Male Fertility
Plan of action – The natural approach
Research shows that a good fertility diet can positively influence chances of conceiving.
The main guidelines for this diet is to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables with snacking on nuts and seeds.
Eating less meat and processed foods and eating more fish and plant-based foods.
To assess male fertility a semen analysis is necessary. In some cases, a sperm DNA fragmentation may be suggested.
Male fertility is a common cause of infertility issues. It affects up to half of the couples who come to our clinics. For this reason, both partners should be tested before starting any infertility journey.
Semen Analysis
A semen analysis looks at the count, motility and morphology of sperm under a light microscope.
The current WHO parameters for normal semen parameters are as the following;
Volume: 2ml
Count: 15 million sperm per ml
Motility: over 32% of sperms should be Grade A swimmers.
Morphology: At least 4% of sperm should be perfectly normal morphology.
Sperm DNA Fragmentation
This refers to the damage of the DNA within the sperm nucleus.
Studies have shown that there is correlation between increased DNA fragmentation and infertility.
It is normal to have a certain amount of DNA fragmentation. A percentage of DNA fragmentation above 30% can cause difficulty conceiving.
Oxidative stress can cause sperm DNA to fragment. Oxidative stress can be caused by the following conditions;
Infection
Inflammation
Varicocele
Obesity
Smoking
Testicular heat… such as prolonged sitting or hot saunas etc.
Chemicals…exposure to pesticides and certain chemicals.
Poor diet…a diet low in anti-oxidants and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Age…DNA fragmentations increase with age
Genetics
Undiagnosed or unmanaged diabetes
Certain medications
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