How to increase AMH levels: can you really raise your AMH?

You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have and you can’t increase the number of eggs you have, so there’s no proven way to increase your AMH levels in a way that improves your fertility. But some things can lower your AMH reading, such as hormonal contraception and smoking, and addressing them may help. And a low AMH result doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant.

If your AMH result came back lower than you expected, it’s natural to want to do something about it. Search online and you’ll find supplements, foods and programmes promising to “boost” your AMH, sometimes quickly. Here’s what the evidence actually says: what can affect your AMH, what you can realistically do to protect your fertility, and what your result really means.

Quick facts

• AMH gives an indication of how many eggs you have left. It doesn’t tell you about egg quality, doesn’t predict whether you’ll conceive naturally.
• You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have, and no treatment has been proven to create more.
• Some things can temporarily lower your AMH reading, including hormonal contraception. Your result may rise again once the cause is removed.
• Smoking is linked with lower AMH and an earlier menopause, so stopping is one of the most useful things you can do.
• No supplement or food has been proven to increase your ovarian reserve. Some may change your AMH number without changing your egg supply.
• A low AMH result is a reason to plan, not to panic.

What is AMH and what does it tell you?

AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) is made by the small, developing follicles in your ovaries, each of which contains an immature egg. The more of these follicles you have, the higher your AMH tends to be. That’s why your AMH level gives an indication of your ovarian reserve: roughly, how many eggs you have left compared with others your age.

AMH is most useful if you’re planning ahead, considering egg freezing or preparing for IVF, where it helps predict how your ovaries will respond to fertility medication. But it reflects egg quantity, not egg quality, and it can’t tell you whether you’ll get pregnant naturally. Read our full guide to what AMH is and how it’s tested.

Can you increase your AMH levels?

Not in a way that improves your fertility. You’re born with all the eggs you’ll ever have, and your supply declines naturally with age. No diet, supplement or treatment has been proven to create new eggs or reverse that decline.

It helps to separate your AMH number from your ovarian reserve. Your AMH result can change for reasons that have nothing to do with how many eggs you have. For example, it can be lower while you’re using hormonal contraception and rise again after you stop. 

What can lower your AMH levels?

Some factors lower your AMH reading temporarily. Others affect your ovarian reserve itself.

Age. This is the biggest factor. AMH declines gradually through your 20s and 30s, and more quickly from your mid-30s, as your egg supply naturally falls.

Hormonal contraception. The pill and other hormonal methods can lower your AMH by 20-30%, but the effect is temporary. If you test while using hormonal contraception, your result may underestimate your ovarian reserve, so some people choose to retest around three months after stopping. Read more about testing your hormones on hormonal contraception.

Smoking and vaping. Current smoking is linked with lower AMH, and smokers reach menopause more than a year earlier than non-smokers on average. Research has found lower AMH in people who currently smoke but not in people who used to, which suggests stopping may help. Long-term exposure to second-hand smoke has also been linked with lower AMH. Hertility’s own research has also linked vaping to lower AMH.

Ovarian surgery. Surgery on your ovaries can reduce your ovarian reserve, because some healthy tissue may be removed along with the problem. This is particularly true of surgery to remove endometriomas (cysts caused by endometriosis).

Cancer treatment. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy to the pelvis can damage your ovaries and lower your ovarian reserve. If you’re about to start cancer treatment, ask about fertility preservation, such as egg freezing, before it begins.

Health conditions. Endometriosis and some genetic and autoimmune conditions can affect your ovarian reserve. Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), where your ovaries stop working normally before the age of 40, causes very low AMH.

Can low AMH levels be reversed?

It depends on what’s causing it. If your AMH is low because your egg supply has naturally declined with age, it can’t be reversed. Nothing can restore eggs that have already been used up.

But a low AMH result doesn’t always reflect your true ovarian reserve. Your reading may be higher when you retest if:

• you were using hormonal contraception when you tested, since the effect wears off once you stop
• you were pregnant or breastfeeding when you tested, as AMH can be lower during pregnancy
• your result was affected by normal test-to-test variation, or by different lab methods (see “Can AMH levels fluctuate?” below)

After chemotherapy, some women’s ovarian function recovers partly over time, although this varies widely. And in POI, the ovaries sometimes work on and off, so some women with POI still occasionally ovulate and conceive.

If your result is lower than you expected, a Hertility specialist can help you work out whether anything might be affecting it.

Are there supplements to increase AMH levels?

No supplement has been proven to increase your ovarian reserve. Here’s what the evidence says about the most commonly recommended ones.

Vitamin D. Research on vitamin D and AMH is mixed. A review of studies found vitamin D supplements raised AMH in women without PMOS but lowered it in women with PMOS. The researchers concluded that larger trials are needed. Vitamin D may change how much AMH your follicles make rather than how many follicles you have. Correcting a deficiency is good for your health, but it isn’t a proven way to improve your fertility.

Folic acid. Folic acid hasn’t been shown to raise AMH. But if you’re trying to conceive, you should be taking 400 micrograms of folic acid a day anyway, to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida.

Selenium and vitamin E. Small, early studies have suggested these antioxidants may help some markers of ovarian function in women with premature ovarian insufficiency. They haven’t been shown to increase AMH in other women, and high doses of selenium can be harmful, so don’t take them without advice.

DHEA. DHEA is a hormone supplement sometimes used by fertility clinics for women expected to respond poorly to IVF. The evidence is low quality, and European fertility guidelines don’t recommend it for this purpose. It can also cause side effects such as acne and excess hair growth, so it should only be taken under specialist supervision.

CoQ10. CoQ10 is popular in fertility supplements because it’s involved in producing energy in eggs. Small studies suggest it may help egg quality in some women having fertility treatment, but there’s no good evidence that it increases AMH or your egg supply.

Other “AMH boosters”. Acupuncture and herbal blends are often promoted as ways to raise AMH, but there’s no good-quality evidence that either increases your ovarian reserve.

If you’re thinking about taking a supplement, speak to your GP, pharmacist or a registered nutritionist first, especially if you’re trying to conceive. Some supplements interact with medications or aren’t safe in pregnancy. A Nutrition Consultation can help you work out what’s actually worth taking.

Can any foods help increase AMH levels?

No food or specific diet has been proven to increase your AMH or your egg supply. You’ll often see lists of “AMH-boosting” foods online, such as maca, royal jelly or pomegranate, but there’s no good-quality evidence that any of them increase your ovarian reserve.

Some research has found links between certain foods and ovarian reserve. For example, one long-term study linked higher dairy intake with a slower natural decline in AMH, and some studies have linked omega-3 fats with better ovarian markers. . Foods rich in selenium and vitamin E (nuts, seeds, leafy greens), folate and vitamin C (citrus, berries, legumes) all contribute to reducing that oxidative burden. These studies show associations, not cause and effect, so they don’t prove these foods raise AMH. 

The most useful approach is a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. That means plenty of vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, pulses, nuts and seeds, good-quality protein, and oily fish such as salmon or mackerel. This way of eating supports your overall reproductive health and prepares your body for a healthy pregnancy, even though it won’t change your AMH result.

How can I increase my AMH levels naturally?

While you can’t improve or increase your egg count, you can look after your reproductive health and make sure nothing avoidable is lowering your AMH result.

You can’t increase your true ovarian reserve. What you can do is remove things that are artificially suppressing your reading, like stopping hormonal contraception before testing, and avoid modifiable factors such as smoking, which may add to the natural decline. Everything else here (diet, weight, stress, exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals) is good for your general reproductive health and for preparing your body for pregnancy, but none of it has been shown to change your AMH number.

Limit smoking and vaping. This is one of the most evidence-based steps you can take for your ovarian reserve and your fertility more generally. Even secondhand smoke exposure should be minimised. If you currently smoke or vape, quitting is one of the most impactful steps you can take to protect your ovarian health

Keep your weight in a healthy range. Having a BMI that’s very low or very high can affect your hormones, your cycle and your fertility, it is recommended to maintain BMI between 18.5 and 25.

Stay active. Regular, moderate exercise helps regulate your hormones, manage stress and maintain a healthy weight. Choose activities you enjoy, whether that’s walking, yoga, swimming or dancing, so it’s easier to keep going. Very intense exercise, especially combined with not eating enough, can cause hormonal imbalances and even stop you ovulating.

Eat well and limit alcohol. A balanced diet and keeping alcohol within recommended limits support your reproductive health and prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy. Ultra-processed foods are often low in fibre and nutrients, so it’s worth eating fewer of them.

Reduce your exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Some chemicals in everyday products, such as phthalates in synthetic fragrances and BPA in some plastics, can interfere with your hormones. The evidence is still emerging, and you can’t avoid them completely, but simple swaps can reduce your exposure. Try storing food in glass rather than plastic, avoiding heating food in plastic containers, and choosing fragrance-free products where you can.

Look after your mental health. Chronic stress can affect your hormones and your cycle, although there’s no clear evidence that it lowers AMH. Techniques such as exercise, mindfulness, good sleep and talking to someone you trust can all help.

Manage any underlying conditions. Getting conditions such as endometriosis or thyroid problems properly diagnosed and treated helps protect your fertility. If you need surgery on your ovaries, ask your surgeon beforehand about the potential impact on your ovarian reserve.

Use your result to plan. The most powerful thing AMH can do is help you make informed decisions about timing. That might mean trying for a baby sooner, speaking to a specialist earlier, or considering egg freezing while your egg supply is higher. A Fertility Advisor Call can help you work out what your result means for your plans.

Can AMH levels fluctuate?

Yes, a little. AMH is more stable than most reproductive hormones, which is why it can usually be tested on any day of your cycle. But your result can still vary between tests for several reasons:

• Natural variation. AMH can go up and down slightly from one test to the next, and slightly across your cycle, particularly in younger women.
• Hormonal contraception. It can lower your reading while you’re using it.
• Pregnancy. AMH can be lower during pregnancy.
• Lab methods. Different labs use different testing methods, and results from different methods aren’t always directly comparable.
• Sample handling. How a blood sample is collected, stored and processed can affect the result.

Over the longer term, AMH follows a steady downward trend as your egg supply naturally declines with age. That’s why a single result is a snapshot, and why it’s best interpreted by a doctor alongside your age, cycle and history.

Should you retest your AMH?

Your AMH level changes over time, so a result from within the last 12 months gives the most useful picture. Different labs also use different testing methods, which means results from different providers aren’t always directly comparable. 

Your AMH naturally varies a little from test to test, results can differ between labs, and hormonal contraception can lower your reading. So one result doesn’t tell the whole story.

Retesting can be useful if:

• you tested while using hormonal contraception and have since stopped
• you want to see how your ovarian reserve changes over time to help you plan
• you’re making decisions about egg freezing or IVF

For the clearest picture, test with the same provider each time and have a doctor interpret your results. With the Advanced Hormone and Fertility Test, you can re-test and track your AMH over time, with a doctor-written report explaining what any change means for you. For the fullest picture of your ovarian reserve, pair your AMH with an antral follicle count on a Pelvic Ultrasound Scan.

What should you do if your AMH is low?

First, try not to panic. A low AMH result means you have fewer eggs than average for your age. It doesn’t mean you can’t get pregnant. In a large study of women trying to conceive naturally, those with low AMH were no less likely to conceive within a year than women with normal levels. Many people with low AMH still have regular periods, because regular cycles show you’re ovulating, while AMH reflects how many eggs you have left.

What a low result can do is help you plan:

• If you’re trying to conceive now, keep trying, and consider speaking to a specialist sooner rather than later, especially if you’re over 35.
• If you’re planning for the future, it may mean you have less time to plan than you thought, so consider whether trying sooner or egg freezing is right for you.
• If you’re considering IVF, a low AMH may mean fewer eggs are collected, and your clinic will use it to plan your treatment.

What do low AMH levels mean for your chances with IVF?

AMH is one of the best predictors of how your ovaries will respond to IVF medication. It’s much less useful for predicting whether IVF will result in a baby.

A low AMH usually means fewer eggs will be collected in each IVF cycle. You may be prescribed a higher dose of fertility medication or a different treatment plan. There’s also a higher chance your ovaries respond poorly, in which case a cycle might be cancelled before egg collection. If you’re freezing eggs, you may need more than one cycle to store the number of eggs your clinic recommends.

But low AMH doesn’t rule out IVF, and it tells you nothing about the quality of the eggs you do have. Your age has a much bigger effect on IVF success, because egg quality declines with age. Many women with low AMH go on to have successful IVF, particularly when they’re younger.

Your clinic will use your AMH alongside your age and your antral follicle count to plan your treatment and give you a realistic idea of your chances. Low ovarian reserve can sometimes affect eligibility for NHS-funded IVF, particularly if you’re aged 40 to 42, so ask your clinic how it applies to you. You can alsocompare clinics’ success rates on the HFEA website, and find support through Hertility’s IVF guide.

What if your AMH is high?

A higher-than-average AMH usually means you have a good egg supply for your age. But a very high AMH can also be a sign of PMOS (polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, formerly known as PCOS), because people with PMOS often have more small follicles. If your AMH is high and you also have irregular periods, acne or excess hair growth, it’s worth speaking to a doctor. Find out more about PMOS.

Ready to understand your AMH with Hertility?

The most important thing to know about a low AMH result is that it needs context. Hertility’s Advanced At-Home Hormone and Fertility Test can assess not just AMH but also cycling hormones, thyroid function, prolactin, and other markers that influence cycle regularity. 

Speaking with a Hertility clinician can help you understand what your AMH actually means for your situation, whether timing matters, whether fertility preservation is worth considering, and what steps, if any, are appropriate.

Not sure where to start? Take the Online Health Assessment and we’ll build a personalised panel around your symptoms and goals.

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