Low AMH does not indicate fertility status

aannawilson03
Nov 20
2 min read

In my clinic recently, I’ve had many women come to me feeling worried and disheartened after being told their AMH levels are ‘low.’ It’s something I’m seeing more often and I think it’s time we unpack what that actually means including the many other factors that shape fertility outcomes and the ways we can optimise reproductive health.

So, what is AMH?

AHM stands for Anti-Müllerian Hormone and is produced by granulosa cells of small, growing follicles in the ovary. As females age, the number of eggs decrease, which causes AMH levels to decrease. At menopause, no eggs are left and AMH levels drop to zero.

In the medical/IVF world, AMH is used as a biomarker for the quantity of eggs you have (also known as ‘the ovarian reserve’). However, a low end reading of AMH should not be considered as a sole marker of fertility.

Why it can’t predict fertility

AMH cannot determine the quality of your eggs
AMH levels can fluctuate during the menstrual cycles so depending on when you test, you may have different results
Regardless of age, some women may produce a small amount of really good quality eggs whilst some women may have an abundance of eggs but they may be of poor quality
Regardless of the AMH level, a woman’s ovary will mature and ovulate one egg per month. The overall number of eggs in the ovary will not affect this

Other factors that effect fertility

Ageing (for both men and women)
The health of the sperm
The overall health of both partners
Chemotherapy
Gene mutations
History of ovarian surgery, endometriosis, PCOS, pelvic inflammatory disease
Hormonal contraception
Obesity
Smoking (tobacco or vapes)
Alcohol
Recreational drugs
Stress
Environmental toxins (GMO, pesticides, chemicals, endocrine disruptors, EMF)
Diet
Nutritional deficiencies
Gut health
Hormonal health (is ovulation happening?) See blog: How to track ovulation for fertility

How to optimise egg quality and fertility outcomes

Antioxidants (lots of fruit and veggies)
Folate (dark leafy greens, beans, legumes)
Omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, chia, flax, walnuts)
Reduce weight if overweight
Avoid alcohol and smoking
Supplementing with specific nutrients
Good quality pre-natal (Not Elevit!)
Reduce exposure to environmental toxins (cleaning products, makeup, toiletries)
Include self care and exercises that reduce stress
Correct any nutritional deficiencies
Address gut health
Address hormonal health through nutritional and herbal support

As you can see, fertility must be addressed holistically and coming from a naturopathic perspective there are so many things we can do to support you on this journey.

Please don’t let your AMH levels get you down. Of course, we can’t control some things like ageing but we CAN control so many other things to help boost your fertility status.

If you're looking for 1:1 support in this area, book a Naturopathic Consultation today and let's work together to optimise your fertility.