Fertility & Preconception Stack
A good prenatal vitamin covers most of this — think of it as what to look for on the label, not a shopping list of separate bottles.
Folate (as folic acid)
We use: Pure Encapsulations Folic Acid400–800 mcg/day, starting at least one month before trying to conceiveThe best-established supplement in reproductive health — proven to reduce neural tube defects. We use actual folic acid here specifically because that's the form used in the landmark neural-tube-defect-prevention trials; methylfolate is theoretically equivalent and increasingly preferred (especially if you carry an MTHFR variant), but doesn't carry the same direct trial evidence for this specific benefit. Start before conception, not after a positive test.
CoQ10 (as Ubiquinol)
We use: Protocol for Life Balance Ubiquinol 200mg200 mg/day, with a meal containing some fatCommonly used in fertility care and thought to support egg (and sperm) quality, particularly with age. Ubiquinol is the reduced, already-active form of CoQ10 — it's better absorbed than standard ubiquinone, which matters because your body's own ability to convert ubiquinone to the active form declines with age, the same population most likely to be using this. Evidence is more preliminary than folate's, but it's widely used and well tolerated.
Vitamin D3
We use: Pure Encapsulations1,000–2,000 IU/dayLinked to reproductive hormone balance — worth checking your level. Take with a meal containing some fat for better absorption.
Omega-3 (DHA-forward)
We use: Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA200–300 mg DHA/day (2 softgels/day)Supports early fetal brain development once pregnancy begins — worth having on board before you know you're pregnant, since early development happens fast. We use a DHA-predominant formula here rather than a general fish oil, since fertility/early-pregnancy benefit is specifically tied to DHA, not EPA. This product also includes 400 IU of vitamin D3 — worth accounting for if you're also taking the separate D3 capsule above, so you're not stacking more than you need.
Vitamin B12
We use: Thorne (methylcobalamin)2.6 mcg/day minimum (most prenatal-style regimens provide closer to 1,000 mcg)Needed alongside folate for healthy fetal neural development. Deficiency is more common than people expect — especially on a vegetarian or vegan diet, after bariatric surgery, or with certain acid-reflux medications — and can go unnoticed since symptoms are subtle. Thorne's version uses methylcobalamin, the active form your body doesn't need to convert.
Shop this stack
Dr. Angel stocks practitioner-grade versions of these ingredients through Arte & Cera Supplemental Support, his Fullscript dispensary, which handles checkout, payment, and shipping directly — Arte & Cera never sees your payment details.
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Worth knowing
For partners: zinc, folate, and CoQ10 are the ones most often discussed for sperm health — ASRM recommends evaluating both partners together, not just supplementing one.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This is educational information, not a personalized recommendation — talk to your provider before starting anything new, especially alongside medications or if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or managing a health condition.