t something we’d add without discussing it first.
This was actually one we tried too, before we knew much about those concerns.
The same general principle applies elsewhere: timing, context and the specific supplement matter.
Before You Add Another Supplement…
If there’s one thing we both learnt, it’s that you don’t need to take everything you read about.
Before adding something new, useful questions include:
- Is this actually relevant to my IVF situation?
- What dose makes sense for me?
- Could it interact with my fertility medication or anything else I’m taking?
- Am I doubling up with something already in my prenatal?
- Should I stop it before egg retrieval or embryo transfer?
- Are there any blood levels worth checking first — for example vitamin D, iron/ferritin, B12 or folate?
- How long before treatment would I need to take it for it to potentially matter?
And probably the biggest question:
Is there anything I’m already taking that I don’t actually need?
It may feel counterintuitive, but sometimes taking something away is more useful than adding another bottle.
And it’s cheaper too.
It’s Not Just What You Take - Timing Can Matter Too
Something else we didn’t appreciate at first was that supplements don’t always exist happily together in one giant handful.
Some nutrients can help the absorption of others, while some can compete with each other.
That doesn’t mean you need an elaborate supplement timetable, but it’s another reason to check the ingredients in everything you’re taking rather than assuming it can all be swallowed together.
Although, after enough practice, we did become surprisingly good at swallowing a large handful in one go.
A few examples:
- Iron + vitamin C
Vitamin C can improve the absorption of non-haem iron. - Vitamin D + a meal containing fat
Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so taking it with food containing some fat can improve absorption. - Omega-3 + food
Omega-3 supplements are generally better absorbed when taken with a meal. - Zinc + copper
These are more about balance than pairing. High-dose zinc taken over time can reduce copper absorption — another reason to be cautious about continually adding individual minerals.
And a few combinations may be better separated:
- Iron + calcium
Calcium can reduce iron absorption when taken together, particularly in supplement form. - Iron + zinc
Larger supplemental doses taken at the same time may compete for absorption. - Minerals + certain medications
Iron, calcium and magnesium can interfere with the absorption of some medicines, including certain thyroid medications and antibiotics. Timing may need to be discussed with your doctor or pharmacist.
Supplements can interact with medications in other ways too, so we learnt to include vitamins, minerals and herbal products whenever we told our clinic, doctor or pharmacist what we were taking.
Our takeaway: even seemingly simple supplements can have a bit more to them than we realised. What you take matters — but sometimes how and when you take it matters too.
Supplement Safety - A Few Things We Wish We’d Known
It turns out that “natural” doesn’t automatically mean harmless.
Supplements aren’t regulated in exactly the same way as medicines, and quality can vary between products. They can also interact with medications — including fertility medications — or simply give you far more of a particular nutrient than you need when combined with your prenatal and diet.
A few things we learnt to look out for:
Check the label. Look at the actual amount of each ingredient rather than relying on the front of the bottle.
Watch for doubling up. A prenatal plus several individual supplements can mean you’re getting the same nutrient from multiple sources.
Look for independent quality testing. Certifications such as USP or NSF can provide additional reassurance about what’s actually in a product.
Tell your clinic everything you’re taking. That includes vitamins, herbal remedies, powders and supplements that don’t feel like “proper medication”.
A Supplement Brand We Used Ourselves
Life Extension was one of the supplement brands we both used throughout our IVF journeys, from prenatals to some of the individual supplements we’ve talked about in this article.
My IVF Buddy readers can get 5% off by using code 70068562 at checkout.
Affiliate disclosure: This is an affiliate code, which means we may receive a commission if you use it to make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. We only share brands we genuinely used ourselves.
Before You Spend a Fortune on Supplements
IVF is expensive enough already.
And one thing the supplement rabbit hole can make us forget is that nutrients don’t only come in capsules.
A Mediterranean-style diet – plenty of vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts, olive oil and good sources of protein – has been studied in relation to fertility and assisted reproduction.
You can also explore at the less exciting foundations: sleep, movement, smoking, alcohol and the overall quality of your diet.
Maybe your change is eating more fruit and veg.
Maybe it’s getting to bed a little earlier.
Maybe it’s drinking less alcohol.
It’s up to you.
Don’t Forget the Other Half of the Embryo
If you’re creating embryos using a partner’s sperm, egg quality is only half of the equation.
There’s a separate body of research looking at male fertility and nutrients or supplements such as CoQ10, zinc, selenium, omega-3s and antioxidants such as lycopene.
Rather than squeezing sperm health into an article about egg retrieval, we’ll explore that separately.
And if both of you are taking supplements, that’s a lot of tiny bottles to keep track of.
So… What Should You Take?
We wish there was a universal IVF supplement stack.
If you have PCOS, your considerations may be completely different from someone with diminished ovarian reserve.
If you retrieve plenty of eggs but struggle with maturity, that’s different again.
And if your eggs fertilise well but embryos struggle later, that’s another conversation.
We suggest trying a different question:
What are we actually trying to improve in my next cycle?
Egg number?
Egg maturity?
Fertilisation?
Embryo development?
A deficiency shown on your bloodwork?
Then consider speaking to someone who can look at the bigger picture with you – ideally a registered dietitian or nutrition professional who specialises in fertility. They can help you look at your diet, your individual circumstances and what you’re actually trying to improve, rather than simply adding supplements because they’re popular in the IVF world.
And keep your fertility clinic or doctor in the loop too, particularly before starting anything that could interact with medication or affect your treatment.
And give yourself permission not to take seventeen other things alongside it just because somebody on the internet does.
We both know how tempting that is.
Final Thoughts
We hope this post has given you a clearer idea of where supplements may have a place during IVF.
When a cycle hasn’t gone the way you hoped, it’s natural to wonder whether there’s something you could change next time. But supplements aren’t a measure of how hard you’re trying.
Look at your own treatment history. Ask questions. Check what actually needs checking. Make informed choices with your clinic.
And take it from two people who have bought way too many supplements over the years: A shelf full of pills isn’t necessarily better than stepping back and making a few well-considered choices.
A gentle note: This article is based on our own experience and a review of the available research. It isn’t intended as medical advice. Supplements can have side effects and interact with medications, so discuss any changes with your fertility clinic, doctor or pharmacist.
Research Sources
We’ve drawn on peer-reviewed research and clinical resources throughout this article. If you’d like to learn more or explore the details, feel free to check out the sources below.
- Arhin, S. K., Zhao, Y., Lu, X., Chetry, M., & Lu, J. (2017). Effect of micronutrient supplementation on IVF outcomes: a systematic review of the literature. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 35(6), 715–722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2017.08.018
- Hart, R. J. (2024). Nutritional supplements and IVF: an evidence-based approach. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 48(3), 103770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.103770
- Xu, Y., Nisenblat, V., Lu, C., Li, R., Qiao, J., Zhen, X., & Wang, S. (2018). Pretreatment with coenzyme Q10 improves ovarian response and embryo quality in low-prognosis young women with decreased ovarian reserve: a randomized controlled trial. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 16(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12958-018-0343-0
- Lin, G., Li, X., Lim Jin Yie, S., & Xu, L. (2024). Clinical evidence of coenzyme Q10 pretreatment for women with diminished ovarian reserve undergoing IVF/ICSI: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of Medicine, 56(1), 2389469. https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2024.2389469
- Wdowiak, A., & Filip, M. (2020). The effect of myo-inositol, vitamin D3 and melatonin on the oocyte quality and pregnancy in in vitro fertilization: a randomized prospective controlled trial. European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 24(16), 8529–8536. https://doi.org/10.26355/eurrev_202008_22649
- Fitz, V., Graca, S., Mahalingaiah, S., et al. (2024). Inositol for polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis to inform the 2023 update of the International Evidence-based PCOS Guidelines. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 109(6), 1630–1655. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgad762
- Hu, K.-L., Ye, X., Wang, S., & Zhang, D. (2020). Melatonin application in assisted reproductive technology: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11, 160. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00160
- Li, X., Wang, Z., Wang, H., Xu, H., Sheng, Y., & Lian, F. (2022). Role of N-acetylcysteine treatment in women with advanced age undergoing IVF/ICSI cycles: a prospective study. Frontiers in Medicine, 9, 917146. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.917146
- Zhang, J., Jia, H., Diao, F., Ma, X., Liu, J., & Cui, Y. (2023). Efficacy of dehydroepiandrosterone priming in women with poor ovarian response undergoing IVF/ICSI: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14, 1156280. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1156280
- Eller, A. B. P., Ejzenberg, D., Monteleone, P. A. A., Soares Jr, J. M., & Baracat, E. C. (2023). Vitamin D and in vitro fertilization: a systematic review. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, 40(4), 735–743. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-023-02767-2
- Trop-Steinberg, S., Gal, M., Azar, Y., Kilav-Levin, R., & Heifetz, E. M. (2024). Effect of omega-3 supplements or diets on fertility in women: a meta-analysis. Heliyon, 10(8), e29324. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29324
- Ochiai, A., Kuroda, K., Ikemoto, Y., Ozaki, R., Nakagawa, K., Nojiri, S., Takeda, S., & Sugiyama, R. (2019). Influence of resveratrol supplementation on IVF-embryo transfer cycle outcomes. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 39(2), 205–210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2019.03.205
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Iron: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
