Was Du auf dieser Seite findest:
How can you improve sperm quality?
When a couple want to have a baby, it is not only the woman who can increase the likelihood of a pregnancy, for example by determining her fertile days. Improved sperm quality can also support successful fertilisation of the egg. The quality of the sperm matters when you are hoping for a baby: plenty of highly motile and normally shaped sperm are an important prerequisite for conceiving a baby. But what options are there?
Which nutrients should a man pay attention to when trying for a baby?
Taking food supplements or eating a diet rich in antioxidants with plenty of vitamins C, D and E appears to improve sperm quality. Vitamin E in particular is considered the fertility vitamin par excellence.1,2
Furthermore, zinc, folic acid, the coenzyme Q10 and selenium can contribute to an improvement in semen quality.3 Finally, certain amino acids such as L-carnitine are also important for a man’s ability to father a child.4
Improving sperm quality through nutrients
Intake of vitamins C, D and E
Since men, and indeed all humans, cannot produce vitamin C themselves, it has to be obtained through food. Many vegetables and fruits contain high amounts and are therefore perfect for this:
You might like these products:
The intake of vitamin D through food, for example by eating fish, eggs, milk and butter, is not enough to make sperm more fertile. According to the German Nutrition Society (DGE), a sufficient amount cannot be obtained through food alone. The difference should be covered through sunlight and, especially in the months with little sunlight, through a food supplement (taking a vitamin D preparation).7
Vitamin E, in turn, is found in nuts as well as in high-quality vegetable oils made from rapeseed, sunflowers, olives or coconut.
Supporting semen quality with folic acid, zinc, coenzyme Q10, selenium and L-carnitine
Folic acid is found in many foods. These include:
Zinc is normally found in foods that are rich in protein. Sources include:
The coenzyme Q10 is found, for example, in vegetable oils, onions, lettuce, cabbage and raw spinach, meat, fish and nuts. Sunflower seeds, coconut flakes and fish contain selenium. Brazil nuts are also a good source of it.
Meat, fish, poultry and dairy products in particular are rich in L-carnitine. Fruit and vegetables contain very little of it by comparison.
In over 50 % of couples with an unfulfilled wish to have a child, a cause can also be found in the man. This makes it all the more important that men, too, pay attention to getting all the important vitamins and minerals.
Improving sperm quality with medication?
Male infertility caused by illnesses and disorders of sperm production can also be treated with medication. The drugs used to stimulate a man’s fertility are often the same ones that are used in women to stimulate ovulation. However, the success rate of these drugs is not as high as in the female sex. Some medications, though, have a negative influence on semen, for example anabolic steroids.
Regular sex to improve the quality of sperm?
Most experts assume that sperm quality and sperm count are at their best when the couple have sex every 1–3 days. Longer breaks are said to have a negative effect, while shorter intervals lead to a reduced sperm concentration.8
What else can men do to improve sperm quality?
Semen containing only a few, sluggish or malformed sperm is a common cause of infertility.1 For some time now, scientists have been observing that the motility, sperm count and quality of sperm in men in Germany are declining.17
In most cases, sperm quality is determined with the help of a spermiogram. This involves examining the ejaculate in a laboratory. If you have received a poor spermiogram result, it is a matter of overcoming the disappointment and improving semen quality and semen production.
An improvement in quality and quantity can indeed be achieved if a man takes these tips and pieces of information to heart. If you are hoping for a baby, you should therefore review your own lifestyle habits. How long sperm can survive has a major influence on whether the wish for a baby can come true.
3 additional tips from the cyclotest editorial team for improving sperm quality:
Avoid high temperatures!
Heat is said to affect sperm motility.18 So: avoid hot showers, baths and sauna visits as well as trousers that are too tight, which lead to a high testicular temperature!
Relax regularly!
Too much stress can have a negative effect on sperm quality and sperm production.19 So: plan regular breaks and take time to consciously relax!
Avoid sitting for too long!
Sitting for long periods could reduce male fertility. So: interrupt long car journeys or sedentary office work more often and stand up instead!
What is bad for sperm?
To achieve sufficient sperm production and semen quality, there are a few no-gos and factors that a man should bear in mind when hoping for a child. There are many sperm killers that can be traced back to men’s lifestyle.
Nicotine, large amounts of coffee and alcohol
Several studies confirm that smoking impairs the quality, quantity and motility of sperm. There are also indications that the risk of an unsuccessful pregnancy, e.g. a miscarriage, increases as a result of the damaged genetic material.9, 10
A Brazilian study found that moderate coffee consumption can have a positive effect on sperm quality and semen production.11 American scientists, however, discovered that as few as 3 cups of coffee a day are said to reduce semen quality and sperm count again.12
In addition, alcohol consumption can also play a role. According to a Danish study, even moderate alcohol consumption is said to quickly impair fertility and sperm quality.13
Sperm killers: watch your weight
In men, too, weight can have an influence on semen. A study by the University of Southern Denmark in Odense involving 1558 men with an average age of 19 showed that overweight men have a 24 % lower sperm concentration than men of normal weight.14 It is suspected that excess weight affects hormone production in the testicles and with it semen quality.
Regular exercise increases testosterone production and thus sperm production.15 However, if you are aiming to lose weight, for example, you should not do too much sport. Extreme athletes who carry out extended endurance training reduce their sperm quality in the long run.16
Does a man’s age play a role in semen quality?
In principle, a man’s age is also a factor in semen quality that should not be neglected. Sperm count, sperm quality and sperm motility decrease with advancing years. With increasing age, the body’s ability to protect itself against oxidative stress declines, and free radicals can damage the genetic material of the sperm in the testicles.3
However, fertility is said to be less affected than is the case for women as the years go by.3 One study also found that men of an older age (over 44 years) still had the same sperm quality as younger men (20–44 years) if they consumed vitamins C and E as well as zinc.2
*Regulation (EU) No 432/2012
Keine Kommentare vorhanden