dozens

Science & sourcing

What's in the pack... and what purposefully isn't.

Formulating for egg freezing means ruling things out as often as ruling them in. Here's the reasoning that won't fit on the label.

What's in the pack

Compound 01 CoQ10 600mg · ubiquinone · vegetable capsule

Coenzyme Q10 is a compound naturally present in every cell in the body. We dose it at 600mg - the amount used in the research referenced below1, not a random number we picked ourselves.

Compound 02 Omega‑3 1,100mg (660mg EPA / 440mg DHA) · ethyl ester · 2 softgels

EPA and DHA are omega-3 fatty acids found throughout the body's cell membranes. We use pharmaceutical-grade ethyl ester fish oil at launch.

Compound 03 Astaxanthin 8mg · natural · vegetable capsule

A naturally-occurring carotenoid, the same pigment that colours wild salmon and shrimp. 8mg is the maximum permitted daily dose under UK and EU novel food rules; we don't go higher, whatever a wider dose range elsewhere might claim.

Manufacturing

Dozens is manufactured in the UK under the Food Supplements (England) Regulations 2003 and the parallel Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland regulations. Every batch is dosed within the limits those regulations, and the UK/EU novel food authorisations that apply to individual ingredients, actually allow.

Timing

Why we recommend at least 8 weeks pre-treatment

The follicles that get retrieved in a given cycle start their gonadotropin-responsive growth roughly 70–90 days beforehand, not the day stimulation starts. That's the window most of the published research on these three ingredients has actually tested, not a single day and not indefinitely.

CoQ10 pretreatment trials in women with diminished ovarian reserve have generally run for around 60 days before stimulation began.1 Astaxanthin research in poor responders has used an 8-week pretreatment window running up to egg collection (at a higher dose, 12mg, than the 8mg UK novel food cap we formulate to).2 Omega-3 evidence is less defined on a specific lead-in period, but the same follicular-development logic applies.3,4 That's the basis for our own directions: start at least 8 weeks before your planned cycle and continue daily through stimulation.

What we leave out, and why

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Folate / folic acid
That's a pregnancy-stage nutrient, not an egg-freezing one. Your GP or clinic will advise on folate separately if and when you need it.
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DHEA
Used by some clinics under direct medical supervision. Not something we'll put in an over-the-counter pack.
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Melatonin
Prescription-only in the UK. Not legal to include here at any dose.
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Growth hormone
Prescription-only, clinically administered. Nowhere near a supplement pack.
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High-dose vitamin A
Carries a recognised teratogenic risk at high doses. We don't include it.
-
Chasteberry / Vitex
Can interfere with the gonadotropin medications used in stimulation cycles. Left out entirely.

References

  1. Xu Y, Nisenblat V, Lu C, Li R, Qiao J, Zhen X, Wang S. Pretreatment with coenzyme Q10 improves ovarian response and embryo quality in low-prognosis young women with decreased ovarian reserve: a randomized controlled trial. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. 2018;16:29. doi.org/10.1186/s12958-018-0343-0
  2. Shafie A, Aleyasin A, Saffari M, Saedi M, Rostami S, Rezayi S, Mohammadi SD, Amidi F. Astaxanthin improves assisted reproductive technology outcomes in poor ovarian responders through alleviating oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Ovarian Research. 2024;17:212. doi.org/10.1186/s13048-024-01537-7
  3. Chiu YH, Karmon AE, Gaskins AJ, Arvizu M, Williams PL, Souter I, Rueda BR, Hauser R, Chavarro JE; EARTH Study Team. Serum omega-3 fatty acids and treatment outcomes among women undergoing assisted reproduction. Human Reproduction. 2018;33(1):156-165. doi.org/10.1093/humrep/dex335
  4. Abodi M, De Cosmi V, Parazzini F, Agostoni C. Omega-3 fatty acids dietary intake for oocyte quality in women undergoing assisted reproductive techniques: a systematic review. European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology. 2022;275:97-105. doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2022.06.019
Dozens is a food supplement. It is not a medicine, and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition, including infertility. Food supplements should not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet. Do not exceed the stated recommended daily dose. Always tell your fertility clinic or GP about any supplements you're taking, particularly alongside stimulation medication.