The Endometriosis and Fertility Clinic
"Let food be your medicine and medicine
be your food"
Hippocrates (460 BC)
Male
infertility
Meanwhile, we can offer the following advice, extracted from Endometriosis: a key to healing and fertility through Nutrition.
There are several aspects to sperm quality, there is the quantity of the sperm
(oligospermia), the motility of the sperm (how well they move or swim) and the
sperm can also be malformed (two tails, no tail). The deteriorating quality of
men's sperm has been linked with the chemicals found in food, household products
and the environment. Suspect chemicals include pesticides and phthalates
(nonylphenois), a group of compounds that 'migrate' from plastic PVC wrappings
and leak into foods such as cheese, meats, cakes, sandwiches and confectionary;
phytoestrogens occurring naturally in soya beans, which are widely incorporated
into infant milk formula; alkylphenol polyethoxylates, used in deteregents,
paints and cosmetics; and ubiquitous industrial pollutants such as polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCB's), which accumulate in fatty tissue. Even strong electro magnetic
equipment field pulsations may be detrimental.
Scientists have concluded that chemical pesticides, which
mimic female hormones, may also have contributed to testicular cancer. The link
is regarded as 'plausible' by the Department of the Environment.
Spermatogenesis in the human takes 120 days to recover if there have been mutagens
around. If the sperm are being damaged by chemicals the man must take precautions
for the next 3 months whilst a new supply is being made.
Sperm Quantity (Oligospermia) 'One man in 20 is subfertile' stated the
Danish Environment Ministry. Sperm counts of over 100 million per millilitre
are classed as healthy, but 90 million or below can bring problems.
Sperm Motility At the IVF Unit in Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington
they already use vitamin C to improve sperm motility. The sperm have to be strong
and healthy to swim against the tide to make it to the ovary and once there they
have to penetrate the cell wall to fertilise the egg.
Sperm Abnormalities The sperm can be damaged by chemicals and free radicals
causing malformed shapes. This can impair the way the sperm swims, its ability
to break through the cell wall of the egg and its sense of direction.
Nutritional advice Subclinical deficiencies of various nutrients can
affect sperm formation. Vitamin C protects sperm against free radical damage,
the level in seminal fluid is much higher than in other body fluids. Zinc is
critical in male reproduction and low zinc status may contribute to infertility.
Vitamin B12 also appears to improve sperm counts and motility, deficiency is
linked to sterility. Vitamin A deficiency causes abnormality of sperm shape
and if the deficiency is prolonged the spermatids and spermatozoa disintegrate.
Your body needs to be in balance and this is why it is very difficult to give
general advise on nutrition when there is a problem. However, help is at hand,
book an appointment at The Endometriosis and Fertility Clinic
and they will look at your nutritional requirements and provide you with advise
that puts you in control.
This page is due to be updated.