The Dr. Josh Axe Show
The Dr. Josh Axe Show

How to Naturally Boost Fertility (And Why 1 in 6 Couples Can't Conceive Today)

August 31, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

One in six couples worldwide now face infertility, a figure that has climbed sharply in recent decades. On this episode of The Dr. Josh Axe Show, Dr. Axe presents a functional medicine framework for understanding and reversing this trend, arguing that the body will not prioritize conception if it perceives the internal environment as unsafe. Drawing on a major Harvard study of more than 17,000 women followed for eight years, he reports that lifestyle changes can improve fertility by nearly 70 percent. The core message is that fertility is not a fixed verdict but a changeable signal from the body.

The Six Root Causes of Infertility

Dr. Axe organizes his approach around six primary drivers of infertility, each tied to a specific physiological mechanism. The most common cause he sees in practice is blood sugar and insulin dysregulation. High insulin tells the ovaries to produce excess testosterone, disrupting ovulation. This is the underlying issue in most cases of PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), which he reframes as a metabolic syndrome. Crucially, he notes that women with normal body weight can still have elevated fasting insulin. The fix is straightforward: eat more protein and fiber, and cut sugar and refined carbs.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (01:17) **Fertility Crisis and the Body's Safety Signal** - Dr. Axe introduces the episode’s core thesis: one in six couples face infertility, and the body will not prioritize pregnancy if it senses danger from inflammation, stress, or nutrient deficiency.
  • 2 (02:56) **COVID Vaccine and Miscarriage Risk** - Dr. Axe breaks down leaked Fauci texts and a 2025 Israeli study on 200,000 pregnancies, showing a potential 4% increase in fetal loss after first-trimester mRNA vaccination.
  • 3 (06:30) **Root Cause #1: Blood Sugar and Insulin** - Dr. Axe identifies high insulin as the most common and most reversible cause of infertility, especially driving PCOS, and explains how it disrupts ovulation.
  • 4 (09:47) **Root Cause #2: Thyroid Issues** - The thyroid sets the metabolic tempo for reproduction, and even mildly low function or elevated antibodies can cause ovulation problems and higher miscarriage rates.
  • 5 (10:36) **Root Cause #3: Nutrient Deficiency** - You cannot build a healthy pregnancy without raw materials; vitamin D, iron, B12, folate, and zinc are the critical players.
  • 6 (11:29) **Root Cause #4: Stress and Safety Signals** - High cortisol suppresses estrogen and progesterone, directly signaling the body that it is not safe to conceive.
  • 7 (13:34) **Root Cause #5: Endocrine Disruptors** - Plastics, fragrances, nonstick cookware, and glyphosate are everywhere and can interfere with hormone signaling.

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Show Notes

1 in 6 couples worldwide is now struggling to conceive — and in most cases, the real root causes never get tested. Dr. Josh Axe walks through the 6 functional and ancient medicine root causes driving the infertility epidemic, the suppressed Fauci texts on COVID vaccines and miscarriage risk, and the exact diet, supplement, and lifestyle plan that can shift your fertility in as little as 90 days. Food is medicine, and your body was designed to heal — this episode shows you how to work with it, not against it. **In this episode:** - The Fauci texts that went public: what he privately said about mRNA vaccines and miscarriage risk, and what two large-scale studies (200,000+ pregnancies) actually found - The #1 root cause Josh sees in clinical practice — and why fixing blood sugar alone has helped more women conceive than almost anything else - Why your TSH can look completely normal while thyroid antibodies are silently blocking ovulation and raising miscarriage risk - The 10-marker fertility blood panel Josh runs — the specific labs (free T3, ferritin, TPO antibodies, fasting insulin) that standard workups miss - What Chinese medicine calls "kidney yang deficiency" and "damp phlegm," what those patterns actually mean in functional terms, and the warming foods that address both - The 90-day fertility window: why eggs take 90 days and sperm 74 to mature, and how today's changes show up in 3 monthsDownload my FREE PDF "Fertility Foundations": https://bit.ly/draxefertilityfoundations Uncover what’s really going on in your body with advanced biomarker testing for hormones, thyroid, and metabolism— plus a 1-hour consultation with a Senior Health Advisor! → http://mybloodwork.com *Disclaimer: The bloodwork our team runs at mybloodwork.com covers a handful of the biomarkers listed in the guide above — including critical thyroid and metabolic markers — plus a 1-hour consultation with a Senior Health Advisor, but does NOT cover all 25. You will want to consult your primary or functional doctor for the entire list. Thank you to our sponsors! Sunlighten Sauna: https://get.sunlighten.com/axepodcast Manukora Manuka Honey: https://manukora.com/axe Watch The Dr. Josh Axe Show every Monday & Thursday on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drjoshaxe?sub_confirmation=1 🎧 Early Access! Our listeners enjoy every episode before anyone else! Tune in below and join our exclusive group of listeners → Spotify: https://bit.ly/DrJoshAxeSpotify Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/3JDvWcS Pre-order my NEW BOOK, Heal Your Cells → healyourcellsbook.com Watch my free training on how to naturally balance your blood sugar and reverse your symptoms → http://DrAxeDiabetesClass.com Discover practical steps you can take today to start healing your thyroid naturally → http://DrAxeThyroidClass.com If you’re ready to start feeling like yourself again and balance your hormones, take my free class → http://DrAxeHormoneClass.com CONNECT WITH DR. JOSH AXE Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/

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