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How can I increase my sperm count?

January 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Answer 2: If you are seriously overweight, try losing weight.

Reprod Health. 2011 Aug 17;8:24.

Does weight loss improve semen quality and reproductive hormones? Results from a cohort of severely obese men.

Håkonsen LB, Thulstrup AM, Aggerholm AS, Olsen J, Bonde JP, Andersen CY, Bungum M, Ernst EH, Hansen ML, Ernst EH, Ramlau-Hansen CH.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A high body mass index (BMI) has been associated with reduced semen quality and male subfecundity, but no studies following obese men losing weight have yet been published. We examined semen quality and reproductive hormones among morbidly obese men and studied if weight loss improved the reproductive indicators.

METHODS:

In this pilot cohort study, 43 men with BMI > 33 kg/m² were followed through a 14 week residential weight loss program. The participants provided semen samples and had blood samples drawn, filled in questionnaires, and had clinical examinations before and after the intervention. Conventional semen characteristics as well as sperm DNA integrity, analysed by the sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) were obtained. Serum levels of testosterone, estradiol, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and inhibin B (Inh-B) were measured.

RESULTS:

Participants were from 20 to 59 years of age (median = 32) with BMI ranging from 33 to 61 kg/m². At baseline, after adjustment for potential confounders, BMI was inversely associated with sperm concentration (p = 0.02), total sperm count (p = 0.02), sperm morphology (p = 0.04), and motile sperm (p = 0.005) as well as testosterone (p = 0.04) and Inh-B (p = 0.04) and positively associated to estradiol (p < 0.005). The median (range) percentage weight loss after the intervention was 15% (3.5-25.4). Weight loss was associated with an increase in total sperm count (p = 0.02), semen volume (p = 0.04), testosterone (p = 0.02), SHBG (p = 0.03) and AMH (p = 0.02). The group with the largest weight loss had a statistically significant increase in total sperm count [193 millions (95% CI: 45; 341)] and normal sperm morphology [4% (95% CI: 1; 7)].

CONCLUSION:

This study found obesity to be associated with poor semen quality and altered reproductive hormonal profile. Weight loss may potentially lead to improvement in semen quality. Whether the improvement is a result of the reduction in body weight per se or improved lifestyles remains unknown.

Read the complete paper:

Does weight loss improve semen quality and reproductive hormones? Results from a cohort of severely obese men.


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How can I increase my sperm count?

January 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Answer: Try taking fish oil and eating more fish to boost your Omega 3 levels (and reduce your intake of Omega 6 if it’s high).


A low sperm count was found to be associated with a high Omega 6/Omega 3 ratio:

Clin Nutr. 2010 Feb;29(1):100-5. Epub 2009 Aug 8.

Relationship of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids with semen characteristics, and anti-oxidant status of seminal plasma: a comparison between fertile and infertile men.

Safarinejad MR, Hosseini SY, Dadkhah F, Asgari MA.

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS:

Fatty acid (FA) composition of the spermatozoa may be an important determinant of fertility. The aim was to evaluate polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) composition of the blood plasma and spermatozoa in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT).

METHODS:

Eighty-two infertile men with idiopathic OAT and seventy-eight fertile men defined according to semen concentration and proven fertility were enrolled in the study. The semen parameters were assessed according to World Health Organization criteria; three omega-3 fatty acids–alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and two omega-6 fatty acids–linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) concentrations were measured in blood plasma and spermatozoa; and the seminal plasma enzymatic antioxidant levels of catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were also assessed.

RESULTS:

Proven fertile men had higher blood and spermatozoa levels of omega-3 FAs compared with the infertile patients. The ratio of serum omega-6/omega-3 fatty acids was significantly higher in infertile (14.8+/-4.3) patients compared to fertile controls (6.3+/-2.2) (P=0.001). Additionally, levels of AA were higher and the omega-3 index (EPA+DHA) was lower in infertile subjects than in fertile controls (all P values<0.05). Infertile men had higher mean AA:DHA ratio and AA:EPA (6.4+/-2.9 and 12.0+/-4.9, respectively) than fertile men (3.3+/-1.8 and 6.7+/-2.6, respectively) (both P=0.001). A strong negative correlation was found between the AA:DHA and AA:EPA ratios and total sperm count (r=-0.62, P=0.001 and r=-0.64, P=0.001, respectively), sperm motility (r=-0.63, P=0.001 and r=-0.61, P=0.001, respectively), and sperm morphology (r=-0.61, P=0.001, and r=-0.59, P=0.002, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS:

Infertile men had lower concentrations of omega-3 FAs in spermatozoa than fertile men. These results suggest that research should be performed to assess the potential benefits of omega-3 FA supplementation as a therapeutic approach in infertile men with idiopathic OAT.

Increasing Omega 3 intake improved sperm count in this study:

Andrologia. 2011 Feb;43(1):38-47. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0272.2009.01013.x.

Effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on semen profile and enzymatic anti-oxidant capacity of seminal plasma in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study.

Safarinejad MR.

Abstract

Effective medical treatments of infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT) have yet to be determined. This study considered two major aims: (i) to measure the changes in semen parameters, omega-3 fatty acids (FA) compositions and anti-oxidant activity; (ii) to determine if the administration of omega-3 FA affect semen quality in infertile men with OAT. Two hundred thirty-eight infertile men with idiopathic OAT were randomised to eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA), 1.84 g per day (EPAX 5500TG; Lysaker, Norway), or placebo for 32 weeks. The semen parameters were assessed according to WHO criteria, and the EPA and DHA concentrations were determined in red blood cells (RBCs), seminal plasma and sperm cells at baseline and 32-week treatment period. Of randomised subjects, 211 (88.7%) completed the full 32-week randomisation period. The anti-oxidant status of seminal plasma was also evaluated by measuring the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase-like activity. In the total group of participants, all EPA and DHA levels in RBC, and seminal plasma, were statistically significantly correlated with those in spermatozoa (both P = 0.001). A significant improvement of sperm cell total count (from 38.7 ± 8.7 ‘ 10⁶ to 61.7 ± 11.2 ‘ 10⁶, P = 0.001) and sperm cell concentration (from 15.6 ± 4.1 ‘ 10⁶ per ml to 28.7 ± 4.4 ‘ 10⁶ per ml, P = 0.001) was observed in the omega-3 group. A significant positive correlation was found between the EPA and DHA in seminal plasma and the semen parameters. Seminal plasma EPA and DHA concentrations were positively correlated with seminal plasma SOD-like and catalase-like activity (both P = 0.001). In seminal plasma, both SOD-like and catalase-like activity were positively correlated with sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm morphology. Oligoasthenoteratospermic men with low levels of EPA and DHA may benefit from omega-3 FA supplementation. Further studies are warranted to shed more light on this important issue.

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