Note: These are general recommendations and clients are encouraged to visit with a licensed dietician or health coach to confirm changes. Upon request a referral can be made. There are a lot of reasons why a diet needs to be specifically targeted to the individual. The premise is that improved general health leads to healthier sperm production.
Avoid the typical western high carbohydrate (high sugar) diet, especially high sugar beverages and high fructose corn syrup. Use a whole food, balanced diet, including healthy fats (generally equal calories from carbohydrate, protein, and fat). Saturated fats of animal origin are stable and are better for cooking. There is increasing evidence that poly-unsaturated vegetable oils are inflammatory, especially if they breakdown which occurs very quickly when the oil is stored.
Mono-unsaturated fat, like olive oil, should not be exposed to heat or light, and not stored longer than 6 months. These are best used fresh. A good practice is to eat fish 1-2/wk. Snacking on nuts and seeds, including walnuts and pumpkin seeds is also a good practice. Consume natural antioxidants (blueberries, cherries, etc).
It can be helpful to keep a food record for a few weeks to get a sense of how ideal your diet is. Most people do not consume enough leafy vegetables, which should be 4-6 cups per day. This would be especially helpful for a visit with a dietician.
It is best to source organic, non-GMO, pastured raised or grass-fed versions of protein sources. Processed meats and meats that have not been controlled for the source have been associated with reduced fertility in men and women.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30475972/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24850626/
Intermittent fasting (fast and pray). Reduce the body’s dependence on glucose and improve the metabolic switch between burning glucose and fatty acids. Prayer has a calming effect which can lower stress and cortisol levels.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8190218/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7877980/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4509734/
Weight reduction and moderate regular exercise. (Zone 2 for at least 45 minutes, 3x/week). Zone 2 is prolonged training at an output of about 65-75% of maximum heart rate. Basically, you are burning calories, but your oxygen is keeping up with the demand.
https://www.howardluksmd.com/zone-2-hr-training-live-longer-less-injury/
https://www.artofmanliness.com/health-fitness/fitness/zone-2-training/
https://peterattiamd.com/category/exercise/aerobic-zone-2-training/
Include at least 1 hour of strength training/weightlifting/resistance and 1 hour of higher intensity aerobic exercise per week.
Avoid use of recreational drugs, steroids, tobacco, and limit alcohol to 1 (or an occasional 2) drinks per day. Avoid alcohol consumption every day so that it does not become addictive. Other therapeutic drugs as a rule should be continued if they are needed. Be sure to notify us of any drugs you may be currently taking because the effect of many pharmaceutical drugs on fertility are not fully known.
Be aware of potential contaminates:
Be aware of proper temperature regulation of testicles- The requirement is for the testes to be away from the body to be at a slightly lower temperature. Use loose-fitting cotton trousers, avoid prolonged sitting and exposure to heat (ie hot tub).
Nutrients important to or shown to improve male fertility
Primary recommendations include:
1. Omega 3s (DHA + EPA) Liquid Cod liver oil or fish oil https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product/carlson-labs-cod-liver-oil-169-fl-oz-b003b3p4po
- Supplements that improve Gut health.
2. Probiotics- Diverse number of organisms https://www.mercolamarket.com/product/2180/1/complete-gut-restore-pack-70-b-cfu-complete-probiotics-90-day-supply
3. Fiber gummies (Polydextrose)- Also eat plenty of green’s, papaya, etc.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/2-PACK-Vitafusion-Fiber-Well-Sugar-Free-Gummies-220-ct/292074197
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5037538/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11101478/
4, Men’s multi-vitamin https://www.mercolamarket.com/product/1010/1/whole-food-complex-with-added-multivitamin-plus-vital-minerals-240-per-bottle-90-day-supply There are multi-vitamin supplements that also have several of the below ingredients in one supplement such as FertilAid, AlphaSperm https://alphasperm.com/ or others. Compare costs vs convenience. Make sure you are not over-supplementing by adding additional supplements already present in the multi-vitamin.
Additional supplements that can be beneficial if indicated but make sure you are not over-supplementing. If the multi-vitamin has the ingredient you don’t need to take it separately. There are many factors related to absorption and utilization. Measuring levels is also a good way to determine deficiency.
- Hydrogen tablets in water (recommended for men with elevated DNA fragmentation). Discontinue the other anti-oxidants when using this.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8YtWH6J_7A
- http://www.molecularhydrogeninstitute.com/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5731988/
As a rule I don’t recommend using a lubricant during intercourse or when doing the semen analysis collection but if there is not enough natural lubrication or a deficiency in cervical mucus and lubrication is necessary, I recommend Pre-seed used on the outside of the collection condom.
Positive: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24390681/
Negative: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35318650/
Egg white results were better but this is not recommended due to the chance of infection if not handled properly.
Copyright © 2024 Craig Turczynski - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.