The science of fertility: Hormones, inflammation, and what you can control | Dr Natalie Crawford

The Proof with Simon Hill

Simon Hill

Nutrition, Education, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 26 January 2026

⏱️ 187 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Fertility is not just about timing ovulation. In this episode, Dr Natalie Crawford explains how sleep, stress, insulin resistance, diet, toxins, supplements, and lifestyle choices influence egg and sperm quality, miscarriage risk, and fertility outcomes. We cover fertility myths, evidence-based nutrition, supplements that matter, and when medical treatments like IVF or egg freezing make sense. What We Cover Sleep, inflammation, and hormone signalling Insulin resistance and reproductive health Strength training, stress, and metabolic resilience Fertility nutrition and soy myths Supplements that support fertility Sex, ovulation timing, and common misconceptions Fertility treatments and realistic expectations A practical, compassionate, and science-driven conversation for anyone planning a pregnancy or struggling to conceive. You can learn more from Dr Natalie Crawford by preordering her book The Fertility Formula at nataliecrawfordmd.com/book. You can also follow her on Instagram for ongoing fertility education, and listen to her podcast As a Woman. Intro (00:00) How Personal Loss Changed Medical Practice (03:34) Infertility, Isolation, and the Power of Support Systems (11:32) Fertility Is Not Luck: How Empowered Choices Shape Outcomes (16:03) Common Fertility Myths and Misconceptions (21:31) Sperm Health, Lifestyle, and Testosterone Risks (32:59) Chronic Inflammation and Its Impact on Reproductive Health (42:50) Egg Quality vs Age: What Really Drives Infertility (50:55) Hidden Signs of Chronic Inflammation You Shouldn’t Ignore (01:01:22) Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Health Sign (01:10:34) Birth Control and Fertility Awareness (01:19:17) Lifestyle Changes That Can Improve Natural Fertility (01:28:33) Why Sleep Is Critical for Hormones, Fertility, and Metabolic Health (01:34:13) Muscle Mass, Insulin Resistance, and Fertility Health (01:43:48) How Food Influences Inflammation (01:53:33) Supplements That Support Fertility and Egg Quality (02:05:56) Fertility Supplement Red Flags (02:15:55) Everyday Behavioral Toxins That Harm Fertility (02:29:46) Common Fertility Myths Explained (02:36:19) When to Consider Medical Interventions for Infertility (02:42:43) This episode is brought to you by: 38TERA Consider 38TERA's DMN prebiotic supplement a daily multivitamin for your gut. Formulated by yours truly and gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout. ProLon Just in time for the new year, ProLon’s 5-Day Fasting Mimicking Diet offers a science-backed way to support metabolic health while still allowing you to eat. ProLon is offering The Proof listeners 15% off their 5-day nutrition program at ProLonLife.com. Caraway Caraway’s cookware set is a favourite for a reason. It can save you up to $190 compared to buying items individually, and The Proof listeners can take an additional 10% off at CarawayHome.com or by using code THEPROOF at checkout. Caraway. Non-toxic cookware made modern. Eight Sleep Upgrade your sleep with the Pod 5 Ultra by Eight Sleep. Clinically validated to deliver up to 1 extra hour of quality sleep per night through temperature control and biometric tracking. Use code THEPROOF for $350 off at eightsleep.com/theproof. Try it risk-free for 30 days, with worldwide shipping. Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons) Creator of theproof.com Host of The Proof with Simon Hill Author of The Proof is in the Plants Subscribe & Connect: YouTube Apple Podcasts Spotify Instagram: @simonhill Twitter: @theproof Facebook: The Proof with Simon Hill

Transcript

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0:00.0	Fertility. For some people, it's something they don't think much about until suddenly they have to.
0:08.0	For others, it becomes a long, exhausting presence, measured in cycles, tests, losses, and those quiet moments of wondering why.
0:18.0	My guest today is Dr. Natalie Crawford, a board-certified OBGYN
0:23.5	and reproductive endocrinologist. Over her career, she's helped thousands of patients navigate
0:29.6	fertility from a clinical standpoint. She understands the hormones, the physiology, the treatments,
0:36.9	the evidence. And she also knows this terrain personally,
0:40.6	having lived through recurrent pregnancy loss herself. And it's that combination that gives her work
0:46.3	a rare depth. In her new book, The Fertility Formula, Natalie explores how fertility can be
0:52.1	supported proactively, with evidence, nuance, and without blame.
0:57.5	This is a conversation both women and men can take a lot from.
1:02.3	Yes, fellas, we do talk about the importance of good quality sperm.
1:06.6	I absolutely loved this conversation.
1:09.3	Natalie is a wealth of knowledge and genuinely a very
1:12.4	pleasant, enjoyable person to spend time with. And with that, let's get into it.
1:21.8	I was just saying off air, I've learned so much from reading your book over the last few weeks. And this is a topic
1:31.8	that I haven't necessarily had a whole lot of kind of firsthand experience thinking about a lot of
1:39.3	what you've written about in the book. But I've had secondhand experience and I have close friends
1:46.9	who have really struggled with fertility probably for more than a decade now and I've kind of
1:51.9	being there as a support for them and seeing that emotional roller coaster. So firstly, I guess I want to lead with thank you because for me it's really
2:05.9	powerful to have a book written not only by an expert, someone who's qualified as an obstetrician
2:14.7	and a gynecologist speaking about hormones and fertility, but also someone
2:20.9	who has lived experience and has felt the struggle, the disappointment that often comes with
	...

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