| Infertility - Male |
Between 10 and 20% of couples
are infertile - that is they are unable to conceive after one year of unprotected sexual
intercourse. It is estimated that in about 40% of cases the
problem is sperm related. |
|
| What
Can Help |
 |
Start eating a healthy, well balanced diet.
Avoid animal fats, sugar, junk foods and fried foods. |
|
Quit smoking and avoid cigarette smoke - there
are toxins in cigarette smoke that cause abnormalities in sperm |
|
Cut out alcohol. Alcohol decreases the body's
ability to produce the male hormone, testosterone. It also can effect sexual function. |
|
Stay out of hot tubs and saunas, and avoid
vigorous exercise as these can reduce sperm count. One study also showed that vigorous
exercise may reduce the production of a hormone that is directly involved with fertility,
potency & sex drive. |
|
Avoid tight-fitting underwear and pants. The
testicles need to be at the correct temperature to keep sperm healthy and mobile. |
|
RELAX ! Stress is well known as an
excellent contraceptive. |
|
|
| Some Nutrients
Worth Considering |
|
Multivitamin & mineral supplement -
a good place to start to ensure adequate nutrition. |
|
Vitamin C, 1000mg daily - keeps sperm healthy
and mobile (see below) |
|
L-Arginine - helps to increase sperm count |
|
Vitamin E, 400 - 800 IU daily - Needed
for the balanced production of hormones |
|
Zinc 75mg daily - Aids in prostate gland
function |
|
|
| Sperm mobility and Vitamin C |
For conception to occur it is
necessary that a man's sperm be healthy. If the sperm move slowly or clump together then
the chance of a pregnancy is greatly reduced. |
| Men who smoke are particularly at risk, as toxic
chemicals from cigarette smoke gets into their sperm reducing the sperm count and
increasing sperm abnormalities. |
| Studies have shown that these problems can be
helped by increasing Vitamin C intake. |
| A study at the University of Texas showed that
giving men 500 mg of Vitamin C twice daily reduced the number of sperm that clumped
together from over 20% to less than 11%. It was also found that Vitamin C neutralized the
damaging effects caused by the toxic chemicals in cigarettes. |
| The greatest improvements were seen in men who
took 1000 mg of Vitamin C daily for at least one month. To get this amount from diet alone
would be very difficult, so some doctors feel that supplements are a good idea. However it
is still best to increase your intake of foods that are rich in Vitamin C as well. |
