Good day bloggers. Congratulations! The very important aspect to you is here and the title of the blog sounds interesting, then you are here to know “can egg quality be improved? If yes, then how and what research says the date? While we all know, by now that women are born with a set quantity of eggs, egg quality is dependent on other factors. This means there are things most women can do to improve egg quality. Do note, female fertility is often dictated by egg quality. The decline in egg quality is a natural part of a woman’s ageing. Although a woman is born with all her eggs, older eggs have a tendency or are more prone to containing abnormal DNA. Without healthy DNA an egg can’t make a healthy baby. All women can have some percentage of abnormal eggs and this percentage of abnormal DNA increases with age. The body has intelligent mechanisms of selection as well as the rejection of eggs. Most poor-quality eggs don’t fertilise at all. Small degrees of abnormality in eggs may fertilise but lead to miscarriage or may lead to genetic disorders for the baby. This is why it can take many more menstrual cycles for an older woman to get pregnant and IVF success rates too are lower as a woman’s age increases. Age has a great impact on the quantity as well as the quality of eggs. Delaying ovarian ageing or improving oocyte quality is a topic of research of great interest. Egg quality and egg maturity are 2 different aspects. Egg quality describes the eggs which have the correct number of chromosomes. These conditions are affected by mitochondrial abnormalities, exposure to toxins, and oxidative stress. That is the reason, reducing or lessening the exposure to such elements can definitely improve the egg quality. It is important to note that most of the abnormalities form within the 3 months prior to ovulation. Let’s hit upon a few ways by which egg quality reduction can be slowed down as well as improved. 1. Improving blood flow as well as circulation Oxygen-rich blood flow to the ovaries is essential for reproductive health. Blood flow can be improved by exercise as well as being hydrated. Exercise increases blood flow to the body as a healthy heart will pump more blood. Doing pelvic exercises and massage therapy and yoga help to improve blood flow to the ovaries. Some exercise poses like, the lotus pose, child’s pose, reclining hero and seated forward bend to offer a specific fertility benefit. 2. Eating healthy as well as an anti-inflammatory diet: A lot of research has shown the good effect of omega 3 fatty acids as there is a dramatic shift in food habits, fast food or processed foods which are inflammatory diets. Consuming food which is fresh, colourful, and less calorie dense will make the diet anti-inflammatory, Including beans, fruits, fresh leafy vegetables, and nuts will address the concern. 3. Adding fertility supplements which specifically address antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. A few of these supplements like Coenzyme Q10, melatonin and fish oil are of great importance. 4. Achieve a Normal BMI (body mass index). The link between obesity is established to reduced fertility and decreased egg quality due to underperforming mitochondrial activity and increased oxidative stress. Being overweight can also alter the hormonal balance which disrupts ovulation and pregnancy. A body mass index (BMI) between 18.5-24.9 is recommended to achieve pregnancy. 5. Consider the benefits of egg freezing as the body’s biological clock is working and it is speeding fast owing to the modern lifestyle, stress and priorities. The body has the mechanism of selecting the best quality egg for ovulation. As age progress, the quantity, as well as quality, is reduced greatly. It is the marvel of science, which made egg freezing possible with great viability. The dream of motherhood is possible due to this. With time, a woman’s natural fertility is definitely on the decline, but frozen eggs remain at the same biological age as when they are cryopreserved, boosting your chances of future success. In nutshell, let us know the key messages of this blog. 1. It takes 12-13 months for the dormant follicles to release the egg. This is called the maturation process which hastens towards the final 120 days of the maturation process. It is these final 3 months when a high energy-driven process takes place to present the final state with 23 chromosomes. And this is the time when all your efforts towards improving egg quality must be implemented. 2. While age plays a major role in the quality of eggs, it is not the only determining factor as yet. The quality of developing eggs are response generated to natural or external hormonal stimulation and can be influenced by stress, environmental contaminants, poor diet, inflammation, drug abuse, excessive smoking, hormonal imbalance, etc. 3. The egg quality is the function of hormonal balance as well as healthy habits. Merely egg cannot produce pregnancy. It requires sperm for fertilization. Having competent good quality, morphologically best, the genetically normal egg is a must. It is half battle won in the true sense. 4. Delaying ovarian ageing or improving oocyte quality is a topic of research of great interest and we have achieved the great milestone of freezing eggs & sperm.
