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[Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or medical practitioner. Any medical information is strictly my opinion based on research and personal experience, and not to be taken as advice. Always seek the advice of a licensed physician for your medical needs. Read my full disclaimer here.]
When my doctor told me to start taking CoQ10, I had no clue what she was talking about. After doing some research, I figured out what Coenzyme Q10 does — and why I should be taking it for my fertility. CoQ10 is important for male fertility too — check out my post on the top supplements to improve male fertility here.
The medical research
–CoQ10 is an antioxidant that has been shown to help women with poor ovarian reserve. Medical research has shown it to be beneficial for fertility for both women and men. In general, no side effects have been reported.
–Everyone already has CoQ10 in their bodies; it is responsible for the antioxidant system in each cell. CoQ10 appears to diminish naturally when women are in their late 30s, which is perhaps why fertility also begins to decline. (This according to Yangying.)
–In a study by Yangying, women undergoing IVF and taking CoQ10 had a “significant increase in fertilization rate and in the number of high quality embryos. There was a significantly lower rate of cancelled cycles because of no response to stimulation and less cancelled embryo transfers.” No side effects were reported in the study.
–In a study on rats by Ozcan, taking CoQ10 improved AMH levels (AMH = indicates your ovarian reserve).
–In studies by Safarinejad and Balercia, taking CoQ10 was also shown to improve male fertility (depending on the issue — click on the studies for more info).
My experience
–My doctor suggested my husband and I both take 300 mg of CoQ10 twice a day. (She suggests that of all her patients regardless of their issues.) We have noticed no side effects. Keep in mind your doctor might recommend something different for you depending on your individual health history, so ask your doctor first!
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