Preconception Nutrition
What "preconception" actually means
The preconception window is the 90 days before conception — the time during which egg and sperm cells are developing. Everything you eat, drink, breathe, supplement and don't supplement during this window has a measurable effect on the quality of those cells.
Why most prenatals are wrong for this window
Standard prenatal vitamins were designed for pregnancy — for the first and second trimester. They're calibrated for the needs of pregnancy, not the needs of preconception. They typically:
- Use synthetic folic acid (not 5-MTHF active folate)
- Use one form of B12 (cyanocobalamin) instead of the two active forms
- Don't include CoQ10
- Use doses calibrated for pregnancy, not preconception
What good preconception nutrition looks like
The research consistently highlights:
- 5-MTHF folate — active form for all MTHFR variants. Folate has GB Authorised Health Claims for maternal tissue growth during pregnancy and cell division.
- B12 (methylcobalamin + adenosylcobalamin) — both active forms support red blood cell formation, energy metabolism, and homocysteine metabolism.
- CoQ10 — mitochondrial energy production. Active research area for both egg and sperm quality.
- Vitamin D — role in cell division and immune function. Many UK adults are deficient, especially in winter.
- Zinc — fertility and reproduction (GB Authorised Health Claim).
- Selenium — normal spermatogenesis (GB Authorised Health Claim).
- Iodine — thyroid function, which affects ovulation.
- Choline — increasingly recognised role in maternal nutrition and infant brain development.
Every one of these is in BioMirco Fertility Advance and Fertility Focus, in active forms and research-backed doses.