Fertility Starts with Two Checklist
REFERENCES
1. Trop-Steinberg, S., Gal, M., Azar, Y., Kilav-Levin, R. and Heifetz, E.M. (2024) 'Effect of omega-3 supplements or diets on fertility in women: a meta-analysis', Heliyon, 10(8), e29324. PMID: 38628754.
Her Day 2 — omega-3 sources for women
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38628754/
2. Salas-Huetos, A., Arvizu, M., Mínguez-Alarcón, L. et al. (2022) 'Women's and men's intake of omega-3 fatty acids and their food sources and assisted reproductive technology outcomes', American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 227(2), pp. 246.e1–246.e11. PMID: 35364062.
Her Day 2 & His Day 2 — omega-3 for both partners
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35364062/
3. Meng, X., Zhang, J., Wan, Q. et al. (2023) 'Influence of vitamin D supplementation on reproductive outcomes of infertile patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 21(1), p. 17. PMID: 36737817.
Her Day 3 & His Day 3 — vitamin D blood test
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36737817/
4. Lerchbaum, E. and Obermayer-Pietsch, B. (2012) 'Vitamin D and fertility: a systematic review', European Journal of Endocrinology, 166(5), pp. 765–778. PMID: 22275473.
Her Day 3 & His Day 3 — vitamin D and fertility
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22275473/
5. Hallberg, L., Brune, M. and Rossander, L. (1989) 'The role of vitamin C in iron absorption', International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research, Supplement 30, pp. 103–108. PMID: 2507689.
Her Day 3 — pair iron-rich source with vitamin C
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2507689/
6. Scaglione, F. and Panzavolta, G. (2014) 'Folate, folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate are not the same thing', Xenobiotica, 44(5), pp. 480–488. PMID: 24494987.
Her Day 3 & His Day 3 — methylfolate prenatal supplement
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24494987/
7. Carboni, L. (2022) 'Active folate versus folic acid: the role of 5-MTHF (methylfolate) in human health', Integrative Medicine (Encinitas), 21(3), pp. 36–41. PMID: 35999905.
Her Day 3 & His Day 3 — methylfolate in preconception
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9380836/
8. Wastyk, H.C., Fragiadakis, G.K., Perelman, D. et al. (2021) 'Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status', Cell, 184(16), pp. 4137–4153. PMID: 34256014.
Her Day 4 & His Day 4 — probiotic-rich foods and gut microbiome diversity
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34256014/
9. Fan, D., Liu, L., Xia, Q. et al. (2017) 'Female alcohol consumption and fecundability: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis', Scientific Reports, 7, 13815. PMID: 29062133.
Her Day 5 — cease drinking alcohol
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29062133/
10. Purdue-Smithe, A.C., Kim, K., Schliep, K.C. et al. (2022) 'Preconception caffeine metabolites, caffeinated beverage intake, and fecundability', American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 115(4), pp. 1227–1236. PMID: 35030239.
Her Day 5 — keep caffeine under 200mg
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35030239/
11. Zurub, R.E., Cariaco, Y., Wade, M.G. and Bainbridge, S.A. (2024) 'Microplastics exposure: implications for human fertility, pregnancy and child health', Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14, 1330396. PMID: 38239985.
Her Day 5 — avoid heating food in plastic containers
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38239985/
12. de Ligny, W., Smits, R.M., Mackenzie-Proctor, R. et al. (2022) 'Antioxidants for male subfertility', Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5(5), CD007411. PMID: 35506389.
His Day 2 — omega-3 and antioxidant-rich fats for male fertility
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35506389/
13. Zecević, N., Sarac, I., Perovic, M. et al. (2025) 'Impact of selenium and selenoproteins on idiopathic male infertility: a comprehensive review', Frontiers in Nutrition, 12, 1702028. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1702028.
His Day 3 — selenium source (Brazil nut, seafood)
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1702028/full
14. Ricci, E., Al Beitawi, S., Cipriani, S. et al. (2017) 'Semen quality and alcohol intake: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Reproductive Biomedicine Online, 34(1), pp. 38–47. PMID: 28029592.
His Day 5 — cease drinking alcohol
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28029592/
15. McKinnon, C.J., Joglekar, D.J., Hatch, E.E. et al. (2022) 'Male personal heat exposures and fecundability: a preconception cohort study', Andrology, 10(8), pp. 1511–1521. PMID: 35924639.
His Day 5 — avoid heat to the groin
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35924639/
16. Sharma, R., Harlev, A., Agarwal, A. and Esteves, S.C. (2016) 'Cigarette smoking and semen quality: a new meta-analysis examining the effect of the 2010 World Health Organization laboratory methods for the examination of human semen', European Urology, 70(4), pp. 635–645. PMID: 27113031.
His Day 5 — avoid cigarettes and vaping
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27113031/
17. Stephenson, J., Heslehurst, N., Hall, J. et al. (2018) 'Before the beginning: nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health', The Lancet, 391(10132), pp. 1830–1841. PMID: 29673873.
Overall framework — colourful foods, healthy fats, hydration, sleep, preconception preparation
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29673873/