Good nutrition is essential for every stage of your baby’s growth and development. But the efficiency with which your body metabolizes nutrients is partly determined by your genes, and common genetic variants can affect the metabolism of one-carbon nutrients that are critical for the development of your child’s brain and spinal cord. Genate Essential Prenatal Nutrition is a multivitamin formulated from academic research that provides women with a formulation optimized to support their baby’s cognitive development. It includes the one-carbon nutrients choline, betaine, methylfolate, and B vitamins that many women have trouble metabolizing and/or don’t get enough of in their diet.
FERTILITY
Fertility & One-Carbon Nutrition: How Phosphatidylcholine and Methylation Support Life From the Very Start
by Genate • November 26, 2025 • 3-4 minute read
When you’re trying to conceive, it’s natural to think about hormones, timing, or the long list of prenatal vitamins recommended for pregnancy. But there’s a quieter, behind-the-scenes system that plays an enormous role in fertility and early development—one-carbon metabolism. This network of biochemical pathways helps your body activate nutrients, support healthy DNA, and power the earliest stages of life. And two key players in this system, phosphatidylcholine and methylation, begin shaping reproductive health long before a pregnancy test turns positive.
Let’s break down how these nutrients support your journey from preconception through early pregnancy.
Before Conception: Building Strong, Healthy Oocytes
Discover the genetics that affect your baby's cognitive development
Long before fertilization, your eggs are already relying on one-carbon nutrients. One of the most important is phosphatidylcholine, a special form of choline that directly supports the structure and function of oocytes (the cells that eventually become your baby).
Phosphatidylcholine helps build the outer membrane of each egg, supports the machinery that allows eggs to mature properly, and plays a role in protecting them from oxidative stress. Think of it as giving your oocytes the nutritional “toolkit” they need to be resilient, energetic, and fully prepared for fertilization. When phosphatidylcholine levels are low, metabolic efficiency in the ovary can suffer, and eggs may not develop as robustly.
Genetics can influence this, too. Certain SNPs affect how efficiently your body converts regular choline into phosphatidylcholine. If you carry these variants, your oocytes may benefit from receiving phosphatidylcholine directly through nutrition.
At Conception: Methylation Sets the Stage for New Life
While phosphatidylcholine supports eggs during development, methylation steps in at the moment of conception. Methylation is a natural biochemical process that helps your body regulate gene expression, repair DNA, and guide cells as they divide and specialize.
During conception, methylation helps establish the very first instructions for embryonic development. It’s involved in turning genes “on” or “off,” ensuring that cells know exactly what to become as the embryo forms. Key nutrients—including folate, choline, betaine, and B12—work together to keep this process running smoothly.
If methylation isn’t efficient, the earliest steps of development can be affected. That’s why supporting one-carbon metabolism before and during conception is so important. Your genetics may also influence how well your body activates these nutrients, making personalized nutrition especially helpful during this time.
After Conception: Fueling Rapid Cell Division
In the first few weeks after conception, the embryo undergoes a remarkable growth surge—expanding from a single cell to millions. Both phosphatidylcholine and methylation continue to play critical roles during this early period.
Phosphatidylcholine supports the formation of new cell membranes, which are essential for every division and every new tissue. Meanwhile, methylation guides the process of differentiation, helping cells take on their specialized jobs. Together, these pathways help build the placenta, shape the neural tube, and support the beginning of the brain and spinal cord.
When one-carbon nutrients are abundant and efficiently used, early development can progress smoothly and with strong metabolic support.
Why This Matters for Fertility
Fertility isn’t just about cycles and timing—it’s also about giving your body the metabolic building blocks it needs to create and support life. Phosphatidylcholine and methylation don’t just matter after pregnancy begins; they matter long before. Understanding your genetic pathways can help ensure you’re getting the right forms and amounts of these nutrients, tailored to your own biology.
And when your nutrients work efficiently, your cells—and your future baby’s cells—can, too.
If you’re eager to understand which SNPs may be shaping your one-carbon metabolism, you’re in the right place. The Genate Test gives you clear insight into your unique genetic pathways, while our nutrigenetic counseling helps translate those results into personalized, actionable nutrition guidance for preconception and pregnancy. And if you’re not sure where to start, our quick nutrition quiz can point you toward the nutrients your body may need for optimal metabolic efficiency—so you can support your fertility with confidence and clarity.
This article is not intended as medical advice to treat or diagnose any health condition but rather as educational health information for the general public. It should not be used as a substitute for individualized medical care from your healthcare provider.
Shop the Article
The Genate Test
The Genate Test is the first prenatal genetics test designed to identify which key one-carbon and essential nutrients your body doesn’t metabolize efficiently. With a simple cheek swab, you’ll receive precise, DNA-based nutrition recommendations that support your baby’s early growth, cognitive development, and your postpartum recovery.
$299
Genate Precision Guidance Bundle
For parents who want tailored, science-backed support, this bundle pairs your Genate Test with a one-on-one session with a specialized Registered Dietitian. Your RDN will work with you to build simple, personalized meal and nutrition plans that fit your genetics—and fit your life.
Get personalized guidance to support the critical developmental processes that begin in fertility and continue through pregnancy, postpartum, and lactation.
Packages Starting at $450
Save $50today!
Genate Nutrition Essentials Bundle
Bundle your Genate Test with our evidence-based prenatal multivitamin, now with a high-purity DHA source to support fetal brain and nervous system development. This bundle gives you both your personalized genetic insights and the nutrient levels shown to matter most in pregnancy—helping you nourish both your baby and your own recovery with confidence.
Subscribe and Save
Take the Genate Quiz
Take our Nutrition Quiz to learn more about your nutrition journey.
Read Our Latest Articles
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of my baby getting the proper nutrients?
What are one-carbon nutrients and fatty acids, and why are they important?
One-carbon nutrients and fatty acids are critical for brain and spinal cord development during pregnancy and through the first two years of life. Although all nutrients are important, the one-carbon nutrients choline, folate, betaine, and B vitamins, along with the omega-3 fat DHA, provide the building blocks for proper growth of your developing baby's brain. Research at Cornell and Harvard universities has shown cognitive benefits for children born to mothers who received increased levels of one-carbon nutrients during pregnancy, demonstrating that optimal nutrition during pregnancy can have lasting effects for your baby.
If I buy Genate nutrition supplements, do I still need to take the test?
Genetic testing is a personal choice, and only you can decide what’s best for you and your baby. But the Genate Test is a powerful tool for optimizing your nutrition status, as it identifies genetically-caused metabolic inefficiencies that may influence your body’ ability to make and use the nutrients critical for your baby’s cognitive development. If you have SNPs in any of the nutrient pathways tested, your Genate Report will provide personalized recommendations for optimizing your nutrition. Our registered dietitians can show you how to fill in the gaps with foods and supplementation, if needed, to make sure you’re getting the nutrition you and your baby need.
