Office Hours: Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy — Fertility, Nutrition & Hormones

Mark Hyman

Jan 26, 2026

Episode description

What’s Really Driving Infertility—and What You Can Do About It

Fertility struggles are far more common than most people realize—and far more complex than we’re often told. Today I answer listener-submitted questions on fertility, hormone balance, and preparing your body for conception.

Here’s what I cover:

• Why infertility is rising and what’s really driving it

• The hidden role of blood sugar, inflammation, and toxins in hormone balance

• What to do if labs are “normal” but fertility struggles persist

• How lifestyle and nutrition improve egg and sperm quality

• Simple, practical steps to support fertility now and long-term

Fertility challenges are complex and often influenced by underlying imbalances. Addressing root causes can help support your body’s natural resilience over time.

Visit ⁠functionhealth.com⁠ for 160+ lab tests at just $365 a year.

Helpful Resources:

Grab Our FREE Fertility Blueprint: 7 Daily Practices That Support Conception

https://drhyman.com/products/fertility-blueprint?_pos=1&_psq=fertility&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Join the 10-Day Detox to Reset Your Metabolic Health

https://drhyman.com/pages/10-day-detox Register for The Ultra Learning Series: Functional Fertility on Thursday, February 12 at 12PM ET here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_D-Tzh9z8QmyQdZpBOgohKQ#/registration Have a question you’d love answered on Office Hours? Submit it here 👉https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNF2y4lFWEOMLlzVNlFDpJ4xl7oOpH9NlImMoHr5mHggL_Ww/viewform?usp=header

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Replenish key nutrients after stopping birth control pill

The birth control pill depletes crucial vitamins and minerals like B6, folate, magnesium, B12, and zinc, which should be replenished when coming off it.

#birth-control

#supplement

Utilize meditation to enhance fertility success rates

A Harvard program found that teaching people with infertility to meditate resulted in pregnancy rates as high as or higher than standard IVF treatment.

#fertility

#meditation

Reverse biological age through lifestyle changes

Through lifestyle changes that influence your epigenome, it's possible to become biologically younger even as you get chronologically older.

#biological-age

#epigenetics

Utilize inositol to improve PCOS symptoms

A well-validated natural compound called inositol, particularly d-chiro-inositol or myo-inositol, can be very helpful for improving PCOS.

#deficiency

#supplement

Address metabolic dysfunction to combat infertility rates

The primary reason for rising infertility rates is metabolic dysfunction, specifically issues with blood sugar and insulin, which is the main driver behind many chronic diseases.

#infertility

#metabolism

Avoid touching receipts to protect hormones from BPA exposure

BPA, a significant endocrine disruptor, is present on credit card and gas station receipts, and you should avoid touching them to protect your hormones.

#BPA

#hormones

Improve egg quality despite low AMH levels through lifestyle changes

The AMH test measures the quantity of your eggs, not the quality, and you can still improve egg quality through lifestyle changes even with a low AMH number.

#fertility

Prioritize liver as a top superfood for nutrient density

Organ meats like liver are the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, far surpassing even the most nutrient-dense vegetables.

#liver

#nutrition

Utilize homocysteine test for accurate folate deficiency assessment

A homocysteine test is a better indicator of functional folate deficiency than a standard folate test, and may require a specific form called methylfolate if you have the MTHFR gene.