Egg Quantity vs. Egg Quality Explained

Many women assume that having more eggs means they are more fertile. In reality, egg quantity and egg quality are two different things—and understanding the difference is key to understanding your fertility.

What is egg quantity?

Egg quantity refers to the number of eggs remaining in your ovaries, also known as your ovarian reserve.

Egg quantity is commonly assessed using:

• AMH (Anti-Müllerian Hormone)

• Antral Follicle Count (AFC) on ultrasound

A higher ovarian reserve generally means more eggs are available, while a lower reserve means fewer eggs remain.

What is egg quality?

Egg quality refers to the likelihood that an egg contains the correct number of chromosomes and can develop into a healthy embryo.

High-quality eggs are more likely to:

• Fertilize successfully.

• Develop into healthy embryos.

• Implant in the uterus.

• Result in a healthy pregnancy.

Poor-quality eggs are more likely to have chromosomal abnormalities, which can prevent fertilization, cause embryos to stop developing, or increase the risk of miscarriage.

Why does egg quality decline?

The biggest factor affecting egg quality is age.

As women get older, the proportion of eggs with chromosomal abnormalities naturally increases. This is why fertility gradually declines with age, even in women with a good ovarian reserve.

Can you have low egg quantity but good egg quality?

Yes.

A younger woman may have a lower ovarian reserve but still produce healthy eggs with a good chance of pregnancy. This is one of the reasons why AMH alone cannot predict fertility.

Can you have high egg quantity but poor egg quality?

Yes.

Some women have a high ovarian reserve but reduced egg quality because of age or other factors. For example, a woman in her early 40s may still have a relatively good AMH but a lower chance of pregnancy due to age-related changes in egg quality.

Can egg quality be tested?

Not directly.

Unlike ovarian reserve, there is currently no blood test that measures egg quality.

Doctors estimate egg quality based mainly on:

• Age

• Fertilization and embryo development during IVF

• Embryo development to the blastocyst stage

• In some cases, genetic testing of embryos (PGT-A)

Can egg quality be improved?

Age-related egg quality cannot be reversed. However, optimizing your health before trying to conceive or starting IVF may help support egg development. Since eggs take around 3 months to mature, any lifestyle or supplement changes should ideally begin at least 2–3 months before treatment.

Some supplements have stronger scientific evidence than others.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10 / Ubiquinol)

Evidence: Strongest evidence among fertility supplements

CoQ10 supports mitochondrial function, which provides energy to developing eggs. Several studies suggest it may improve ovarian response and embryo quality, particularly in women with diminished ovarian reserve.

Typical dose:

• Ubiquinol: 200–300 mg twice daily (400–600 mg/day total) OR CoQ10 (ubiquinone): 600–900 mg/day

Ubiquinol is generally better absorbed.

Vitamin D

Evidence: Moderate

Vitamin D deficiency is common and should be corrected before pregnancy or IVF.

Typical dose:

• 1,000–2,000 IU/day for maintenance.

• Higher doses may be recommended if blood levels are low.

Vitamin D levels should ideally be checked before supplementation.

Omega-3 (EPA + DHA)

Evidence: Moderate

Omega-3 fatty acids support overall reproductive health and may help reduce inflammation.

Typical dose:

• 1,000–2,000 mg/day combined EPA + DHA.

Melatonin

Evidence: Emerging

Melatonin acts as an antioxidant within the ovary and has shown promising results in some IVF studies.

Typical dose:

• 2–3 mg at bedtime.

DHEA

Evidence: Moderate (selected women only)

DHEA may improve ovarian response in some women with diminished ovarian reserve but is not appropriate for everyone.

Typical dose:

• 25 mg three times daily (75 mg/day).

DHEA should only be taken under the guidance of a fertility specialist.

NAC (N-acetylcysteine)

Evidence: Emerging

NAC is an antioxidant that may reduce oxidative stress and has shown benefits in some fertility studies, particularly in women with PCOS.

Typical dose:

• 600–1,200 mg/day.

Key takeaways

• Egg quantity and egg quality are not the same.

• AMH and AFC estimate egg quantity, not egg quality.

• Age is the strongest predictor of egg quality.

• No supplement can reverse age-related egg ageing.

• Starting evidence-based supplements at least 2–3 months before IVF may help support egg development.

• A personalized treatment plan should always be discussed with your fertility specialist.

Bboom Insight

Egg quality cannot be measured with a single test. Bboom combines your age, ovarian reserve, medical history, lifestyle, and fertility goals to help you understand the factors that may influence egg quality and identify evidence-based strategies that may support your fertility journey.