Male factor Infertility – Causes and Treatment
What causes male factor infertility?
Male factor infertility can be caused by low sperm production, abnormal sperm function or blockage that prevents delivery of sperm. Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors may contribute to male infertility.
How to Improve sperm count and motility
Sperm quality can be harmed by several environmental and lifestyle factors, of which obesity and related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, are well-known risk factors for poor sperm quality. High consumption of sugar affects the RNA fragments in human sperm and reduces quality. The genetic integrity of each sperm cell is essential for successful fertilisation. Damage to DNA strands in the sperm cell makes it unable or less likely to fertilise an egg and produce healthy embryo.
Can tomatoes improve sperm health?
Sperm quality can be improved with a simple diet supplement containing a compound found in cooked tomatoes. Lycopene can be found in some fruits and vegetables, but the main source in the diet is from tomatoes. Lycopene is a pigment that gives tomatoes their red color, but dietary Lycopene is poorly absorbed by the human body. People taking more tomatoes are having more lycopene in blood. Thus consumption of tomatoes protects sperm from DNA damage. The improvement in morphology ( the size and shape of the sperm), is dramatic. Lycopene’s beneficial action is due to its antioxidant action. Consequently it potentially inhibits the damage caused by oxidation of sperm which is a known cause of male fertility problems.
Nuts are good for enhancing sperm quality
- The inclusion of nuts in a regular diet significantly improves the quality and function of human sperm.
- Significant improvements in their sperm count, vitality, motility and morphology is seen in people consuming nuts in long term basis.
- Decline in quantity and quality of human sperm in the recent years is attributed in industrialized countries to “pollution, smoking, and trends toward a western-style diet.
- Nuts are dense foods containing many nutrients and other phytochemicals. Diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants like vitamin C and E, selenium and zinc and folate have resulted in improvement in sperm quality. Diet supplemented with 60 grams/day of mixed almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts is associated with improvement in sperm health.
- Zinc and folic acid, a pair of dietary supplements long touted as an effective treatment for male infertility, failed to improve pregnancy rates, sperm counts, and sperm potency.
