Anyone who's looked into supplements for fertility has met the wall: forums recommending stacks of fifteen products, brands marketing protocols by age band, influencers with affiliate links, and friends whose acupuncturist swears by a different combination. Underneath it all, the question is reasonable. What should I actually take?
The honest answer is that very few things are universally recommended in the UK, the rest is individual, and stacking products is almost never the right answer. Most of what works in fertility nutrition is the slow work of food, sleep and consistency. Supplements are useful where there's a specific reason , a deficiency, a clinical context, a particular phase of treatment , and not as a general spray-and-pray.
The small, evidence-backed list
Three things are widely recommended for anyone trying to conceive or going through IVF in the UK.
Folic acid (folate) at 400 micrograms daily, from before conception until at least the end of the first trimester, is the most established. Some people are advised to take 5mg , usually those with a higher BMI, diabetes, certain medications, a previous neural tube defect pregnancy, or a known MTHFR variant. Methylfolate (the active form, also called 5-MTHF) is the version many fertility practitioners suggest for people with that variant, but standard folic acid is what NHS guidance is built on.
Vitamin D at 10 micrograms (400 IU) daily through autumn and winter is recommended for most adults in the UK; many people benefit from this year-round, especially if you spend a lot of time indoors, have darker skin, or test low. If you haven't had your levels checked, asking your GP for a vitamin D blood test is a small, useful step.
A good prenatal multivitamin covers folic acid, vitamin D and iodine in one product, plus a sensible spread of B vitamins, zinc and selenium. Look for one that doesn't include vitamin A as retinol (high doses are not advisable in pregnancy), is third-party tested, and doesn't shout about exotic ingredients.
The ones often discussed
Several supplements come up regularly in fertility conversations. The evidence is more mixed, and the right answer depends on the individual.
CoQ10 (also called ubiquinone, or in its active form ubiquinol) is often suggested for egg and sperm quality, particularly from the mid-thirties onward. The evidence is promising but small-scale. If you're going to take it, dose and form matter, and it takes around three months to make a difference , there's no point starting it the week before egg collection.
Omega-3 from a clean fish oil (or algal oil if vegan) supports overall hormonal health and is often suggested through preconception. Fish oils that are very high-dose can affect bleeding around procedures, so the recommendation is usually to pause for a few days around egg collection and embryo transfer.
Inositol (myo- and d-chiro-inositol in a 40:1 ratio) has reasonable evidence for people with polycystic ovary syndrome, supporting more regular cycles and egg quality. It's not generally needed if your cycles are already regular.
Iron is worth checking with a blood test rather than guessing , both deficiency and overload affect fertility, and you don't want to be supplementing if your ferritin is already healthy.
Adaptogens, herbal blends and high-dose antioxidants are where things get murky. Some are useful in specific clinical contexts. Many are not, and some can interact with medication. This is the territory where "more is not better" applies most.
Where supplements clash with medication
IVF medication is precisely dosed. Supplements that affect oestrogen metabolism, bleeding, hormone clearance or liver enzymes can interfere in ways that aren't always obvious. The honest position is that some clinics are very relaxed about supplements and some are very cautious, and the gap between them isn't always because one is right. Always tell your clinic exactly what you're taking, including herbal blends and "natural" products. A clinic that rolls its eyes at the question is one to be a bit more wary of; a clinic that asks for a full list is paying attention.
High-dose vitamin E, fish oil at very high doses, large quantities of NAC, certain Chinese herbal blends, ashwagandha for some thyroid conditions, and some "fertility detox" stacks are common things to discuss specifically. None of this means they're inherently wrong , it means context matters.
Working with a nutritional therapist
The fastest way out of supplement noise is to spend an hour with a nutritional therapist who specialises in fertility. They'll look at your bloods, your food, your cycle history, your treatment plan and your budget, and tell you which two or three products are actually worth taking. Most people end up taking fewer supplements after the conversation, not more. The cost of an initial consultation usually pays for itself in the supplements they tell you not to buy.
Look for someone registered with BANT (British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine) or the Royal Society of Public Health. Ask whether they regularly work with people in IVF cycles and whether they're used to communicating with fertility clinics.
Common questions
Is more always better with prenatal supplements?
No. Several nutrients , vitamin A in retinol form, iron, vitamin E, selenium , have an upper safe limit and can cause harm at high doses. A single good prenatal usually covers the ground, and doubling up is rarely useful.
Should my partner take fertility supplements too?
Sperm health responds to lifestyle and nutrition just as eggs do. A simple male prenatal (often containing zinc, selenium, CoQ10, folate, vitamin D and omega-3) can be sensible from around three months before a cycle. Heavy smoking and high alcohol are the biggest two levers to address first.
How long before a cycle should I start taking things?
Around three months is the standard window, because both eggs and sperm take roughly that long to develop. Starting the week before isn't useless, but most of the benefit comes from giving cells time.
I can't afford a nutritional therapist. What's a good starting point?
A good prenatal multivitamin, vitamin D in winter, and a balanced Mediterranean-style way of eating are an excellent baseline. Tommy's and the NHS websites both have free, reliable preconception nutrition guidance.
A nutritional therapist who works with fertility can help you sort the signal from the noise , usually with fewer supplements than you arrived with, and a steadier plan around them.
Find your practitionerThe simplest version of the answer: take a good prenatal, look after your vitamin D, ask about your iron, and resist anything that sounds like a stack. The cycles that go well are usually the calm ones, not the supplement-heavy ones.
Sources
NHS , Vitamins and minerals · Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists · Tommy's , folic acid · British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT)