Can micronutrients like vitamins and minerals really improve male fertility? Discover the best supplements to boost sperm health naturally!
Male fertility and semen quality vary considerably
Male fertility usually has nothing to do with sexual performance, but with the quantity and quality of spermatozoa in semen. Spermatozoa are among the first cells in the body to respond to inner and outer challenges, such as infection or an unhealthy lifestyle. When you look at different semen samples from the same man taken within several weeks or months from each other, there is a wide range of variation to be seen. It is not uncommon that the same person can have a perfectly normal semen analysis, yet 3 months later has a bad one if he has had e.g. a bad infection or lots of stress or a really unhealthy lifestyle during this time. And then again 3 months later all is well again.
That means that male fertility, which is linked to semen quality, can change all the time in response to many influences. In the body of a healthy man, spermatozoa develop anew all the time in a process that lasts roughly 3 months. During this time, there is a lot a man can do to improve semen quality and fertility. And it is never too late to support sperm health!
Lifestyle and diet impact semen quality
Common sense tells us that how we live and what we eat impacts our health and wellbeing. Today we know: this is also true for healthy male fertility. Whether semen analyses are normal or not, there is a good evidence that diet and lifestyle can have a major impact on a man’s fertility. Changes in lifestyle in combination with targeted micronutrient support can make a major difference and significantly increase your chances of becoming parents soon.
Too much alcohol, caffeine, and smoking, unhealthy nutrition, and an unhealthy BMI can all impair semen quality significantly.
Lifestyle for good semen quality
- quit smoking and drugs
- mind a healthy BMI
- get enough sleep
- consume coffee and alcohol in moderate quantities only
- avoid trans-fats
- protect yourself adequately when handling dangerous substances (pesticides, chemicals, etc)
- avoid too much stress in everyday life
- exercise regularly and moderately
- protect your testes from hyperthermia (prefer loose fitting underwear, don’t take too many hot baths, don’t use heated seats all the time)
- don’t put your mobile phone in the pockets of your trousers and your lap is not a suitable place to put your laptop either, even if its name may suggest so
- do have sex regularly – frequent ejaculations have been shown to improve sperm counts (best for the quality of semen is an ejaculation every second or third day).
A fertility diet
There is evidence that consuming lots of meat and meat products, milk, and dairy products may compromise quality of semen. Very likely this is due to their content of hormones. Therefore, men who want to improve their semen quality are recommended to consume more plant-based foods. However, please do not eat too much soy products either, as they have been linked to decreasing sperm counts by possible phyto-estrogenic effects. Ideal are foods that contain lots of antioxidants for an effective protection against detrimental oxidative stress.
Recent scientific evidence has revealed that oxidative stress may in fact be a common factor in male infertility. Oxidative stress is caused by the presence of reactive oxygen species in semen. These molecules can damage the sperm cell membrane and DNA. Oxidants are normally kept under control by the presence of antioxidants in the semen.
Oxidative stress is present when the amount of oxidants in semen exceeds the amount of antioxidants. Oxidative stress has been clearly shown to reduce fertility. Some studies have shown that oxidative stress may be present even when a standard semen analysis appears normal.
Foods rich in protective antioxidants are vegetables (don’t miss out on legumes such as beans), fruits, and nuts. Ideally, you should eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Variety is important, too. Add sources of omega-3 fats such as salmon. Plant sources of healthy fats include flaxseed, walnuts, and canola oil. Staying hydrated is important for fertility and general good health. Two to three liters per day are recommended. However, do not drink too much coffee, alcohol, and soft drinks.
Extra support with supplements
A 30-year-old-man on average has less than half of the fertile spermatozoa than 50 years ago. Many scientists are convinced that this is at least partly caused by pollution and a poor diet. In addition to that, the food we consume today contains very often far lower levels of precious vitamins and minerals than it used to. All of this contributes to increased oxidative stress, which spermatozoa are particularly vulnerable to due to a lack of defense and repair mechanisms (in comparison to other cells of the body). There has been intense research on this matter and today we know that several amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients play an important role for the amount and quality of spermatozoa.
A word of caution: Harmful nutritional supplements
However, not any kind of supplement is advisable. Nutritional supplements that provide hormone-like substances such as DHEA or “andro” can actually impair fertility by stopping sperm production. If you are taking any of these types of supplements, or other products intended to build muscle mass, it’s best to stop immediately.
Best supplements for male fertility
Maintaining healthy testosterone levels: Zinc and vitamin D
Zinc is an essential trace element. It is crucial for many biochemical pathways within the body. It supports normal immune system function, growth, and protein synthesis, simultaneously being vital for normal cell division and DNA synthesis. In addition to that it is essential for normal male fertility and reproduction and helps to maintain healthy testosterone levels.
Did you know? Zinc from animal sources has much better bio-availability than from plant sources. Uptake of zinc from food is low when cereal products, legumes, or cabbage are consumed with the same meal. This is why many men opt for supplements to be on the safe side.
While vitamin D may be best known for its role in bone health, it has many other important functions in our body and low vitamin D levels have been linked to low testosterone levels. Because very high dosages of vitamin D have been associated with poor semen quality, it is recommendable that you have your vitamin D levels checked and supplement as needed.
Boosting sperm count and concentration: Selenium, zinc, coenzyme Q10, n-acetylcysteine, vitamin C, folic acid, and omega 3’s
A high sperm count and concentration increases the chance that sperms will reach and fertilize the woman’s ovum.
Selenium is an essential trace element which is involved in many key reactions of our metabolism and is also an important antioxidant, protecting spermatozoa from detrimental oxidative stress.
Coenzyme Q10 is needed in the body to produce energy. In addition to that, it acts as an antioxidant. A study showed that after 6 months of CoQ10 supplementation, the total sperm count of study participants increased by 53% along with sperm concentration.
N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the precursor for the body’s own synthesis of glutathione. The latter – while not well known by laymen – is one of our most important antioxidants and effectively protects spermatozoa during their development from oxidative stress, thus boosting sperm count and concentration. A meta-analysis assessed the results of 431 infertile men. Half of them were treated with NAC. This group had a considerable improvement in sperm concentration, ejaculate volume, sperm motility and normal morphology compared with the control group.
Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant that protects the body’s cells from damage from oxidative stress and free radicals. Vitamin C is the main antioxidant in seminal plasma. High vitamin C foods include bell peppers, dark leafy greens, kiwifruit, broccoli, berries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, peas, and papayas. If you find you do not consume enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis (5 servings are a minimum), many supplements are available. Vitamin C has been shown to increase sperm count, motility, and morphology. However, it should be taken in moderate quantities only.
Folic acid is a B-vitamin that is necessary for DNA synthesis. Low levels of folic acid have been associated with decreased sperm count and motility. In a recent study, the combination of zinc and folic acid results in a 75% increase in total normal sperm count in sub-fertile men.
Omega-3 fatty acids found in some foods have a wide-range of health benefits. Unfortunately, men with fertility problems tend to have lower levels of omega-3s in their blood and seminal fluid. Omega-3 supplementation can result in higher antioxidant activity in human seminal fluid and enhanced sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology.
Improving motility: Selenium, zinc, omega 3’s, CoQ10, and carnitines
Sperm motility is important for male fertility because sperm need to move through the woman’s reproductive tract to reach and fertilize her egg. Studies have indicated that Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) can help to improve men’s sperm motility from below average to at or above normal levels.
L-carnitine consists of the two protein building blocks methionine and lysine. Carnitine plays a critical role in energy production. It transports long-chain fatty acids into the mitochondria (cell organelles involved in energy production) so they can be oxidized (“burned”) to produce energy. Obviously, it is important for spermatozoa to generate enough energy to reach the ovum. In addition to this, carnitine also transports toxic compounds out of the mitochondria to prevent their accumulation. According to scientific studies, supplementing carnitine can help to boost motility of spermatozoa.
Sperm morphology: Selenium, omega 3’s, CoQ10, carnitines and lycopene
A sperm’s shape is referred to as its morphology. As a rule of thumb, a healthy morphology very often is a sign for a healthy sperm with good viability and performance. Lycopene is a phytonutrient found in cooked tomatoes. It has been found to improve sperm shape (morphology) by 40% compared to placebo-controls.
Protecting your sperm’s DNA: Antioxidants
Sperm DNA is very sensitive to oxidative damage. Sperm DNA damage has been associated with poor reproductive outcomes. Especially DNA-fragmentation has been assessed. Sperm DNA fragmentation occurs when there is a change in the bases or a physical break in one or both of the DNA strands of the chromosomes contained within the sperm. Researchers believe that oxidative stress is the major cause of sperm DNA fragmentation and a number of studies have shown that antioxidants may lower sperm DNA fragmentation.
Higher fertilization and life-birth rates: Vitamin E
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps protect the sperm’s cell membrane from damage. Vitamin C functions to regenerate vitamin E; thus, these vitamins may work together to improve sperm function. Men with low fertilization rates who took vitamin E supplements for three months showed a significant improvement in fertilization rate. Vitamin E supplementation in infertile men resulted in increased pregnancy rates. In addition to that, a Spanish study found an increased live-birth rate.
Natural support of erectile function: L-citrulline
For healthy erectile function, it is important that the blood vessels in the penis can become wider (dilate) so that ample blood can flow into the penis. This process of vasodilation (making the blood vessels wider) requires the protein building block (amino acid) L-arginine. However, supplementing arginine has only limited effects, because its bioavailability when taken orally is quite poor. In order to increase blood flow and thus erectile function naturally, many men opt to supplement the protein building block L-citrulline. It acts as precursor for arginine synthesis in the body and its supplementation has been found to boost arginine levels effectively.
Choosing a supplement
A number of combination-type products are currently for sale that claim to promote male fertility. However, the lack of government oversight of the dietary supplement industry creates significant concerns about the purity and content accuracy of these products. It’s best to choose a supplement that has been produced under certified quality standards (ISO and/or GMP). In particular, since it is extremely difficult to standardize the content and purity of plant extracts, supplements with any herbal content should be considered with care, and probably avoided completely if they have not been independently certified. Also, please note that some of the components mentioned above can be overdosed, so that exact dosages especially in combination products that may show synergistic effects need to be determined with care. Therefore, if you choose a supplement, make sure the product’s final composition has been tested for this indication.
Product tip: The Fertilovit® product range offers science-based, premium quality micronutrient preparations for fertility patients. Special formulas have been developed and tested in cooperation with fertility experts and nutritionists.
Fathers-to-be can choose between two options: Fertilovit® MT is the product for men without any known fertility issues, but unhealthy lifestyle (stress, smoking, poor nutrition), making sure your spermatozoa get all the micronutrients they need! This product is also suitable for vegans. Fertilovit® Mplus contains zinc, selenium, and highly-dosed antioxidants with long-term effect. The study-tested and patent-protected formula is ideal for men who need powerful support of healthy fertility and reproduction.
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