Estrogen gets a bad rap in the fertility world. If you've ever been told you have "estrogen dominance," you've probably been made to feel like estrogen is the problem — something to suppress, detox, or eliminate. But here's the truth: estrogen is essential for fertility, pregnancy, and long-term health. We don't want to get rid of estrogen. We want to help her stay balanced and working with your body, not against it.

In this episode of The Fertility Dietitian Podcast, we're breaking down what estrogen actually does in the body, how both high and low estrogen can interfere with fertility, and the biggest nutrition and lifestyle factors that influence estrogen metabolism. This is a short but powerful episode (15 minutes) that will completely change how you think about estrogen, hormone balance, and what actually supports healthy cycles and implantation.

"Estrogen isn't the villain — she's essential. The goal isn't suppression, it's balance." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why estrogen is a Goldilocks hormone — and why both high and low levels can impact fertility

• Common signs and symptoms of high estrogen vs. low estrogen

• How estrogen supports ovulation, implantation, cervical mucus, mood, bone health, and heart health

• Why "normal" estrogen labs don't always tell the full story

• The critical role of progesterone in balancing estrogen

• How gut health and the estrobolome influence estrogen recycling

• Why liver function matters for estrogen detox and metabolism

• How blood sugar, stress, over-exercising, and under-fueling disrupt estrogen balance

• The nutrients required for healthy estrogen metabolism

• Why genetics is not destiny when it comes to hormones

• My top three nutrition and lifestyle strategies to support estrogen balance

• Why blindly supplementing to "lower estrogen" can backfire

• When deeper testing (like the DUTCH test) is actually helpful

Connect & Learn More:

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Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health

Contact me: brooke@thefertilitydietitian.health

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We talk a lot around here about gut health, hormones, blood sugar, inflammation, and nutrient status—all the big pillars that influence fertility. But today, we're backing things up literally to the mouth. Because here's something that still surprises a lot of couples: you cannot fully optimize fertility without paying attention to oral health.

What's happening in your mouth does not stay in your mouth. Oral bacteria and gum inflammation directly impact systemic inflammation, immune function, hormone signaling, sperm quality, implantation, pregnancy outcomes, and miscarriage risk. And yes—this matters for both female and male fertility. Oral health is now considered a critical part of preconception care, not just something to think about when you're due for a dental cleaning.

"Bleeding gums are common, but they are not normal—and inflammation anywhere affects fertility everywhere." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• How oral bacteria enter the bloodstream and drive systemic inflammation

• Why gum disease is linked to longer time to conception and pregnancy complications

• The connection between oral health, sperm quality, and DNA integrity

• Signs your oral health may be impacting fertility (even subtle ones)

• Fertility-friendly oral hygiene habits you can start today

• Key nutrients that support both oral and reproductive health

Connect & Learn More:

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq

Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast

Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health

Contact me: brooke@thefertilitydietitian.health

Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop

Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian

Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian

YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast

If you haven't listened to Episode 27 on iron supplementation and fertility yet, I highly recommend starting there. In that episode, we broke down why blindly supplementing iron can actually backfire, why low iron on labs doesn't automatically mean iron deficiency, and why iron never works alone. Today's episode builds on that foundation and goes even deeper into what's really going on with iron and fertility.

Here's the truth most women are never told: fertility-related iron issues are rarely about iron intake. They're about iron regulation. Transport. Binding. Inflammation. And clotting risk. Your body is actually very efficient with iron — so when labs look "low," the real question isn't how much iron are you eating? It's why isn't your body able to use the iron it already has? That's exactly what we're unpacking today.

"Most iron issues in fertility aren't about intake — they're about regulation." - Brooke Boskovich.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• Why most fertility-related iron issues are regulation problems, not true iron deficiency

• How inflammation causes iron to get "stuck" — and why supplementing often makes this worse

• The critical role copper, ceruloplasmin, vitamin A, and magnesium play in iron transport

• Why food-based (heme) iron supports fertility better than iron supplements

• How excess or poorly regulated iron increases clotting risk and can impair implantation

• The specific lab patterns that point to functional iron deficiency vs. true deficiency

Connect & Learn More:

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/4faTvVq

Support the show: Please leave me a comment or a review wherever you listen to this podcast

Learn more about this episode: thefertilitydietitian.health

Contact me: brooke@thefertilitydietitian.health

Check out my Digital Store: thefertilitydietitian.health/shop

Facebook: facebook.com/BrookeTheFertilityDietitian

Instagram: instagram.com/the.fertility.dietitian

YouTube: youtube.com/@TheFertilityDietitianPodcast