Creating Super Sperm with Supplements and Superfoods

When it comes to male fertility supplements, there’s no “silver bullet” for sperm health — no one capsule that can undo other poor lifestyle choices, such as smoking. But certain vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients can help support fertility by giving the body what it needs to produce healthy sperm and protect that sperm from damage.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are compounds that protect our body’s cells from the negative impact of reactive oxygen species (ROS), also known as “free radicals.”

Quick bio lesson: ROS are unstable molecules present in our cells. They are created as a result of daily processes, such as metabolism, and are found at low, stable levels in healthy bodies. The presence of ROS can be increased during times of illness, or due to toxin exposure or poor lifestyle.

Antioxidants work chemically to neutralise free radicals. You need the right level of antioxidants — which can be produced by our bodies or acquired through our diets — to keep free radicals in check.

If the balance is off, the ROS can damage cells. This is a phenomenon known as “oxidative stress.” Oxidative stress has a detrimental impact on many cells in the body, including sperm cells, and can affect sperm motility (movement), morphology (shape) and genetic health.

Preventing oxidative stress can be accomplished by lowering the levels of ROS in the body — perhaps by quitting smoking or reducing exposure to toxins — or by increasing antioxidant intake through diet and supplementation. A good strategy to improve fertility includes both.

The antioxidants with good evidence to support their use for sperm health include:

• CoQ10 – Most widely known as a supplement for female fertility, CoQ10 is an antioxidant and a nutrient that’s critical for metabolism, and it’s been shown to improve sperm health, as well. One analysis found that supplementation with CoQ10 had a significant impact on sperm count and motility; another added strength to that association by concluding CoQ10 had a “profound effect” on sperm motility.
• Vitamin C – One study found that taking 2,000mg daily of Vitamin C was associated with doubled sperm counts, as well as increased motility by over 90%; morphology increased by 50%. But you don’t need a super-dose of this fertility vitamin to see results; another study found that men with infertility who were assigned just 750mg of Vitamin C daily had significantly better motility and morphology measures than the control group.
• Selenium – Selenium is an important trace mineral (a term that means you only need a very small amount) with antioxidant properties. While many studies have looked at the impact of taking selenium along with other antioxidants, more recent research has demonstrated that, even when taken on its own, selenium is associated with improved sperm count, motility and morphology, plus lower levels of oxidative stress.
• Vitamin E – In combination with other antioxidants like Vitamin C, Vitamin E has been shown to reduce sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), the term for damage to the genetic material carried inside sperm. Elevated SDF is associated with infertility, poor embryo quality during IVF and pregnancy loss. Vitamin E can help with fertility as it has also been shown to improve sperm motility when taken in combination with selenium.
• Lycopene – Lycopene is the compound that gives fruits and veggies like tomatoes and watermelon a pink-red hue. One review found that, when consumed in the form of a supplement, lycopene was associated with decreased oxidative stress and sperm DNA damage and increased sperm count, motility and morphology, for both healthy men and men diagnosed with infertility.

Related Article – Can Intermittent Fasting Improve Male Fertility?

L-carnitine

L-carnitine is a compound derived from an amino acid; it helps transport fatty acids into your cells’ mitochondria — the powerhouse of the cell, if you remember 8th-Grade science — to facilitate energy production in the body. Supplementation with L-carnitine has been shown to improve sperm motility, possibly by supporting mitochondrial function.

Several studies (1, 2, 3) found that administration of L-carnitine was associated with an increase in sperm motility for men dealing with infertility. In one trial, researchers found that taking L-carnitine was associated with improved motility and increased activity of acrosin, the enzyme that helps sperm penetrate the egg for fertilisation. In another, taking L-carnitine for several weeks prior to IVF and with ICSI cycle was shown to increase fertilisation rates by 11.5%.

Related Article – Gut Health – Why is the Mediterranean Diet So Good For Fertility?

Legacy’s Male Fertility Supplements

D-aspartic acid

D-aspartic acid is an amino acid that likely plays a role in regulating the release and synthesis of testosterone. Testosterone is a male hormone that’s a key part of the process of creating sperm, not to mention being critical for sexual health and overall wellness.

One study showed that supplementing with D-AA for 90 days increased the concentration and motility of sperm, nearly doubling concentration and boosting motility by over 50%. Ultimately, this led to an improvement in the rate of pregnancies among those taking D-AA.

Superfoods for Male Fertility

Supplements are not the only source of the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals shown to improve sperm health. You can also acquire many of these nutrients naturally through a healthy diet.

Fruits and vegetables

Obviously, eating your fruits and veggies is so important for so many aspects of health. Many fruits, such as citrus and strawberries, and vegetables like bell peppers and broccoli contain high levels of the antioxidant Vitamin C, which — as discussed above — can improve sperm health. Did you know that a bell pepper contains more Vitamin C than your average orange, plus other nutrients like folate?

Green vegetables including spinach, kale, and Brussels sprouts are the best food sources for folate. However, it’s pretty hard to get enough folate to improve sperm health from diet alone; that’s why a supplement is often recommended.

Seafood and shellfish

Shellfish include both crustaceans (lobster, crab, shrimp) and molluscs (clams, mussels, oysters, scallops). Shellfish contain zinc as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which serve as important structural components of sperm cell membranes and enhance antioxidant activity in seminal fluid. Oysters, specifically, are an excellent source of zinc.

Other fish — especially cold-water fish like salmon — are also a good source of omega-3s, along with other essential nutrients such as Vitamin B12. B12 is involved in the creation of DNA (like the DNA inside your sperm), and can only be found in animal foods like fish, or fortified foods.

Seafood, including tuna, halibut, sardines and shrimp are also great sources of selenium.

Related Article – Fertility Specialists – How to Improve Egg Quality Through Nutrition with Sandra Greenbank

Nuts & Seeds

Another found similar results with only walnuts; those eating 75g of walnuts in addition to the typical Western diet showed greater vitality, motility and morphology than the group avoiding tree nuts. This is likely because of the omega-3 fatty acids in these nuts, researchers concluded.