Everyday Toxins Shape Your Fertile Health
Sometimes infertility struggles don’t appear overnight — they quietly build over time. We drink from plastic bottles, cook with non-stick pans, or apply everyday skincare, unaware that these small habits may be affecting our body’s hormone systems. For couples trying to conceive, these invisible exposures can be the difference between the positive pregnancy test and another cycle of loss.
This week at Health Youniversity, I sat down with Dr. Thalia Segal, a leading San Francisco Bay Area fertility specialist and founder of Collab Fertility. With over a decade of experience and double board-certification in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Dr. Segal’s expertise combines cutting-edge reproductive medicine with lifestyle and environmental awareness. Her work empowers individuals to identify and remove endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and rebuild health to improve pregnancy outcomes, whether in the lab or at home.
Understanding the Silent Impact of Toxins
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are among the most pervasive threats to reproductive wellness. Found in plastics, cosmetics, cleaning supplies, and even the lining of canned beverages, these chemicals can mimic or block the body’s natural hormones. Unlike an acute illness, their effects are cumulative and easy to overlook. You don’t “feel” a phthalate in your shampoo, but over time, its presence can interfere with the reproductive system’s finely tuned hormonal signals.
Our modern environment is filled with these disruptors, such as BPA from plastic bottles, PFAS from non-stick cookware, pesticides on produce, and chemical fragrances in personal care products. With daily exposure, the body is constantly tasked with managing these foreign compounds as priority over the delicate symphony of our hormonal signaling.
Toxins & Fertility
Modern living has us living daily with countless toxins — from BPA in plastic bottles to phthalates in personal care products. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) interfere with the body’s natural hormone signaling, creating subtle but powerful ripples across reproductive health. Over time, this exposure can lower fertility by affecting hormonal balance, disrupting ovulation, and fueling inflammation that worsens conditions such as endometriosis or fibroids.
The impact isn’t always obvious or immediate, which is what makes it so insidious. Many couples who struggle with fertility are unknowingly dealing with the cumulative effects of years of exposure, with their bodies quietly absorbing these toxins long before they begin trying to conceive.
Male and Female Fertility Challenges
For women, these chemicals can disrupt ovulation cycles, trigger hormonal imbalances, and intensify reproductive conditions like PCOS, fibroids or endometriosis.
For men, the effects can be a decline in sperm quality - lower count, poor motility, and morphology, and DNA fragmentation. Other modern lifestyle habits such as marijuana use, energy drinks, and vaping have been shown to worsen sperm health. Because sperm regenerates every three months, even small but intentional lifestyle changes can lead to measurable improvements in male fertility, often in a relatively short time frame.
Holistic Approach to Fertility
Addressing toxins is only one piece of building reproductive health. Fertility is a reflection of overall health. Yet strategic changes to our daily environment, nutrition, hydration, circulation and sleep can lead to measurable improvements, because the body responds quickly to repair from toxin exposure.
Here’s where to start:
Toxin-Free Swaps: Glass and stainless steel are the safest alternatives to plastics, even BPA-free plastics, which still release harmful chemicals. Simple swaps in food storage, kitchenware, and personal care items reduce daily exposure to endocrine disruptors like BPA and phthalates.
Cleaner Personal Care Products: Everyday items like toothpaste, deodorant, and shampoos often introduce chemicals directly into the bloodstream through porous skin and gums. Replacing these with natural, paraben- and phthalate-free products can reduce toxic metabolites in the body by 40–50% within just three days.
Home Cleaning Products: Clean house using products that make your home sparkle minus the noxious vapors of harsh chemicals or fragrances here
Better Sleep: Sleep quality directly impacts reproductive health since the ovaries have melatonin receptors that influence egg quality. Supporting natural melatonin production with better sleep hygiene, like avoiding blue light and prioritizing early bedtimes, can improve outcomes.
Integrative Fertility Care
Fertility challenges are rarely just about a single medical factor. An integrative approach looks beyond lab results and procedures, addressing the whole person—physically, emotionally, and environmentally. By combining medical expertise with personalized lifestyle and nutritional strategies, integrative care helps create the healthiest possible foundation for conception and pregnancy.
For patients, this means fewer missed opportunities and improved outcomes. Instead of waiting for failed cycles to consider nutrition, toxin exposure, or stress management, address these factors from the start. Because the real goal is not conception; it’s a healthier mother’s body, a healthier baby, a healthier family and future.
The Collab Way
The Collab Way takes the integrative care philosophy further by offering a fully coordinated care model. From the first consultation, patients gain access to a dedicated nutritionist, tailored dietary guidance, and evidence-based recommendations for toxin reduction and supplement quality. These changes aren’t left for patients to figure out on their own — ongoing support and weekly follow-ups keep them on track, ensuring every step they take is intentional and effective.
What sets this approach apart is its collaboration with trusted practitioners such as acupuncturists, reproductive therapists, and other specialists to create a care network that supports every aspect of reproductive health. This is in complete alignment with Health Youniversity’s program - Preconception Perfected
Check out all of our episodes on the following platforms:
Know the status of your fertility health. Take our FREE Fertility Quiz now: http://yourfertilityquiz.com/
Fulfill your dream of a family. Know your best options for a healthy pregnancy: https://www.healthyouniversity.co/programs
Boost Employee Productivity by Investing in their Fertility Health. Check out our Corporate Wellness program and know the benefits it can bring to your company: https://www.healthyouniversity.co/corporate-wellness
Dr. Thalia Segal is a leading San Francisco Bay Area fertility specialist, double board-certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility as well as Obstetrics and Gynecology, with over a decade of experience helping thousands of families overcome infertility. As the founder of Collab Fertility and creator of The Collab Way, she blends advanced reproductive medicine with integrative care — addressing body, mind, and lifestyle to give patients the best chance at success.
Website: https://www.collabfertility.com/thecollabway
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collab.fertility/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/collabfertility
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CollabFertility
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@collabfertility
Medical Disclaimer:
By listening to the Health Youniversity podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition for yourself or others. Consult your healthcare provider for any medical issues you may have. This entire disclaimer also pertains to any guests or contributors to any Health Youniversity podcast.
