Sperm Production

One of the leading health issues facing men today is declining fertility. This refers to the decreased volume and quality of sperm men produce in their testes. Many factors affect fertility - nutrition, hormone health, environment and lifestyle behaviours. Some of this is out of our control, but a lot of it is.

Acknowledgement: I know my posts around men’s health and testosterone have been quite binary and exclusionary of trans-men. But what I’m focussing on here is male fertility (or, rather, sub-fertility) and so I need to be specific. I do see you, trans-men, and I am with you!

This topic is so much bigger than one post, so I’ll give the headlines!

🧬It takes two to tango – in heterosexual couples, pre-conception nutrition is the responsibility of both the male & female (NOT just the female, gents!) Contrary to popular belief, a third to a half of sub-fertility in these couples is due to the male’s sperm
♂️Male fertility has been declining for decades. This trend is strongly linked to the environmental & toxic load we are burdened with. Since the 70s there has been a 50-60% decline in sperm concentrations in men in the Western world
💦Semen analysis is the cornerstone evaluation – this measures count & concentration, but the most important metric is the motility (how well the little guys swim!)
💦Sperm quality isn't just about pregnancy outcomes, it's about the health of the future child and that child's child

Sperm production is impacted by:
♂️Low testosterone – see last week’s post!
☢️Radiation – get your phone out of your pocket & your laptop off your lap… Ironic, I know
☣️Oestrogenic toxins – parabens, plastics, phthalates
💊Medication – statins, SSRIs
⚠️Obesity
🤯 Chronic stress
🥱 Fatigue
🍺Alcohol & marijuana – the sperm can literally look drunk or stoned in the petri dish!

Nutrients that support sperm production include:
💫Essential fatty acids & Vitamin E – the head of the sperm is basically all fat (DHA) and Vit E protect this
💫CoQ10 & Carnitine – energy production within the body of the sperm
💫Selenium, zinc & Vitamin C – for super healthy semen (the fluid the sperm swim in)
💫The Mediterranean diet is abundant in all of these nutrients and is inherently anti-inflammatory (winning!)