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How To Boost Your Sperm Count Naturally
Male infertility is being recognised as the biggest hurdle for many couples who are planning a baby. Though there are a lot of other factors that cause male infertility, the major one is low sperm count [1] . Health and lifestyle choices have a major impact on a male's sperm count. Also, smoking, drugs, use of steroids sued to build muscles are also said to be a major contributor towards low sperm count [2] .
Impact Of Diet And Lifestyle On Male Infertility
A diet rich in processed foods, sugar and unhealthy fats can lead to a significant decrease in your sperm count. Add to that, a sedentary lifestyle can further deplete your sperm count and the quality of your sperm[3]
If you and your partner have been trying to conceive but suffering from low sperm count, medical intervention is not always necessary to solve your problem. Making some necessary changes in our diet and lifestyle to include some sperm boosting foods and exercises is certain to do you good. Here is a list of certain healthy foods that will help increase your sperm count in no time.
Foods To Improve Sperm Count
1. Spinach
Leafy vegetables like spinach are rich in folic acid that helps boost sperm health and motility [4] . Regular consumption of spinach is also known to have a significant impact on the sperm count, increasing it to healthy levels.
2. Egg
The highest and probably the cheapest of protein sources available to man, eggs are great to increase your sperm count [5] . Protein is known to be the building block of sperm and hence consuming good quality protein will definitely result in a higher sperm count.
3. Dark chocolate
If you are not high on dark chocolate and like the sugary version of it, then we suggest you revise your choices. While sugar is the worst enemy of sperm, dark chocolate, on the other hand, is high on amino acids and is a great way to increase your sperm count and quality[6] .
4. Garlic
Though not the tastiest food on the list, garlic boasts of some amazing properties that will help boost your sperm count in no time. Garlic is packed with vitamin B6 and selenium that will help prevent sperm damage [7] .
5. Banana
The humble banana sure makes it to a lot of lists and is an all-rounder when it comes to health. Being a rich source of vitamin A, B1 and C, consuming bananas will help you increase your sperm count and quality [8] .
6. Oyster
Famous for being an aphrodisiac, oysters are full of essential minerals like zinc that is important to maintain your testosterone levels and sperm production [9] .
7. Walnut
If you love snacking on walnuts, this is all the more reason for you to do so. Walnuts are filled with omega 3 fatty acids that increase blood flow to the testicles resulting in higher sperm volume [10] .
8. Asparagus
This healthy green stick has high levels to vitamin C that protects the delicate sperms from free radical damage, thereby increasing the sperm count significantly [11] .
9. Vitamin D fortified products
There are a lot of studies out there that connect the lower levels of vitamin D and calcium to lower sperm count. Therefore, giving your body an adequate amount of vitamin D and calcium will not only ensure healthy bones but will also increase your sperm quality and quantity [12] .
10. Turmeric
The powerful curcumin present in turmeric is known to have a positive effect on sperm quality. The warm spice not only improves blood flow to the area but also helps increase the overall productive efficiency in men [13] .
11. Mushroom
Mushrooms may look small but they do pack quite a punch. They contain more than 15 different vitamins and minerals that are great for your sperm and overall reproductive health[14] . Besides, they also protect the sperm from getting destroyed due to various reasons inside the body.
12. Oats
Apart from being a healthy breakfast choice, oats contain all the right kind of goodness to keep your reproductive health in good shape. They not only help decrease your cholesterol levels, but play a huge part in the production of sperm to improve fertility.
13. Salmon
Salmon is known to be the healthiest seafood, due to its high amount of omega 3 fatty acids. It is also a good source of vitamins B and D that will boost your sperm quality and count[15]
14. Sweet potato
They are known to pack in a lot of vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant, that protects the sperms from free radical damage. The nutrients in sweet potatoes help in the production of sperm count and these two factors together result in an increase of your sperm count [16] .
Lifestyle Tips To Improve Your Sperm Count
Though your diet plays an important role, you will not be making much progress without making significant lifestyle changes.
1. Exercise
Exercise is surely the answer to most health conditions. Here too, exercise can be quite helpful in increasing your sperm count. Aerobic exercises particularly, are known to have a positive impact on your sperm count [17] .
2. Reduce stress
Our body goes into a survival only mode when it is under stress. Hence many functions including reproduction are compromised. Being stress-free will automatically keep your reproductive organs healthy and functioning and will also have a positive effect on your sex life [18] .
3. Stop smoking
Smoking is said to be one of the major causes of low sperm count. Therefore, kicking the butt not only do your lungs good and but help you save yourself from the becoming completely sterile or impotent in the long run [19] .
4. Avoid alcohol
Many scientific studies have linked the consumption of alcohol to low sperm count. So, if you want to become a parent any time soon, you must consider choosing healthy drinks over alcoholic ones [20] .
5. Lose weight
It is said that people with a higher body mass index of over 25 are said to suffer from lower sperm count. So lose weight, get in shape and your sperm count may get back to its healthy levels [21] .
6. Stop taking steroids
If you are into body-building and rely on steroids to build your muscles, chances are these very steroids are decreasing your chances of reproducing [22] . If you may have to choose between having a toned body or being able to reproduce, the latter would be a more appropriate choice.
7. Avoid long baths and saunas
Your scrotum or the testicles, where the sperm is produced, needs to be 1 degree lower in temperature than the body temperature for it to function effectively[23] . Therefore you need to avoid anything that may expose it to higher temperatures for a longer time, including wearing tight trousers or underwear for a long time.
8. Avoid regular sexual intercourse
Having sex every day may be detrimental to your sperm health. On the other hand, abstaining for too long may not do you any good either[24] . Experts suggest ejaculating every alternate day is best for optimum sperm health.
- [1] Agarwal, A., & Said, T. M. (2005). Oxidative stress, DNA damage and apoptosis in male infertility: a clinical approach.BJU international,95(4), 503-507.
- [2] Kumar, N., & Singh, A. K. (2015). Trends of male factor infertility, an important cause of infertility: A review of literature.Journal of human reproductive sciences,8(4), 191–196.
- [3] Durairajanayagam D. (2018). Lifestyle causes of male infertility.Arab journal of urology,16(1), 10–20.
- [4] Kovac J. R. (2017). Vitamins and antioxidants in the management of male fertility.Indian journal of urology : IJU : journal of the Urological Society of India,33(3), 215.
- [5] Sharma, R., Biedenharn, K. R., Fedor, J. M., & Agarwal, A. (2013). Lifestyle factors and reproductive health: taking control of your fertility.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E,11, 66.
- [6] JARG Blog. (2007).Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics,24(9), 377–378.
- [7] JARG Blog. (2007).Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics,24(9), 377–378.
- [8] Nejatbakhsh, F., Nazem, E., Goushegir, A., Isfahani, M. M., Nikbakht Nasrabadi, A., & Baygom Siahpoosh, M. (2012). Recommended foods for male infertility in Iranian traditional medicine.Iranian journal of reproductive medicine,10(6), 511–516.
- [9] Fallah, A., Mohammad-Hasani, A., & Colagar, A. H. (2018). Zinc is an Essential Element for Male Fertility: A Review of Zn Roles in Men's Health, Germination, Sperm Quality, and Fertilization.Journal of reproduction & infertility,19(2), 69–81.
- [10] Coffua, L. S., & Martin-DeLeon, P. A. (2017). Effectiveness of a walnut-enriched diet on murine sperm: involvement of reduced peroxidative damage.Heliyon,3(2), e00250.
- [11] Thakur, M., Thompson, D., Connellan, P., Deseo, M. A., Morris, C., & Dixit, V. K. (2011). Improvement of penile erection, sperm count and seminal fructose levels in vivo and nitric oxide release in vitro by ayurvedic herbs.Andrologia,43(4), 273-277.
- [12] Tartagni, M., Matteo, M., Baldini, D., Tartagni, M. V., Alrasheed, H., De Salvia, M. A., … Montagnani, M. (2015). Males with low serum levels of vitamin D have lower pregnancy rates when ovulation induction and timed intercourse are used as a treatment for infertile couples: results from a pilot study.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E,13, 127.
- [13] Akinyemi, A. J., Adedara, I. A., Thome, G. R., Morsch, V. M., Rovani, M. T., Mujica, L., … Schetinger, M. (2015). Dietary supplementation of ginger and turmeric improves reproductive function in hypertensive male rats.Toxicology reports,2, 1357–1366.
- [14] Jiraungkoorskul, K., & Jiraungkoorskul, W. (2016). Review of Naturopathy of Medical Mushroom, Ophiocordyceps Sinensis, in Sexual Dysfunction.Pharmacognosy reviews,10(19), 1–5.
- [15] Nassan, F. L., Chavarro, J. E., & Tanrikut, C. (2018). Diet and men's fertility: does diet affect sperm quality?.Fertility and sterility,110(4), 570-577.
- [16] Nazni, P. (2014). Association of western diet & lifestyle with decreased fertility.The Indian journal of medical research,140(Suppl 1), S78.
- [17] Lalinde-Acevedo, P. C., Mayorga-Torres, B. J. M., Agarwal, A., Du Plessis, S. S., Ahmad, G., Cadavid, A. P., & Maya, W. D. C. (2017). Physically active men show better semen parameters than their sedentary counterparts.International journal of fertility & sterility,11(3), 156.
- [18] Mahdi, A. A., Shukla, K. K., Ahmad, M. K., Rajender, S., Shankhwar, S. N., Singh, V., & Dalela, D. (2011). Withania somnifera improves semen quality in stress-related male fertility.Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine,2011.
- [19] Harlev, A., Agarwal, A., Gunes, S. O., Shetty, A., & du Plessis, S. S. (2015). Smoking and male infertility: an evidence-based review.The world journal of men's health,33(3), 143-160.
- [20] Harlev, A., Agarwal, A., Gunes, S. O., Shetty, A., & du Plessis, S. S. (2015). Smoking and Male Infertility: An Evidence-Based Review.The world journal of men's health,33(3), 143–160.
- [21] Håkonsen, L. B., Thulstrup, A. M., Aggerholm, A. S., Olsen, J., Bonde, J. P., Andersen, C. Y., … Ramlau-Hansen, C. H. (2011). Does weight loss improve semen quality and reproductive hormones? Results from a cohort of severely obese men.Reproductive health,8, 24.
- [22] El Osta, R., Almont, T., Diligent, C., Hubert, N., Eschwège, P., & Hubert, J. (2016). Anabolic steroids abuse and male infertility.Basic and clinical andrology,26, 2.
- [23] Adewoyin, M., Ibrahim, M., Roszaman, R., Isa, M., Alewi, N., Rafa, A., & Anuar, M. (2017). Male Infertility: The Effect of Natural Antioxidants and Phytocompounds on Seminal Oxidative Stress.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland),5(1), 9.
- [24] Welliver, C., Benson, A. D., Frederick, L., Leader, B., Tirado, E., Feustel, P., … Köhler, T. S. (2016). Analysis of semen parameters during 2 weeks of daily ejaculation: a first in humans study.Translational andrology and urology,5(5), 749–755.
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