male fertility: it’s decline and steps you can take to improve yours
A topic not often discussed amongst men, at work, watching the footy or having a beer with mates is male fertility, especially the increase of male infertility.
What should often be the fun part of couples deciding to begin a fertility journey, can often be met with stress. Male infertility affects approximately one in 20 men, and is one of the most impactful factors preventing conception and contributing to miscarriage.
Over the past 50 years it has been reported that male fertility rates have deceased considerably, with male factor infertility contributing to approximately 50% of infertility in couples trying to conceive, and abnormalities in male reproductive cells being a sole cause of infertility.
Spermatogensis (the full sperm regeneration cycle) takes approximately between 65 and 100 days, and is the complete cycle of sperm production and maturation, with men being able to regenerate approximately eight billion sperms. This is the time to start making changes before thinking about conception.
As a man, hearing your sperm could be contributing to an infertility picture could be overwhelming. However, quite often, modifiable changes can be made to improve sperm volume, motility (sperm movement), morphology (sperm shape) and DNA. Being armed with the education to improve sperm health is a great place to start.
Diet and Nutrition:
What you consume can have a significant impact on your overall health including sperm health. Diet’s high in saturated fats and “junk foods” have been associated with poor male fertility. It’s important to incorporate a vast variety of fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, high quality protein and good fats and lots of antioxidants. Foods high in zinc (found in highest concentration in human seminal plasma), CoQ10, and Omega 3 will help support sperm motility, morphology, count and DNA – think oysters, pepitas, salmon, sardines oranges, spinach, broccoli and legumes to name a few.
Whilst specific nutrients can improve sperm health, it is important to note that individuals will have differing requirements. To ensure safety and therapeutic benefit, prescriptions and appropriate dosages should be individualised, and testing should be undertaken to determine nutritional deficiencies. Self prescribing and generalised over the counter nutrients can sometimes cause more harm than good. In this case – a multivitamin just won’t cut it.
Lifestyle:
Recreational activities including smoking, drinking and drug use can cause damage to sperm DNA and is a recognized cause of increased oxidative stress, affecting the structure and function of sperm.
Impaired semen quality is also a result of increased temperature specifically the testes and scrotum. Sauna’s, warm baths, cycling, clothing (tight restrictive underwear), occupations that involve or generate heat, laptop usage on the lap and mobile phones in pockets are all factors that increase testicular temperature and disturb thermoregulation and semen parameters.
Excess weight and body mass index play an integral role in conception and despite normal semen analysis, carrying extra weight can impact embryo quality, successful pregnancy and can result in miscarriage.
Environmental:
The abundance of chemicals humans are exposed to on a daily basis can wreak havoc on the body, especially sperm. These include plastics, fragrances, cleaning products, and pesticides. But how you might ask? Through diet, personal care products, along with workplace chemicals, toxic exposure can throw off reproduction. One huge contributor is plasticizers found in most plastics – think water bottles, take away containers, reusable plastic containers. Exposure has been associated with negative impacts on testosterone levels and sperm producing competency.
Whilst it may seem overwhelming, so much can be done to improve male fertility and improve sperm parameters (that isn’t invasive!), you might see positive changes in other areas of your life as well!
As always health is individual and should be treated as such. This is advice only. Always seek the assistance of a trained medical professional, nutritionist or naturopath to assist you on your journey.
This article was printed in the Spring 2022 edition of the Market Organics Magazine, available in stores now.
