In this webinar, Sandra Greenbank, an expert in fertility nutrition, The Founder of The Fertility Nutrition Centre, has discussed the role of supplements and whether you should be taking them when you’re trying to conceive.
Why might we consider using supplements to complement the nutrients we get from our diet?
One of the main things that has been happening over the last 10–20 years is that farming techniques are becoming efficient. The crops are designed to grow fast and, pesticides help the farmers but don’t necessarily help the land. What happens is that our soils become depleted. And when our soils become depleted, the crop that grows in those soils has less of the nutrients in them.
If you look at data for how much vitamin C an apple had 50 years ago, it is now quite different compared to the same crop today. However, our nutritional needs haven’t changed, and we’re not necessarily eating more to compensate. This is one of the main problems we’re facing.
If you think about a family in the 1950s, generally, you know, stress levels were lower. Research shows that we’re sleeping about 25% less than we did in the 1950s. And, of course, social media and smartphones have not been around for that long.
As much as they have enhanced our lives, they are also adding a lot of stress. We’re constantly on, constantly available, and constantly being fed information. We’re looking at what everyone else is doing all the time. Furthermore, we’ve got real-time information in our pockets, and we’re taking it to bed with us. This just, you know, adds to our stress load, I would say.
Lack of sleep, stress, as well as caffeine consumption, alcohol consumption, and some medications, such as the contraceptive pill, for example, all deplete nutrients. They deplete the nutrients that are crucial for our fertility.
We know this is affecting both male and female fertility because research shows that fertility is declining. Researchers are finding that the decline in fertility is due to our modern lifestyle, exposure to toxins in our environment, and changes in our diet. With more fast food and prepped food, we spend less time cooking from scratch at home.
This is taking its toll on our health. For some of us, it is affecting fertility, and for others, it may be affecting different areas of health.
There is strong evidence that complementary treatment with an appropriate nutraceutical improves the natural conception rate of infertile couples and increases the success rate of ART.
This quote illustrates the importance of supplementation. In this study, researchers stated that there is strong evidence that complementary treatment with an appropriate nutraceutical improves the natural conception rate of infertile couples and increases the success rate of artificial reproductive technology. It couldn’t be clearer.
Quality does matter. The quality of a supplement matters when you’re looking to buy one. We need to find the right ingredients in the right formulation. For example, if you’re considering supplementing with iron, you can find iron in many forms; some forms are cheaper than others, and some are easier to formulate into a supplement. However, these easier-to-formulate forms are often not as easily absorbed.
For instance, the iron typically prescribed by your GP is about 80% less absorbable than some iron on the market. This means that while the dose can be larger, it’s potentially more beneficial for you as a patient. The form of the nutrient in the supplement is important.
Additionally, other ingredients in the supplement are crucial. Generally, quality matters; cheaper formulations often contain more fillers and unnecessary additives, like chalk to prevent sticking or various chemicals to ensure the supplement retains its form and doesn’t melt in the bottle.
You tend to get what you pay for in terms of beneficial ingredients. It’s also about the dosage. Many supplements available in supermarkets have very low doses that won’t significantly impact your fertility or health. Therefore, it’s essential to consider the absorbability, the formula, the lack of unwanted additives, and the correct dosage when selecting a supplement.
These are the factors I, as a nutritionist, focus on when finding the right supplement for each client.
You can’t just supplement and ignore your diet. Food always comes first; eating right is crucial. A supplement should only be seen as an addition or a kind of insurance policy to complement a good diet. This principle applies to all aspects of how you should be eating.
There’s no point in relying on supplements without also changing your diet and lifestyle. Doing so would be counterproductive because you’re not addressing the root of the problem. You need to focus on improving your diet and lifestyle first, and then use supplements as a supportive measure.
Good quality supplements are potent and may interact with other medications, supplements or herbs.
In a roundabout way, which isn’t going to be effective, one of the important things to understand when you’re considering taking a supplement, whether it’s vitamins, minerals, or herbs, is that they are very potent and can do a lot of damage if you’re taking the wrong one by mistake.
For example, I mentioned iron. If you don’t need iron, if you’ve done a blood test, and your iron levels are good or on the higher end of the normal range, you don’t want to add more iron. Taking too much iron can be detrimental to your health. This applies to many nutrients.
Additionally, all the nutrients within a supplement, or the herbs, can interact with other supplements you’re taking, as well as with prescribed medications. For instance, if you’re on a blood thinner, you’ll want to ensure you’re not taking vitamin K or fish oil, as they can have a similar effect on the body. This could lead to your blood becoming too thin, resulting in a potentially dangerous bleeding event.
There are many such interactions to be mindful of when taking supplements. Therefore, it’s crucial to get some solid advice and not just take anything recommended by a neighbour or a friend, even if they claim it worked for them. Even anything I’m about to discuss should be approached with caution. I highly recommend seeking professional advice before you take any supplements. Taking the wrong type or form can not only cause harm but also waste a lot of money if it’s not beneficial for you.
It’s difficult for me to give you this advice as a blanket recommendation because, I’m not allowed to, and I’m not insured to provide blanket advice. However, let’s discuss some of the supplements that you may have heard about and highlight some of the most important ones to be aware of as options.
Everyone who’s been trying to conceive knows that folic acid is something you should start taking at least 12 weeks before conception. This is because your body absorbs folate from your diet or supplement into your cells, and once you become pregnant, the embryo will use the folate you have stored. At that point, it’s not necessarily using what’s currently coming in through your diet; it’s using what’s already in your storage, which is why the 12 weeks are crucial.
Supplements contain different forms of folate. You have folic acid, which is the synthetic form, and folate, which is found naturally in dark green leafy vegetables like broccoli. Folate, when taken for 12 weeks before conception, is known to decrease the risk of neural tube defects. It also helps to_
Folate is depleted by heavy drinking and the use of birth control pills. If you have celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), it’s more difficult for you to absorb folate. According to NICE guidelines, you should be taking 400 micrograms per day for 12 weeks before trying to conceive.
Most women of childbearing age in the West don’t get enough folate. This is why folic acid is added to flour in some countries, as well as to juice and other foods, to help ensure that those who might not consider taking a folic acid supplement get enough before they get pregnant.
Folate is a methylating nutrient, alongside choline, betaine, methionine, B12, B6, magnesium, zinc, and sulphur. It plays a crucial role in DNA replication. When an egg is fertilized, there is a high need for methylation in the egg or embryo. In one study, researchers looked at two different mother mice with identical embryos transferred to them. One mother was supplemented for two weeks before conception and continued through pregnancy and lactation, while the other was not. After weaning, both groups of mice were fed the same diet for 21 days. The only difference between the mothers was that one received methylating supplements before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding.
The result was striking: the mouse on the right, which received the methylating supplements, looked normal, was brown, and healthy. The mouse on the left, despite being genetically identical, was obese, the wrong colour, and had many health problems. This demonstrates the power of methylation.
When I talk about methylating supplements, it’s not just folate. Greens contain all the other nutrients needed for methylation, such as magnesium and the other B vitamins, working together. This is why it’s crucial to prioritize food first.
Food is magical because it naturally provides everything your body needs to utilize the nutrients within it. Nutrients depend on each other and don’t exist in isolation in nature. Just taking a folic acid pill won’t have the same effect as consuming a whole food that provides a combination of nutrients.
We know that prenatal multivitamins, generally contain a nice range of B vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals necessary for healthy conception. These supplements help support ovulation in women and improve pregnancy rates compared to taking folic acid alone. Studies have shown that women taking a multivitamin had significantly higher pregnancy rates than those taking only folic acid.
Prenatal multivitamins aren’t just loaded with nutrients specifically needed for conception, but they also contain the right nutrients at safe levels. If you take any regular multivitamin, you can’t be sure it’s safe for pregnancy. Fertility multivitamins and pregnancy multivitamins are quite similar, with minor differences. There are many multis on the market, and they can be very different from each other. A professional can look at your lifestyle and blood test results to tailor your supplement regimen, ensuring you get the most benefit but generally, a prenatal multivitamin is safe and effective.
Antioxidants are indeed beneficial. In our daily lives, we are constantly exposed to free radicals that can damage our cells. Antioxidants help protect our cellular integrity by neutralizing these free radicals.
Studies have shown that antioxidants like vitamins C and E can help counteract ovarian aging, number and quality. Women with PCOS seem to have lower levels of antioxidants compared to other women.
Instead of supplementing with a specific antioxidant complex, it’s better to ensure your diet is rich in antioxidants. One way to do this is by eating a variety of colourful foods because each colour corresponds to a different set of nutrients. For example, green foods provide folate and magnesium, blue foods contain anthocyanins, and red foods like tomatoes have lycopene. Eating a rainbow of foods ensures you get a diverse range of antioxidants.
Nuts, particularly Brazil nuts, are excellent sources of antioxidants and healthy fats. Men who eat a handful of nuts daily often have better fertility outcomes than those who don’t. Brazil nuts are especially high in selenium, which is crucial for thyroid health, male fertility, and follicle growth and maturation. Selenium also helps prevent chromosomal damage from free radicals.
Selenium supplementation may improve the outcome of IVF. One study found that women with unexplained infertility had significantly reduced selenium levels in their follicular fluid and blood. However, selenium levels in Brazil nuts can vary depending on their origin, and it’s important not to consume too much.
CoQ10 is another supplement I highly recommend, though it can be expensive. It’s a potent antioxidant in cellular metabolism, that supports ovarian tissue and is found in almost all cell membranes. As we age, our CoQ10 levels decline, and it’s especially important for powering the sperm’s journey to the egg. CoQ10 supports the mitochondria, the energy centres of our cells, which are crucial for egg and embryo development.
CoQ10 is needed for the electron transport chain in the mitochondria and helps strengthen endogenous cellular antioxidant systems. CoQ10 also restored oocyte mitochondrial dysfunction and fertility during reproductive ageing.
Zinc is another essential nutrient for fertility. It’s important for egg maturation and protects the DNA inside sperm. However, getting enough zinc can be challenging, especially under stress; its absorption depends significantly on the proper functioning of your digestion. Supporting your digestion is key to ensuring zinc is utilized properly.
The solution to zinc deficiency isn’t necessarily to take more zinc supplements but to support and optimize your digestive health. I highly recommend working with a qualified fertility nutritionist to address this; they can help tailor your diet and supplement regimen to ensure you’re getting the right amount of zinc and absorbing it effectively.
Many patients believed they couldn’t be zinc deficient because they were already taking supplements but, when they runt tested often revealed that despite supplementation, the zinc wasn’t being absorbed into their cells effectively. This underscores the importance of not just taking supplements but ensuring they are being properly utilized by the body.
Zinc is vital for the maturation of eggs. To develop well, eggs require enough zinc. Additionally, zinc plays a crucial role in protecting the DNA within the sperm head and this DNA constitutes 50% of the embryo’s genetic material. Zinc helps safeguard this DNA as it is transferred to the egg during fertilization. Therefore, maintaining good zinc levels is essential, but equally important is ensuring that these levels are supported by good digestion. Proper digestion ensures that the zinc you consume is adequately absorbed and utilized by your body.
I do recommend that you run a test, and you can get those online. You can get skin tests cheaply online to find out exactly how much you need because generally, people are so deficient in vitamin D, and it’s problematic for male and female fertility.
In the height of summer, you should be able to get enough vitamin D from the sun, but you have to go out when it’s sunny. You have to go out in the middle of the day and you have to expose your arms and your face for 15 minutes to pretty much midday sun, or between 11 and 2. Most people don’t do that because we’re at work, we’re sitting at a desk, or we’re covering ourselves with sunscreen because we’re looking after our skin, and we’re told that the sunlight, you know, gives you cancer and all of this.
With darker skin, the less able you are to absorb vitamin D properly. It’s just a really good idea to get that tested and then, again, talk to an expert who can tell you how much to supplement, based on your test result.
Our diet nowadays is woefully deficient in omega-3 fats. You do find it in some vegetarian or vegan sources like flax and walnuts mainly, but when you consume vegan sources of omega-3, your body needs to convert them into DHA and EPA, which are the forms of omega-3 that we need. A lot of people generally have quite poor conversion rates, so we’re looking at about 10% conversion, whereas if you’re eating oily fish, the fish has done that work for you. You’re eating the EPA and DHA that the fish has made.
Omega-3 helps reduce inflammation. We don’t want high levels of inflammation, especially around the follicular fluid, because that’s going to be detrimental to the eggs and the maturation of those eggs. It helps improve your cellular insulin response, which again helps bring down inflammation; and supports your progesterone production, which is important because without progesterone, we can’t keep a pregnancy. It also helps increase the blood flow to the reproductive organs, which is helpful because increased blood flow means increased nutrient delivery and toxin removal. Omega-3 can potentially help delay ovarian ageing and improve egg quality for older women, so it’s important to keep an eye on that.
But if you are prescribed a blood thinner, like Clexane or baby aspirin or anything else that thins your blood (which is quite commonly prescribed in an IVF cycle), you must get this checked with your consultant or a fertility nutritionist to make sure that it’s okay that you’re taking the fish oil.
For men, omega-3 is really important as well. Fertile men have higher blood and sperm levels of omega-3, as well as better ratios of omega-6 to omega-3 in their serum. Omega-3 supplementation can help increase sperm count, boost antioxidant activity, and improve motility and morphology.
The challenge with omega-3 is that it’s one of those things I recommend getting from a pill rather than eating a huge amount of oily fish because, unfortunately, our waters are so polluted that if you eat too much fish, you could end up with high toxicity levels. If you take a fish oil supplement that is of high quality, high purity, and independently batch-tested, you’ll know you’re not getting those toxins. There are a few brands on the market that are really good quality, but they are not available in your supermarket or high street pharmacy. Without mentioning any brands, go to a reputable independent supplement shop or health food store, or consult a fertility nutritionist who can tell you what to buy.
Regarding male fertility specifically, I know I mostly talk about female fertility, but male fertility is also crucial. It’s challenging because the studies on certain nutrients generally focus on specific parameters of male fertility. For example, studies that look at morphology, show that useful supplements include vitamin E, selenium, zinc, vitamin C, and lycopene, all of which are antioxidants. For any man with hormonal issues, like low testosterone, it’s important to check their vitamin D status.
To help improve IVF or assisted reproductive technology outcomes, again, we look at antioxidants alongside folate. You’ll also see carnitine mentioned frequently, as well as CoQ10, zinc, and something called NAC (N-acetylcysteine), which is also a potent antioxidant. However, you should avoid taking NAC if you have asthma or any allergies.
In general, for men, a good multivitamin is recommended. There are some specifically formulated for fertility, but a good general multivitamin will suffice. You probably also need additional zinc and CoQ10 because it is a large molecule. Any multivitamin claiming to contain CoQ10 won’t have enough, as it’s too large; you need a separate capsule.
I would generally recommend omega-3 (fish oil), CoQ10, zinc, a multivitamin, and maybe NAC.
We all have very different lifestyles, genetics, family circumstances, stress levels, and nutrient statuses. One size does not fit all. The key word is ‘appropriate,’ and it must be tailored to you ideally.
If you’re not considering working with a fertility nutritionist, you might reconsider this. They don’t just tell you to eat your greens. They can help by referring you to other professionals, but we also look at your diet, health history, family history, lifestyle, and environment and then tailor your lifestyle, diet, and supplementation to you, also considering if there are any gaps in your digestive function or signs of inflammation that need addressing. A nutritionist can review your blood test results and other test outcomes and might recommend additional tests like stool, blood, saliva, semen analysis, and DNA fragmentation testing. They can also help you advocate for yourself and ask the right questions to other professionals assisting you and look for more answers about why something is happening or not happening in the case of someone not trying to get pregnant.
A session with a fertility nutritionist will probably save you time because you won’t have to spend a lot of time researching, and you also won’t waste time taking supplements that are not particularly useful for you. You might even save money in the long run by not buying things that are not helpful.
I think it’s a great idea to work with a professional. I am 100% biased about this, but if you’re looking for someone, the only way to know if your fertility nutritionist is appropriately qualified is to look them up in our directory at the Fertility Nutrition Centre. As far as I know, it’s the only place to get your qualification and education as a fertility nutritionist, which is through our centre.
I’m sorry to hear that. That’s a very shocking and awful thing to have happened to anyone. I’m not aware of any nutritional intervention to help prevent that. That is something that would be medically managed. I’ve never heard of anything that can be done food- or supplement-wise to stop that from happening, unfortunately.
There is some evidence to suggest that organic fruit and vegetables contain more nutrients. Similarly, organic meats are generally more nutritious because the cattle or other animals raised organically are usually fed grass rather than grain. This grass-feeding favourably changes their fatty acid composition.
Additionally, eating locally produced food, as much as possible, and in season can increase the nutrient levels of your food. This is because local and seasonal produce is not picked before it’s ripe and doesn’t require long transportation before it ends up on your plate.
Some people are prescribed folic acid at high levels for a medical condition, and you should never just stop taking it without discussing it with your consultant. If that is the case, it’s crucial to get proper medical advice.
It’s really difficult to advise in a general sense because this is a very personalized question. When we look at methyl folate, it’s a form of folate found in nature, unlike folic acid. Folate is generally a water-soluble nutrient, so any excess is typically excreted in urine. However, you can still end up with toxic levels if you take too much, which is why we don’t recommend mega-dosing.
When considering folate supplementation, if you are required to take folic acid, it’s a good idea to work with a fertility nutritionist. They can run a report to examine your full methylation cycle and determine if there are gaps that folic acid might be blocking. This assessment can help decide whether you need folic acid, methyl folate, or something else.
It’s important to consult with a professional who can provide advice tailored specifically to your methylation cycle and needs. If you suspect that folic acid may not be suitable for you, discussing your situation with your consultant is essential.
I would never say “should” to anyone about anything, but it’s not harmful. However, you normally take it for egg health, so you don’t necessarily need to continue taking it after you’ve had the transfer or once you’ve had a positive pregnancy test.
You can definitely get too much of a good thing, for sure. Obviously, I have no idea what you’re taking, what forms, and what brands or levels. And, how much you need is hard to say, but generally, we recommend three to six months of preparation before trying to conceive.
This is because it takes roughly three months for a cycle of egg maturation, or for your eggs to go through a full cycle of maturation—same for sperm. So, if you’re exposing those maturing eggs to all of these lovely nutrients for at least three months, ideally more, then they’re getting the full benefit. This is as opposed to taking them for just short periods.
But I wouldn’t take anything in high doses for a long period without working with a professional because, you know, unless it’s water-soluble, like vitamins, if you’re taking a mineral like iron, zinc, or magnesium, they can knock other things out of balance, and you can end up with too much. This also depends on how much you’re taking and your diet.
For instance, if you’re vegan or vegetarian, you might need to take supplements indefinitely, potentially, because you’re not consuming an omnivore diet. It’s very personal. But generally, we look at a three to six-month timeframe.
If you’re eating mostly plants, I would be a little bit worried about that. You can’t make up for that necessarily in a supplement, especially if your supplement is also vegan or vegetarian.
It depends on the formulation. You should follow the instructions on the packet of the supplements you’re taking. The packet might recommend you take them either with food or sometimes with carbohydrate meals. Other times, it may say to take them away from food, or on an empty stomach.
Taking on an empty stomach means about 30 minutes to an hour before you eat, or two hours after eating. That’s when your stomach will be empty. Just follow the advice on the jar or the packet.
We don’t tend to test that so much. Generally, we make an educated guess at how much you need and then use it for a specific amount of time. You know, normally, if we’re lucky, we get about three months out of a client before they say, “Oh, I want to be pregnant yesterday or last month.”
So, we don’t tend to test for it, as it’s quite tricky. However, there are things we look at, such as your energy levels or whether you’ve had a cycle where your eggs didn’t progress. Did they not have enough energy? We’re always asking these questions; sometimes it might seem quite random, but it’s part of a process that we go through in our heads to try and figure out what your levels might look like.
Those are the better-quality brands, as opposed to—I won’t name any names—but the ones you often see advertised on YouTube or which you can find in your supermarket.
I would recommend taking omega-3 supplements throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding. DHA is crucial for the baby’s neural development, neural pathways, and brain growth. Generally, the baby will receive enough DHA, but it will be at the mother’s expense.
During pregnancy and breastfeeding, you have a store of omega-3 in your brain. If you’re not getting enough from your diet, the baby will take what it needs from you. This can result in symptoms such as dry skin, “baby brain” (fuzzy thinking), or even prenatal or postnatal depression. These are some of the potential risks of insufficient omega-3 intake.
So, if you’re not allergic, and you’re not on blood thinner medications, it’s beneficial to continue taking omega-3 throughout this period. However, if you are on blood thinners, you should stop and discuss it with your consultant.
The advice you’ve received may be personalized to your specific situation. It’s not something I’ve commonly come across in the literature. Generally, if you’ve been taking omega-3 supplements and decide to stop for a period, it shouldn’t be detrimental. Your omega-3 levels won’t drop suddenly; it takes about 3 months for these nutrients to build up in your cells, and they won’t just disappear overnight.
Stopping the supplement temporarily won’t cause any immediate harm to you or your baby. You can safely take a break and then restart the supplementation once you’re ready, or after you’ve delivered the baby. But I don’t have details on what specific advice you’ve been given based on your circumstances.
In the UK, melatonin is classified as a drug because it is a hormone rather than a nutritional supplement.
There is some evidence suggesting that melatonin can help support egg quality. But it can also disrupt your menstrual cycle. This disruption might have a detrimental effect on your cycle, especially if you are undergoing natural IVF, where you rely on your body’s natural cycle. In such cases, I would advise being quite cautious about using melatonin.
It’s crucial to discuss the use of melatonin with your clinician to ensure it’s appropriate for your specific situation.
CoQ10 comes in 2 different forms: ubiquinone and ubiquinol. There’s some evidence suggesting that ubiquinol is more potent because it has already undergone some conversion in the body, meaning you might need a little less of it compared to ubiquinone.
The choice between these forms is very personalized. It often depends on a clinical assessment that I would make based on the client in front of me. Typically, I prefer to use ubiquinol, as it is believed to be more readily utilized by the body.
It’s important to note that there is very little research comparing the effectiveness of these two forms. So, much of the decision-making relies on clinical judgment and experience as a nutritionist, rather than on extensive data from scientific literature.
I’m not a big fan of taking an antioxidant complex on top of your multivitamin. -When I mention antioxidant complexes, I mean supplements that include combinations like vitamin C, vitamin E, and zinc-.
NAC, or N-acetyl cysteine, is an antioxidant that supports your body’s production of glutathione, which is your body’s chief antioxidant. Some people have a genetic predisposition that makes them poor at producing glutathione.
NAC can be beneficial in preventing damage to both sperm and eggs. It can be quite useful for individuals whose lifestyle or diet may require additional antioxidant support. For example, I’ve had my full genetic profile analysed, and I know that I don’t produce glutathione efficiently. Because of this, I take NAC and glutathione supplements to support my body’s needs.
NAC isn’t suitable for everyone. If you are asthmatic or have any kind of allergic reactions, you should avoid taking NAC. It’s crucial to get personalized advice when considering such supplements, as they need to be tailored to your specific needs and health conditions.
Blood tests. When it comes to genetic testing, there are various tests available that can provide valuable insights. A nutritionist can help you navigate through these options and understand what each test reveals about your health.
Regarding acupuncture, while I appreciate its benefits, I must admit I find its mechanisms somewhat mysterious. As such, I’m not entirely sure how it would interact with or affect the results of a blood test.
Therefore, my recommendation would be to prioritize blood tests to comprehensively assess your health and nutritional needs. This approach allows us to make informed decisions based on concrete data from our bodies.
Yes, we do.
You can, so any of our fertility nutritionists at the Fertility Nutrition Center can help organize this. You don’t want to go to kind of high street, the sort of kits you can buy online, generally, they’re not particularly good. It’s better to go for a practitioner, a product that’s generally available for practitioners, and there’s just two labs that I use in the UK.
In terms of understanding your body better and understanding what you can do. I don’t know if you’ve heard of the term “biohacking,” but if you sort of want to optimize your potential, then genetic profiling is interesting because you can see how your body kind of processes hormones, and, you know, antioxidants and inflammation, and what you should and shouldn’t be doing.
It’s not the first test I reach for when I do it. When I work with a client, it tends to generally be those who just want—they just want it all, they just want to know it all. But the genetic profile will tell you, it’s like you’re—it’s like the book of your life, but then it doesn’t tell you—it doesn’t give us the answers of what actually what your body’s doing with that information. So, it’s your body’s kind of always reading this book, um, and it’s up to interpretation.
You still need the blood test to look at your nutrient levels and see what’s actually going on, and you’re still going to need to find out what’s going on with your digestion or inflammation or whatever. If you’re interested in finding out the potential and what way you’re sort of pushed, where your weak links might be, and where we might want to focus our attention, um, genetic testing is incredible.
If you’re highly anxious, you might want to give it a miss because it can, you know, you can get a little bit stressed if you find something out that’s potentially—you know if you’re highly prone to Alzheimer’s, for example, or highly prone to certain issues, and, um, you know, you do have to be prepared for that as well.
I have been working online for years now, and after COVID and the pandemic, every nutritionist is online. I think there are pros and cons to everything. A lot of my girls have not gone back to in-clinic consultations because we’re still a bit wary and, you know, it’s safety and all of that. And, if you’re not in London or somewhere where there are a lot of options, then it’s great because you can just work with anybody.
It depends on you. I mean, you do have to have that rapport and trust with your nutritionist as well. And if you think that you’d rather work with someone in an office, maybe that’s the right thing to do for you. But we don’t necessarily touch you or do any kind of poking and prodding.
It’s a swab. It just takes cells from the inside of your cheek and, it’s just—you just get your genetic— I wish I had one I could show you. Furthermore, it’s not looking at your specific nutrient levels.
