Fertility Supplements for Couples: A His and Hers Guide

Fertility supplements for couples are evidence-informed nutritional products designed to support the reproductive health of both partners during the preconception period — typically taken together for at least three months before trying to conceive. The rationale is biological: sperm production and egg development both depend on specific nutrients, and deficiencies in either partner can affect the chances of conception.

If you're trying to conceive, you already know it can feel like a lot to carry — and it's completely natural to want to do everything you can to prepare. Here's something we find really shifts the mindset for couples: thinking about supplementation as a shared project, something you and your partner take on together, reframes fertility as the biological duet it actually is.

Why Do Fertility Supplements Matter for Both Partners?

Here's something that genuinely surprised us when we first looked at the data, and it's worth holding in mind as you plan together: fertility really is a two-person biology. According to the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), male-factor issues account for roughly 30% of infertility cases, ovulatory disorders for another 25%, tubal factors for 20%, and unexplained causes for about 25% — and in a meaningful proportion of couples, contributing factors are present in both you and your partner.¹

That's why a couples-focused approach to fertility supplements makes so much biological sense. If you're taking a high-quality prenatal supplement while your partner eats a nutrient-depleted diet, you may still face an uphill climb, because sperm quality influences fertilisation, implantation, and early embryo development. And the reverse is equally true for you both.

There's an emotional benefit here too, and it's one we don't think gets talked about enough. Fertility struggles can quietly turn into blame — of yourself or your partner. When you both commit to preconception preparation together, the narrative shifts from "one person's problem" to "something we're doing together." That shift matters more than you might expect.

What's the 90-Day Preconception Window, and Why Does It Matter?

You'll hear us mention the 90-day window a lot, so let's break down why it matters so much for you and your partner. The 90-day preconception window is the biological preparation period before conception during which both your sperm and the final stage of egg maturation are actively developing. Sperm take roughly 74 days to form, a figure first established by Heller & Clermont in 1964 (Misell et al. 2006 used stable-isotope methods to estimate a somewhat shorter ~64-day cycle, though the 74-day figure remains the most widely cited convention in fertility practice), and during the last 85–90 days of follicular development, environmental factors most strongly influence egg quality.^2,3

Here's the thing that makes this window so powerful: nutrients you're consuming today are building the sperm and supporting the eggs that will be released roughly three months from now. It's not instant, but that's actually encouraging — it means you have a real window to make a difference. For this reason, fertility specialists typically recommend that couples begin preconception preparation — including supplements — at least three months before actively trying to conceive.^2,3

Research on fertility nutrition suggests that your antioxidant status, folate availability, and micronutrient sufficiency during this window are associated with better sperm quality parameters and, in some studies, improved clinical pregnancy rates.^9,11 The evidence tends to be stronger for addressing known deficiencies than for supplementing when your intake is already adequate, which is why we'd encourage you to start your preconception plan with an honest look at your diet, followed by targeted support.

Which Nutrients Support Her Fertility?

If you're the female partner in this equation, these are the nutrients with the strongest evidence behind them: folic acid, vitamin D, iodine, CoQ10, and — for women with PCOS — myo-inositol. Folic acid is the only supplement the UK NHS specifically recommends during the preconception period: 400 micrograms daily from the point of trying to conceive until 12 weeks of pregnancy, to reduce the risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida.⁴

Vitamin D plays a really interesting supporting role. A meta-analysis of 11 cohort studies including 2,700 women undergoing assisted reproductive treatment found that women replete in vitamin D had higher live birth rates than those who were deficient or insufficient (odds ratio 1.33).⁵ NHS guidance recommends that all adults in the UK consider a 10 µg vitamin D supplement, particularly from October to March.

If you're looking at CoQ10, the findings on oocyte mitochondrial function are encouraging. A 2015 study in Aging Cell by Ben-Meir and colleagues showed that CoQ10 administration could partly reverse age-related decline in egg quality in mice, with the authors proposing that impaired mitochondrial performance from suboptimal CoQ10 availability contributes to age-associated oocyte deficits.⁶ Human data is more limited but is supportive, especially if you're over 35 and looking to support egg quality through nutritional means.

If you're living with polycystic ovary syndrome, myo-inositol has some of the strongest evidence of any single fertility supplement — and this genuinely surprised us. A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis in Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology concluded that inositol is an effective and safe treatment in PCOS, with non-inferiority to metformin on most outcomes including cycle normalisation.⁷ If you suspect you may have PCOS, it's well worth reading more on myo-inositol for fertility and PCOS before you decide whether to include it.

Which Nutrients Support His Fertility?

We hear from a lot of male partners who feel uncertain about what they should be taking — so if that's you or your partner, let's make it clear. If you're the male partner trying to conceive, the nutrients with the strongest evidence behind them are zinc, selenium, L-carnitine, CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin E. A 2018 systematic review and meta-analysis by Salas-Huetos and colleagues in Advances in Nutrition reviewed 28 RCTs (15 included in the quantitative meta-analysis) and found that supplementation with selenium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, and carnitines produced nutrient-specific improvements across sperm concentration, motility, or morphology.⁹

Zinc plays a particularly central role here. A 2018 review in the Journal of Reproduction & Infertility described zinc as "essential for male fertility," noting that zinc deficiency impedes spermatogenesis, contributes to sperm abnormalities, and reduces serum testosterone concentration.⁸ You'll find zinc in oysters, beef, pumpkin seeds, and lentils, but if your dietary intake is limited, supplementation (typically 10–15 mg daily as part of a fertility formula) is common.

L-carnitine is the standout when it comes to sperm motility — the data here is really compelling, and worth knowing about if you or your partner are focused on this. In the Salas-Huetos meta-analysis, carnitine supplementation produced the largest single improvement in sperm total motility (+7.84%) and progressive motility (+7.45%).⁹ The biological rationale is that carnitine concentrations in the epididymis are among the highest in the body, reflecting its role in sperm maturation. If you've been diagnosed with sperm DNA fragmentation or asthenozoospermia, you're most likely to benefit.

The broader picture comes from the 2022 Cochrane review by de Ligny and colleagues, which pooled 90 studies and 10,303 subfertile men.¹¹ The review reported a statistically significant benefit for antioxidant supplementation on live birth and clinical pregnancy — with the caveat that methodological quality across trials was variable and the authors concluded the overall evidence remains "low to very low certainty." What does this mean for you and your partner in practice? Antioxidant supplementation is a reasonable part of your preconception plan if you're the male partner, but it's not a stand-alone fix for significant male-factor infertility.

How Do His and Hers Fertility Needs Compare?

We've put together the table below to give you and your partner a clear side-by-side view of which nutrients support each of you, typical dose ranges, and the primary outcome each is associated with. Think of it as a scannable starting point for your conversation — not a prescription.

Nutrient	Who it supports	Typical daily dose	Primary outcome	Evidence quality
Folic acid (folate)	Her (NHS recommendation)	400 µg	Neural tube defect prevention; preconception nutritional foundation	Tier 1 — NHS/WHO
Vitamin D	Both	10 µg (400 IU)	Live birth rate in ART; sperm quality	Tier 1 — meta-analysis
CoQ10 (ubiquinol/ubiquinone)	Both	100–300 mg	Oocyte mitochondrial function; sperm concentration/motility	Tier 1 — animal + human trial data
Myo-inositol	Her (PCOS context)	2 g twice daily	Cycle normalisation; ovulation in PCOS	Tier 1 — meta-analysis
Zinc	Him (primary); Her (supporting)	10–15 mg	Sperm concentration/motility; testosterone	Tier 1 — meta-analysis
Selenium	Him	55–100 µg	Sperm concentration, motility, morphology	Tier 1 — meta-analysis
L-carnitine	Him	1–2 g	Sperm motility (largest single effect)	Tier 1 — meta-analysis
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)	Both	500–1,000 mg combined	Sperm count/morphology; inflammation	Tier 1 — meta-analysis
Vitamin E	Him (primary)	10–15 mg	Antioxidant; sperm DNA integrity	Tier 2 — supportive trials

Use this table as a starting point for conversation, not a prescription. Your individual needs will depend on your diet, health conditions, medications, and blood test results — which is why NHS, NICE, and every reputable fertility clinician recommend that you personalise your supplementation plan rather than follow a generic one.

How Should Couples Start Supplementing Together?

So where do you actually begin? The simplest approach is to start roughly three months before you plan to try, with a shared baseline of folic acid (her), vitamin D (both), and a couples-focused supplement that covers the main fertility nutrients for each partner. It's also worth considering a blood test for vitamin D, iron, and thyroid function before starting, especially if either of you has a chronic health condition.

Here are some practical principles we'd suggest for your shared preconception plan:

• Start together, at the same time. Committing on the same date makes supplementation feel like teamwork, not a checklist one partner runs alone.
• Choose products with transparent dosing. A good fertility supplement lists every ingredient and its dose. Proprietary blends that hide quantities should be a red flag.
• Check for third-party testing. Products tested by independent labs offer more assurance of ingredient accuracy.
• Pair supplementation with a preconception-friendly diet. A fertility diet rich in whole foods, antioxidants, and healthy fats covers much of what supplements aim to provide.
• Review any existing medications. Certain supplements (such as high-dose vitamin E) can interact with medications. If you take warfarin or another anticoagulant, mention CoQ10 — it can reduce warfarin's effect. If you take metformin for PCOS, discuss myo-inositol with your GP, as both act on insulin sensitivity and the effects can be additive. A pharmacist or GP can check compatibility.
• Don't stop early. Most evidence on fertility supplements assumes consistent use for 90 days or longer. Stopping at week 4 rarely produces the outcomes the research describes.

A sustained shared preconception plan gives both of you a sense of agency during what is often a stressful time. The goal isn't to "optimise" fertility into a guarantee — no supplement can do that — but to make sure your nutritional status is working in favour of conception rather than against it.

Supporting Your Fertility with FertilitySmart

Your preconception nutrition works best when it reflects you and your partner's different biological needs. A couples-focused approach gives you the foundation nutrients for egg quality and ovulation alongside the antioxidants and trace minerals that support your partner's sperm development.

At FertilitySmart, we offer both fertility supplements for women and fertility supplements for men that contain key nutrients such as folate, CoQ10, vitamin D, zinc, selenium, and L-carnitine. Explore our range of evidence-based fertility supplements formulated with the nutrients discussed in this guide.

References

1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Fertility problems: assessment and treatment. NICE Clinical Guideline CG156. Published February 2013; updated September 2017. Available at: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg156
2. Heller CG, Clermont Y. Kinetics of the germinal epithelium in man. Recent Prog Horm Res. 1964;20:545–575. See also Misell LM et al. A stable isotope-mass spectrometric method for measuring human spermatogenesis kinetics in vivo. J Urol. 2006;175(1):242–246. doi:10.1016/S0022-5347(05)00053-4
3. Gougeon A. Regulation of ovarian follicular development in primates: facts and hypotheses. Endocr Rev. 1996;17(2):121–155. doi:10.1210/edrv-17-2-121
4. National Health Service (UK). How and when to take folic acid. NHS Medicines Guide. Updated 2025. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/folic-acid/how-and-when-to-take-folic-acid/
5. Chu J, Gallos I, Tobias A, Tan B, Eapen A, Coomarasamy A. Vitamin D and assisted reproductive treatment outcome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Hum Reprod. 2018;33(1):65–80. doi:10.1093/humrep/dex326
6. Ben-Meir A, Burstein E, Borrego-Alvarez A, et al. Coenzyme Q10 restores oocyte mitochondrial function and fertility during reproductive aging. Aging Cell. 2015;14(5):887–895. doi:10.1111/acel.12368
7. Greff D, Juhász AE, Váncsa S, et al. Inositol is an effective and safe treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Reprod Biol Endocrinol. 2023;21(1):10. doi:10.1186/s12958-023-01055-z
8. Fallah A, Mohammad-Hasani A, Colagar AH. Zinc is an essential element for male fertility: a review of Zn roles in men's health, germination, sperm quality, and fertilization. J Reprod Infertil. 2018;19(2):69–81. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30009140/
9. Salas-Huetos A, Rosique-Esteban N, Becerra-Tomás N, Vizmanos B, Bulló M, Salas-Salvadó J. The effect of nutrients and dietary supplements on sperm quality parameters: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Adv Nutr. 2018;9(6):833–848. doi:10.1093/advances/nmy057
10. Stephenson J, Heslehurst N, Hall J, et al. Before the beginning: nutrition and lifestyle in the preconception period and its importance for future health. Lancet. 2018;391(10132):1830–1841. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30311-8
11. de Ligny W, Smits RM, Mackenzie-Proctor R, et al. Antioxidants for male subfertility. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;5(5):CD007411. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD007411.pub5