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Vitamins To Improve Fertility In Men

By Madhu Babu

It is increasingly becoming a common sight to find couple trying to find ways to improve their chances of conceiving. Lot of factors play in improving chances of conceiving like stress, health of partners, methods used, medication, deficiencies etc. Hence it is important for couple to consult specialists when repeated attempts to conceive fail. It is important to know where they are going wrong during the process and rectify the same so that their attempts yield fruit.

Sometimes the problem could be quite simple and as basic as vitamin deficiency. Men have to be healthy to increase chances of conceiving. Deficiency in essential vitamins required in increasing quality and count of sperm in men affects the chances to a large extent. Certain deficiency of vitamins tends to affect male libido and performance indirectly affecting the chances of conceiving. Vitamins are highly essential to keep men fertile for the process.

Vitamins To Improve Fertility In Men

In modern times stress too plays a major role in affecting fertility among men. Lack of vitamins in diet results in lot of health issues thereby affecting quality and quantity of sperm. More than 90% of male infertility cases are due to low sperm counts, poor sperm quality, or both. The remaining cases of male infertility can be caused by a range of conditions including anatomical problems, hormonal imbalances, and genetic defects.

Here are vitamins that you are essential to improve fertility among men.

  • Several vitamins have been shown to increase sperm count that includes vitamin B12, vitamin C, vitamin E and folic acid. A folic acid deficiency is often related to low sperm count or poor sperm quality in men. You can choose to take a folic acid supplement which increases the amount of healthy sperm.
  • The minerals selenium and zinc can increase sperm count, as well. Foods such as Brazil nuts, sea food, tuna fish etc are rich in these minerals that positively affect your fertility by increasing your sperm count.
  • Vitamin E in particular is very good for male fertility. It increases the quality of sperm among men. Studies show vitamin E increasing fertility even among men who have high sperm count yet low on fertility by about 10%.
  • Carnitine helps in boosting male fertility. As sperm need to travel a great deal to reach the egg, healthy sperm need sufficient energy to do so. Caranitine is a nutrient that helps in providing the required energy to burn for the travel.
  • A number of antioxidants have proven their abilities to boost sperm quality such as vitamins C and E, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), selenium, n-acetylcysteine (NAC) etc. Good cellular antioxidants have higher sperm counts and better motility, which translates to better sperm quality and higher overall intakes of antioxidant nutrients.
  • Lycopene is a natural, plant-derived carotenoid pigment that provides the red colour among tomatoes, watermelon, and other fruits. Low intake of Lycopene in your regular diet is associated with poor semen quality and male infertility. Lycopene supplement has been shown to reverse some or all of that damage.
  • Omega-3 Fatty acids improve sperm count as well as improve specific membrane characteristics in order to be able to bind to the membrane of an egg and produce a living embryo. Some studies have shown men with defects in sperm quality or sperm counts typically have low levels of omega-3s.
  • Deficiency in vitamin D contributes to infertility among men. Studies have shown that when vitamin D is added to live human sperm cells in the lab, it produces a sharp increase in sperm motility, along with rapid development of the "acrosome reaction" that allows the sperm cell to attach to the egg.

Story first published: Monday, December 2, 2013, 18:28 [IST]
Read more about: wellness