How Seed Oils Impact Fertility and What You Can Do to Improve Egg Quality
You’re here because you care about wanting to improve egg quality—and maybe you’ve started to wonder how the foods you eat could be helping or hurting your fertility. If you’ve read about oxidative stress or harmful fats, you might already know seed oils don’t get a glowing reputation. What you might not know is how profoundly they can affect fertility and reproductive health.
Let’s break it down—how seed oils can harm your egg quality, what oils to avoid, and how you can support your body in reversing the damage.
How Seed Oils Harm Fertility and Egg Quality
Seed oils are often marketed as “healthy,” but science tells a different story. These oils, high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), are unstable and prone to oxidation (think: pollution & damage), leading to cellular injury in your body. Your fertility is no exception to the damage that can happen.
They Reduce Ovarian Folliculogenesis: Research shows that seed oils impair the development of ovarian follicles, the structures that mature and release healthy eggs. This can , obviously, be a problem when trying to get pregnant.
They Decrease Implantation Success: High-PUFA oils are linked to lower implantation rates - meaning that egg you worked so hard to optimize quality for, finally met with your other half’s sperm, and now it can’t nestle into your uterine lining safely. This can also look like early pregnancy loss, or that term I loathe “chemical pregnancy”.
They Contribute to Early Miscarriage: By exacerbating oxidative stress (think: pollution around the cells), seed oils can harm eggs at the very basic cellular level, increasing the risk of miscarriage. DNA damage, trouble reading hormone signals, and inflammation all play a role here.
Contribute to Obesity and PCOS: Seed oils' inflammatory effects disrupt hormone signaling, including testosterone and insulin regulation, making conditions like PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) worse, and overall hurting the process of ovulation. In general, metabolic health suffers with seed oils.
If you’re trying to meet your baby, these problems make it clear that going through your cupboards and throwing out seed oils is a no-brainer step toward improving egg quality.
Oils to Avoid and How They Undermine Egg Quality
Not all fats are created equal. Certain oils, often labeled as “vegetable oils,” are everywhere—and they’re doing more harm than good. Don’t let that word “vegetable” fool you. The issue with these oils is not necessarily WHAT they are made of, but rather, the process used to extract the oil from the food - super high heat + chemicals = a toxic mess.
Common Harmful Oils: Avoid canola, corn, soy, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, rice bran, and hydrogenated oils - like vegetable oil, margarine and shortening. These are rich in PUFAs that oxidize easily, generating toxic byproducts.
Refined Oils: Refined peanut, coconut, or palm oil? These are actually saturated fats or monounsaturated fats - not PUFAs, and not toxic, but still best consumed unrefined. These oils have less positive benefits because they lack the nutrients found in the unrefined forms - thanks to the refining process.
Where They Hide: These oils are common in packaged foods, salad dressings, baked goods, and definitely foods at restaurants. Always check labels for terms like “vegetable oil” or “hydrogenated fats.”
Dr. Cate Shanahan does an amazing job breaking this concept down further, and is a top leading expert in the space of seed oils. Being mindful of what’s on your plate can make a huge difference in reducing your body’s exposure to these harmful oils.
Want an evidence-backed way to Improve Egg Quality?
Seed oils aren’t the only factor impacting your fertility, and the good news is that you don’t have to navigate it alone. Through advanced testing and personalized consultations, the Arise Fertility Blueprint helps you identify cellular-level stressors like seed oils and uncover the root causes of fertility challenges.
Together, we’ll create a tailored fertility roadmap to help you improve egg quality and achieve your dream of a healthy pregnancy. You can learn more and apply here!
Safe Oils to Use and How to Support Your Body
Not all oils are bad—in fact, FAT is essential for supporting your cells and improving egg quality. The key is choosing the right ones and using them properly. Did you know every cell in your body is made up of lipids (fats)? Yes, that includes egg, ovary, and uterine cells. And without fats, your body literally could not make the hormones needed for conception - estrogen, progesterone, etc.
Healthy Fats to Use Instead: Incorporate oils like coconut oil, avocado oil, butter, ghee, tallow, and extra virgin unrefined single origin olive oil into your diet. These fats are more stable and less prone to oxidation, protecting your cells from damage.
Tips for Cooking:
Combine butter with olive oil for cooking to enhance stability. And hello - so yummy. Read that again - butter is okay, and saturated fats in general are NECESSARY for hormone production.
Stir frequently when cooking at high heat to avoid overheating oils.
Try not to char your food - this coming from a smoked meats and BBQ girl, I know :( but the black on the food is a clear sign of oxidation, something called advanced glycation end products. You can read up a bit more on those here.
Reversing the Damage: Incorporate antioxidant-rich foods like leafy greens, berries, and spices (like turmeric) to combat oxidative stress. Supplements like CoQ10, NAC, and glutathione can further support cellular repair and improve egg quality. I wrote an entire blog post on reducing oxidative stress to support egg quality here.
Small changes in your cooking habits and diet can have a big impact on your fertility.
Ready to take actionable steps toward improving egg quality? Download my Preconception Checklist below, a free quick-start guide to help you reduce oxidative stress, optimize nutrition, and prepare for a healthy pregnancy.
Avoid Seed Oils to Improve Egg Quality & Fertility
Seed oils are definitely a hidden factor that can impact your fertility, but by understanding their impact and making smart choices, you can take back control of your reproductive health. Today’s world has so much c ontrovertial and mixed information about nutrition - seed oils especially. Start by eliminating harmful oils, cook more at home, and add healthy alternatives to your kitchen.
My philosophy is that our bodies are MADE for motherhood. Your body CAN do this, given the right inputs and when we work to remove things that are hurting us. Fertility optimization is never just ONE thing that makes all the difference, but every detail matters in a way.