Fertility
Top of the pops – the UK fertility supplements you love (and why)
Eloise Edington | 7 Jul 2021
When TTC, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet is often recommended to improve fertility, as nutrients found in food can improve reproductive health. But some nutrients are harder to find in our diets and so getting the right daily intake of these nutrients is not always possible through food alone.
Fertility supplements can reassure you that you are having the appropriate intake of nutrients for conception, to make sure you are absorbing them properly. But what supplements should you take to improve your fertility?
To guide you in the right direction, The Ribbon Box have compiled a list of the top 5 UK, trusted, female and male fertility supplement brands that we think you will love.
Read on to discover why the following supplements are so popular in the UK and overseas.
Words by Katherine Compton
1. Zita West Supplements
Zita West offer a wide range of fertility and pregnancy supplements, including vitamins that support fertility, preconception, trimesters (1, 2 & 3), male and female fertility, IVF and postnatal support. Be sure to visit Zita West’s website to discover which fertility vitamins are right for you and your unique fertility journey.
Capsule and powdered vitamins that are dairy, gluten and yeast free are available. They also offer vegan and vegetarian options. All of these vitamins have been specifically formulated by Zita West, a leading fertility expert and author. West uses only premium quality ingredients which have been manufactured in the UK.
These supplements are recommended by health professionals and are stocked in leading pharmacies.
Vitamen
Vitamen – this is a multivitamin and mineral supplement that contains the most important nutrients to support male reproduction. The most important ingredients in Vitamen include:
- Folate – Supporting the normal function of the immune system and normal cell division
- Selenium – Supporting normal sperm production, protecting DNA and sperm membranes from oxidative damage, and supporting male thyroid function
- Vitamin B12 – maintaining the normal production and metabolism of men’s reproductive hormones
- Vitamins C and E – Protecting sperm DNA from damage (essential for conception and maintaining a successful pregnancy). It is particularly important to supplement these vitamins into your diet if your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables is low
- Zinc – very important for improving male fertility as it is required to make the outer layer and tail of the sperm. Zinc is used in the semen, so it needs to be replenished regularly to maintain healthy sperm.
Vitamen Boost – this formula prevents oxidative stress and helps to further protect the DNA of sperm which is particularly crucial with age. This is to be used in conjunction with Vitamen. The most important thing to know about this supplement is how exactly it prevents oxidative stress.
It contains Vitamin E, Zinc, Selenium and Manganese, as well as Alpha Lipoic Acid, N-Acetyl Cysteine and Resveratrol, and natural antioxidant extracts such as pomegranate, bilberry, watercress, pine bark and mixed berries to the protect sperm from oxidative stress.
Vitamen Boost 2 – This supplement has been designed for men who knowingly have fertility issues and need extra support from their supplements. This is a specialised amino acid powder to help with healthy sperm count, motility and morphology.
Vitafem
Zita West have a new and improved formula for women that is now suitable for vegans.
Vitafem contains:
- Premium multivitamins and minerals with activated folic acid, meaning your body can absorb and benefit from it immediately. Folic acid can help to prevent early pregnancy defects and helps with cell metabolism in your body and your ovaries, while also counteracting the effects of stress
- Extra Vitamins C, B6 and Chromium, as well as Choline, provides extra support for women with nutritional imbalances, whose diet does not provide enough nutritional intake or who have an increased demand for nutrients
- Vital DHA can be used in conjunction with Vitafem to boost your Omega 3 intake. You could also purchase a Vitamin D Spray from Zita West, to ensure you have the right levels of Vitamin D
Vitafem Boost, combined with Vitafem, can offer extra anti-oxidant support and Insitol and Folate for better, healthy egg quality.
For 10% off all Zita West fertility supplements for women and men, use code TRB10 at checkout.
2. FutureYou Cambridge
FutureYou Cambridge offer a wide range of pregnancy and conception supplements that have been carefully formulated to support couples who are TTC. Arguably, their most interesting supplement is the Fertility+. This fertility supplement is unique because it has been specially formulated for male reproductive health using lycopene and zinc.
The benefits of the Fertility+ with LactoLycopene supplement:
- A unique supplement that supports the normal fertility and reproductive function of men
- Maintains healthy hormone levels in the blood for testosterone
- Contains highly absorbable LactoLycopene – a powerful antioxidant that supports sperm vitality, mobility and quality
Benefits of Co-ENZYME Q10+:
- Helps to keep your daily CoQ10 levels up
- 18x more absorbable than CoQ10 powder
Co-enzyme Q10 is good for generating energy, as it is an antioxidant that is used up by every cell in our bodies. As CoQ10 is good for helping with mitochondrial energy, it plays a vital role in creating heathy eggs and healthy sperm.
For 20% off women and men’s fertility supplements at FutureYou Cambridge, use code FHH20 at checkout.
3. Nutri Advanced
Nutri Advanced fertility supplements for women have used 25 essential vitamins to improve fertility and health. Pregnancy Multi Essentials Multivitamin are recommended for women who are trying to conceive, pregnant or breastfeeding, as this fertility supplement can help with preconception and can benefit you during pregnancy, by improving breast milk quality and your baby’s development.
The following supplement (for men and women) can support fertility and general health. The supplements primary benefits to fertility is that it balances hormone levels and helps to combat oxidative stress.
Main highlights of Pregnancy Multi Essentials Multivitamin:
- (1000 IU) of Vitamin D3
- Hypoallergenic
- Iron bisglycinate (which is an easily absorbed form of iron that is gentle on the stomach)
- Folic acid to support tissue growth in the placenta and uterus
- Iodine to support pregnancy and breast feeding
- Zinc to support foetal development, fertility and reproductive health
- Vitamin A (beta-carotene) to support healthy vision and skin
- Vitamins B, C and D
- Vitamin K supports pregnancy and birth success.
Benefits of Saw Palmetto + Stinging Nettle Complex:
- Saw palmetto supports male health and normal urinary function
- Lycopene and beta-sitosterol support fertility and general health
- Urtica dioica (stinging nettle) supports prostate health
- Zinc maintains healthy testosterone levels
- Vitamin E protects cells from oxidative stress, which can be a factor of infertility if not supplemented.
For 20% off all NutriAdvanced supplements, use code TRB20 at checkout.
4. Proceive
Proceive was meticulously developed after years of research, conducted by their team of medical and nutritional experts, looking into clinical data on key nutrients for fertility and pregnancy. This has led to the development of two categories of supplements for men and women — Proceive Conception and Proceive Pregnancy.
Within their range, you can also find pregnancy supplements for trimesters (1, 2 and 3), Omega 3 support, women, men and dual gender supplements. Proceive Conception and Pregnancy provides tailored nutrients with the correct dosages for each stage of conception and pregnancy.
For 20% off Proceive fertility supplements, use code FHH20 at checkout.
The primary highlights and benefits of all Proceive products:
- Vitamins – help to boost energy which is vital for reproductive health. For that reason, Proceive includes 13 essential vitamins including Beta Carotene, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Folic acid (L-Methylfolate), Inositol, Biotin, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K1
- Minerals – Proceive contains 11 minerals engineered to support fertility and reproduction for both women and men. This is especially beneficial to women as deficiencies in minerals tend to be more prevalent in women. The 11 minerals are Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Zinc, Copper (gluconate), Manganese, Selenium, Chromium, Molybdenum, Iodine, Boron
- CoQ10 – good for providing antioxidants and energy which is necessary for fertility and reproduction
- Omega 3 DHA – maintains normal brain function and vision for your baby. The Omega 3 supplement can be taken in conjunction with any other Proceive supplements for extra support
- Amino Acids – Amino acids are necessary to promote growth and repair within the body, which is why Proceive uses a combination of the Amino acids: L’Arginine, L’Carnitine, L’Citruline, L’Glutamine, N-Acetyl-L-cysteine, Glycine, Taurine
Hopefully, this fertility supplements blog has listed what vitamins and minerals are essential for fertility and how they contribute to normal reproductive function. If any of these fertility supplements have stood out to you, you’re in luck, as we have discounts for all of them above or in our shop.
At The Ribbon Box Shop, we are offering generous discounts on these selected brands.
