Best Fertility Supplements for Women Trying to Conceive: What Actually Matters?

There isn't one supplement that can guarantee pregnancy, but three nutrients worth understanding are CoQ10, folate and vitamin D. As a doctor who has been through my own fertility journey, these are the three nutrients I chose to focus on when creating Ovare CORE3 — the world's highest-dose one-capsule fertility supplement, designed to deliver meaningful doses without the overwhelming daily supplement stack.

Here’s what the evidence says about each one.

1. CoQ10 and fertility

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a naturally occurring compound involved in energy production within our cells.

This is particularly interesting in fertility because developing eggs have substantial energy requirements. Mitochondria — sometimes described as the “powerhouses” of cells — use CoQ10 as part of the process of generating cellular energy.

Why do women take CoQ10 when trying to conceive?

Interest in CoQ10 has largely focused on ovarian ageing, ovarian response and egg quality.

A 2018 randomised controlled trial studied CoQ10 pretreatment in younger women with decreased ovarian reserve undergoing IVF/ICSI. Women receiving CoQ10 had improved ovarian response and embryological parameters, although the study was not large enough to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in pregnancy or live-birth rates.

A 2020 systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials also found that CoQ10 supplementation was associated with increased clinical pregnancy rates in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. However, the authors emphasised limitations including relatively small studies.

This does not mean CoQ10 has been proven to make somebody pregnant.

But it explains why CoQ10 has become one of the most commonly discussed supplements in fertility and preconception care.

How much CoQ10 is used for fertility?

This is where products can differ substantially.

Research examining CoQ10 in fertility has often used doses considerably higher than the small quantities found in general multivitamins.

Read our article on it here.

2. Folate when trying to conceive

Folate is one of the most important nutrients to consider before pregnancy.

UK guidance recommends taking 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before pregnancy and until 12 weeks of pregnancy for most women.

Some people are advised to take a higher prescribed dose of folic acid because of their individual medical circumstances. If you've been prescribed folic acid, you should continue to follow the advice of your doctor rather than replacing it with a supplement.

Folate: folic acid and methylfolate

Folate (vitamin B9) is particularly important before and during early pregnancy because it supports normal maternal tissue growth and plays a role in cell division.

Folic acid is the form most commonly used in supplements and is specifically recommended in UK guidance before conception and during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy because of its well-established role in reducing the risk of neural tube defects.

Methylfolate, also known as 5-MTHF, is another form of folate that is already in a biologically active form and is increasingly used in preconception and fertility supplements.

Both forms provide folate. Rather than viewing one as simply “good” and the other as “bad”, the key priority when trying to conceive is ensuring adequate folate intake before pregnancy and during those crucial early weeks.

If you've been prescribed a specific dose of folic acid by your doctor, you should continue to follow their advice.

3. Vitamin D and fertility

Vitamin D is another nutrient worth paying attention to when trying for a baby.

The NHS recommends that adults in the UK consider taking 10 micrograms (400 IU) of vitamin D daily during autumn and winter, with some people advised to supplement throughout the year.

Vitamin D has also attracted significant research interest in reproductive medicine because vitamin D receptors are found throughout reproductive tissues.

Studies have examined associations between vitamin D status and outcomes including ovarian function, IVF outcomes and pregnancy.

However, observational associations do not prove that simply taking more vitamin D will increase your chance of becoming pregnant.

The sensible priority is avoiding vitamin D deficiency and following appropriate medical advice if your vitamin D level has been tested.

Do you need a huge fertility supplement stack?

Not necessarily.

One of the biggest problems with fertility supplementation isn't always finding another ingredient to add.

It's knowing what you're already taking.

Taking several fertility products simultaneously can result in overlapping ingredients and unexpectedly high total doses.

For example, someone might take:

• a prenatal multivitamin containing vitamin D;

• a separate vitamin D supplement;

• a fertility supplement containing more vitamin D;

• separate CoQ10;

• separate folate.

Suddenly, what seemed like a sensible supplement routine becomes five different products with duplicated ingredients.

Before combining supplements, look at the actual dose per daily serving of each ingredient.

More is not automatically better.

What should you look for in a fertility supplement?

When comparing fertility supplements for women trying to conceive, don't be distracted by the number of ingredients printed across the front of the bottle.

Instead, check:

The actual doses.
An ingredient being present doesn't tell you whether the product contains 20 mg or 400 mg.

How many capsules you need each day.
A complicated routine is only useful if you can realistically stick to it.

Which form of each nutrient is included.
For example, check whether the folate is folic acid or methylfolate and which form of CoQ10 is being used.

Whether you're duplicating other supplements.
Always calculate your total daily intake if you're combining products.

Whether you actually need every ingredient.
A longer ingredient list doesn't automatically make a supplement better.

A simpler option: Ovare CORE3

This exact problem is why I created CORE3.

After going through my own fertility journey and six pregnancy losses before eventually having my rainbow baby, I became extremely familiar with the enormous supplement routines women can end up taking while trying to conceive.

I wanted something much simpler.

Rather than putting tiny amounts of dozens of ingredients into another fertility multivitamin, CORE3 focuses on three key nutrients:

450 mg CoQ10
1,000 mcg methylfolate
4,000 IU vitamin D3

All in one capsule per day.

CORE3 is manufactured in the UK, vegan and halal-friendly, with lichen-derived vitamin D3 and no gelatine.

It was designed for women who want a high-strength, streamlined alternative to building a large fertility supplement stack themselves.

Ready to simplify your fertility supplements?

If you're currently buying separate CoQ10, methylfolate and vitamin D supplements, CORE3 combines all three into one daily capsule.

Shop Ovare CORE3 →

Single bottle: £34.99
3-month bundle: £94.99
Free UK delivery

Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. CORE3 is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent infertility, miscarriage or any medical condition. If you are pregnant, undergoing fertility treatment, taking medication, have a medical condition, or have been prescribed folic acid or another supplement, discuss supplementation with your healthcare professional.

References

1. Xu Y, Nisenblat V, Lu C, et al. 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. 2018;16:29.

2. Florou P, Anagnostis P, Theocharis P, et al. Does coenzyme Q10 supplementation improve fertility outcomes in women undergoing assisted reproductive technology procedures? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized-controlled trials. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics. 2020;37:2377–2387.

3. NHS. Vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy.

4. NHS. Vitamin D.

5. NICE. Maternal and child nutrition: nutrition and weight management in pregnancy, and nutrition in children up to 5 years.

6. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to folate.

7. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to vitamin D.