Supplements and Fertility, What Actually Helps and What Can Backfire

Walk into almost any fertility clinic, and you will see it. Bottles lining bathroom counters, pill organizers filled to the brim, stacks of supplements meant to “optimize” fertility. According to Dr. Lucky Sekhon, board-certified reproductive endocrinologist, this pattern reflects something deeper than health motivation. It reflects a search for control.

As Dr. Sekhon explains on The Tamsen Show podcast, supplements are often perceived as safe because they are labeled “natural.” In reality, supplements in the United States are largely unregulated. That means purity, dosage accuracy, heavy metal contamination, and added compounds are not consistently monitored. From a medical standpoint, this creates real uncertainty.

Dr. Sekhon emphasizes that more is not better. Excess supplementation can introduce risks without improving fertility outcomes. In her clinical experience, many patients arrive already overwhelmed and financially strained, believing supplements are a requirement rather than a choice.

So what does the evidence actually support?

At baseline, Dr. Sekhon states that anyone trying to conceive should be taking a prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid. This recommendation is not about improving fertility directly. It is about reducing the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida, a benefit supported by decades of research and public health guidance from organizations like the CDC and NIH.

Beyond a prenatal vitamin, Dr. Sekhon describes Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) as a low-risk option with modest supportive evidence. Animal studies and human IVF data suggest a possible trend toward improved egg and embryo outcomes, though the data is not definitive. Importantly, CoQ10 has not been associated with serious adverse effects in fertility populations when used appropriately.

In contrast, she urges caution around supplements like DHEA, which is often marketed online as an egg quality booster. DHEA acts like an androgen and can disrupt hormone balance. Dr. Sekhon notes seeing elevated liver enzymes, acne, excess hair growth, and even voice changes in patients who self-prescribed it. Well-designed clinical trials have not demonstrated clear benefit, making the risk-to-reward ratio unfavorable.

Her guiding principle is restraint paired with personalization. Nutrient deficiencies should be corrected. Iron deficiency anemia, for example, has been associated with difficulty conceiving. But blanket supplementation based on social media trends often creates more harm than help.

The deeper message is emotional as much as medical. Fertility uncertainty makes people vulnerable to overpromising solutions. Dr. Sekhon’s approach replaces panic with discernment and replaces accumulation with clarity.

If you want to learn more, listen to this episode of The Tamsen Show podcast.