Tops Tips for Male Fertility
It is estimated that roughly one in six couples face difficulties when trying to conceive. However, what may not be widely known is that sperm quality and quantity issues are responsible for approximately 50% of these cases. Therefore, when it comes to conceiving, it is crucial to place equal emphasis on the man's health as well as the woman's.
Assisted fertility treatment, by its very nature, tends to focus on women. Typically, as long as the man can produce some amount of sperm, an IVF clinic will proceed with treatment. Unfortunately, as the statistics indicate, this approach cannot guarantee success because it does not take into account the actual health of the sperm.
Sperm production is a continuous cycle, and it takes roughly 100 days for sperm to mature. Any semen analysis results will only provide a snapshot of the man's health 100 days before the test, revealing only certain parameters. If you are a man who wants to enhance his fertility, it is essential to begin working on improving your sperm health at least three months before attempting to conceive.
Fortunately, improving sperm health is relatively easy to achieve, barring underlying medical conditions. With over 15 years of experience in the fertility field, I understand the potential and limitations of fertility treatments. As an acupuncturist, I support male fertility and address various issues such as hypogonadism, varicocele, systemic disease, and stress-related infertility. Other areas of focus include immune factors, unexplained infertility, sexual factors, mumps, urogenital infection, weight loss to enhance fertility, anti-sperm antibodies, morphology issues, low sperm count, and low sperm motility.
If you are looking to enhance your fertility, book an appointment with me online. Let's work together to improve your overall health and increase your chances of conceiving.
Oxidative Health
To fully comprehend how to improve sperm health, it is important first to grasp the concept of oxidative stress and its impact on the body. Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between free radicals, produced through the body's natural metabolic process, and antioxidants, which work to counteract the effects of these free radicals. Free radicals can damage healthy cells in the body, making sperm especially susceptible to this type of damage.
Various factors can contribute to increased levels of free radicals, including processed foods high in poor fats, sugars, and additives, as well as fried, burnt, and barbecued foods, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, recreational drugs, and environmental pollution. Therefore, to promote sperm health, it is advisable to reduce or eliminate these harmful substances from your diet and lifestyle.
Nutrition
Nutrition plays a critical role in improving sperm health. Small changes in your dietary habits can have a significant impact on your chances of conceiving. In addition to avoiding the aforementioned list of free radical-causing foods, it is essential to prioritize foods that are high in antioxidants, such as fruits, vegetables, and unprocessed meats. Organic meats and vegetables are particularly beneficial due to their lower levels of harmful substances such as pesticides and hormones. When consuming meat, it is advisable to choose lean and low-fat options, as saturated fats found in red meat and processed meats can have a detrimental effect on sperm health. Fish, especially those high in Omega 3s such as Salmon, Mackerel, and Trout, are also a great addition to your diet.
While nuts make for a delicious snack, they are also incredibly beneficial for sperm health, especially Walnuts, Almonds, and Pumpkin seeds. It is important to note that some oily fish, like Tuna, can contain high levels of mercury, which can be harmful in excess.
LYCOPENE
Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant found in tomato puree that can provide a useful boost to other dietary changes. You can buy it as a supplement or some men take a teaspoon of good-quality tomato puree every day.
PROTEIN SHAKES
Protein shakes can be an issue for some men, and it's important to ensure there are no steroids added to the mix you are taking. While there is no evidence to suggest protein shakes are bad for sperm, you should check the ingredients for additives and sugars/sweeteners that may harm sperm health. It's best to stay within the recommended dose and avoid anabolic steroids, which negatively affect testosterone levels.
DIETARY CHANGES
Making dietary changes can be challenging for some, but small changes over time can lead to the best long-term results. If you need help and support, reach out for assistance in finding a way that works for you. While the above advice is general, some people may benefit from seeing a nutritional therapist for a more detailed plan.
ALCOHOL
Moderate drinking doesn't have a significant impact on fertility, but binge drinking should be avoided. Cutting out all alcohol may be stressful, so it's essential to find a balance that works for you. Keeping a sensible check on alcohol intake is crucial, and if the occasional drink helps your sanity, don't worry too much about it.
TOBACCO AND RECREATIONAL DRUGS
Unfortunately, tobacco and recreational drugs are not beneficial for sperm health. Both increase the level of free radicals, causing damage to sperm.
Caffeine
You may enjoy a cup of coffee or tea in the morning to wake you up, but did you know that too much caffeine can harm your fertility? Caffeine is a stimulant that can increase your blood pressure and heart rate, as well as interfere with your sleep quality. It can also reduce the blood flow to the testicles and affect the production and motility of sperm. While a moderate amount of caffeine (about 200 mg per day) is generally safe and may even have some health benefits, such as being rich in antioxidants, excessive consumption (more than 500 mg per day) can lower your fertility potential. Therefore, it is advisable to limit your intake of caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, energy drinks and cola to one or two cups a day.
Heat
You may have noticed that your testicles hang outside of your body in a sac called the scrotum. This is because they need to be cooler than the rest of your body for optimal sperm production. The ideal temperature for sperm development is about 2-3 degrees Celsius lower than your core body temperature. However, many factors can expose your testicles to excessive heat and damage your sperm quality and quantity.
Some of these factors include:
- Long use of laptops: Laptops generate heat when they are used for prolonged periods. If you place them on your lap near your scrotum, you risk overheating your testicles and impairing your sperm production.
- Working in a hot environment: If you work in an environment where the temperature is high or where you sweat a lot, such as in a factory or a kitchen, you may also expose your testicles to too much heat.
- Long periods sitting: Sitting for long hours without moving can also increase the temperature around your scrotum and reduce the blood circulation to the testicles.
- Hot baths and saunas: Soaking in hot water or steam for too long can raise the temperature of your whole body and affect your sperm quality.
- Tight-fitting underwear: Wearing underwear that is too tight or made of synthetic materials can trap heat and moisture around your scrotum and create an unfavourable environment for sperm development.
- Excessive cycling: Cycling for long distances or at high intensity can cause friction and pressure on the scrotum and increase its temperature.
- Lycra: Wearing lycra clothing or sports gear can also restrict airflow and cause overheating around the scrotum.
To avoid these sources of heat and keep your testicles cool, you should:
- Use laptops on a desk or table instead of on your lap
- Wear loose-fitting underwear made of natural fabrics such as cotton
- Take breaks from sitting every hour or so
- Avoid hot baths and saunas or limit them to once a week
- Choose cycling routes that are short and flat
- Wear breathable clothing when exercising
Mobile phones
Mobile phones have become an indispensable part of our lives. We use them for communication, entertainment, information and more. However, they also emit electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation that may have harmful effects on our health and fertility. EMF radiation is a form of energy that travels through space in waves. It comes from various sources such as power lines, microwaves, TVs, computers, and mobile phones.
Some studies have suggested that EMF radiation from mobile phones can damage DNA, reduce sperm count, and impair sperm motility and morphology.
Although there is no conclusive evidence yet, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to protecting our fertility. Therefore, you should avoid keeping mobile phones in pockets close to the scrotum where they could emit radiation directly onto the testicles.
You should also limit the duration and frequency of phone calls and use hands-free devices whenever possible.
Stress
Stress is another common factor that can affect our fertility negatively.
Stress is our body's natural response to challenging situations threatening our well-being or survival.
It activates our sympathetic nervous system which prepares us for fight-or-flight mode by releasing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones increase our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, muscle tension, and alertness.
They also suppress what are considered nonessential functions such as digestion, immunity, and reproduction.
Trish O' Hara Lic Ac, BSc(hons), MBAcC