Sperm Quality Not Quantity

Focus should be placed on sperm quality when we consider male fertility. 

You should think in terms of the health and function of sperm, don't just focus on volume and sperm count.

The aim is to have healthy sperm that can successfully fertilise an egg to grow a baby. It’s no use having lots of sperm, if none can swim to reach the egg, or if they are damaged.

In recent years, research has been highlighting sperm quality; mobility, morphology (shape), and DNA integrity. These sperm attributes are all essential in your journey towards fatherhood.

Research highlights the importance of sperm quality; mobility, morphology (shape), and DNA integrity.

Fortunately there are many things you can do to improve sperm quality, multiple lifestyle and nutritional factors impact sperm health.

Shape, size, motility, concentration and vitality of sperm are all important for healthy function to ensure sperm can swim to the egg for fertilisation... and to pass on health to the next generation.

Research confirms a number of things link to sperm health: food choices, exercise, stress management, alcohol moderation, and drug/medication use. The good news is that you’re making sperm all the time and they only take about three months to form. This gives you a very achievable time-line, depending on your current functional health status.

The good news is that you’re making sperm all the time and they only take about 3 months to form.

The key is to focus on healthy diet and habits, and explore any possible underlying functional health disruptions in plenty of time, so you’re ready at least three months before you want to start trying to conceive.

The process of optimising your health for healthy sperm production will take longer for some people, depending on your diet and habits. Six months or up to two years may be necessary to optimise your health with help from a natural health professional, then add on at least three months to give new sperm a healthy window of time to grow. This is why preconception planning and preparation are so valuable when you’re wanting a healthy natural conception.

In 2023 new research by Chen et al, concluded that supplements providing lycopene, omega3 fatty acids, CoQ10, zinc, vitamins, selenium, carnitine, or foods rich in these nutrients  “improve sperm quality... to treat male infertility.” This is just one of many findings that confirm that providing your (sperm) cells with the nutrients they need to function optimally will improve fertility.

Nourishing your cells is the regenerative approach to health and wellbeing and can guide you on your fertility journey.  For male fertility focus on whole food diet, oily fish, antioxidant rich foods. Eat quality protein, not processed meats, and minimise caffeine, alcohol and transfats. Learn to read labels.

For male fertility focus on whole-food diet, oily fish, antioxidant rich foods and eat quality protein.

Taking time to understand which healthy dietary balance and habits suit your individual body best is the next step. We don’t all have the same ability to digest and absorb nutrients, and our celluar pathways are influenced by our individual genes, epigenetics, health history and lifetime experiences. This means you will benefit from a unique balance of nutrients for optimal fertility, in addition to your basic nutritional needs. Identifying your unique balance can be a complex process but can reveal hidden keys to your fertility.  Functional medicine and genetic testing is a valuable tool to help you get a comprehensive understanding of the inner working of your body and ability to produce healthy quality sperm.

But the place to start is checking your general healthy habits and focusing on some of these fertility foods…

Zinc: oysters, red meat, chicken, legumes (esp.chickpeas), seeds, nuts, bright coloured fruit. 

*protects from free radicals and toxins

*supports healthy hormone levels especially testosterone

*has antibacterial protective action of the reproductive organs

*supports healthy sperm production

*protects against sperm abnormalities 

Selenium: brazil nuts, asparagus, salmon, eggs.

*supports testosterone levels, sperm development and sperm motility

Omega 3: cold water oily fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts, flaxseed oil. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35147198/

*essential for healthy sperm membrane 

References

Chen Z, Hong Z, Wang S, Qiu J, Wang Q, Zeng Y, Weng H. Effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical intervention on sperm quality: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Aging (Albany NY). 2023 May 17;15(10):4253-4268. doi: 10.18632/aging.204727. Epub 2023 May 17. PMID: 37199654; PMCID: PMC10258032.

Farkouh A, Salvio G, Kuroda S, Saleh R, Vogiatzi P, Agarwal A. Sperm DNA integrity and male infertility: a narrative review and guide for the reproductive physicians. Transl Androl Urol. 2022 Jul;11(7):1023-1044. doi: 10.21037/tau-22-149. PMID: 35958895; PMCID: PMC9360512.

Feiby et al. Diet and men's fertility: does diet affect sperm quality? Fertility and Sterility, Volume 110, Issue 4, 570-577 (2018). https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0015028218304266

Kumar, N., Singh, A.K. Impact of environmental factors on human semen quality and male fertility: a narrative review. Environ Sci Eur 34, 6 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-021-00585-w