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Improving Sperm Health

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The sperm life cycle is about 75 days. That means that changes you make today will take about two and one half months to show up in a semen analysis. Check out a good, comprehensive discussion of male fertility offered on WebMD. Following are some of the do's and the don'ts for improving sperm health.

Don't:

Sit in hot tubs – Your testicles hang outside your body because sperm like it cooler than 98.6°F. Body temperature and above can kill sperm. I've even heard of soaking your testicles in hot water as a birth control technique. No promises, and do not blame me if you get pregnant after trying it.

Smoke – Almost anything that is not good for a man's overall health will also impact his sperm production in a negative way. Smoking is associated with low sperm counts, decreased motility, and a higher incidence of miscarriages. The toxic reactive oxygen species from smoking do not make sperm happy. Anti-oxidants will help (see information about nutritional supplements, below).

Drink too much – Most experts recommend that you avoid excessive alcohol consumption. You probably do not need to completely abstain but you should drink moderately.

Exercise too strenuously – Strenuous exercise may increase the temperature of your testicles. It may also cause changes in testosterone levels that lead to decreased production of sperm.

Do:

Take Nutritional Supplements – The following supplements have been recommended to enhance sperm production:

• Vitamin C (250mg / 3 times a day)
• Vitamin E (400 I.U./day, d-alpha) -check with your primary care physician on the
• Vitamin E if you are on any medications
• Selenium (200 mcg/day)
• Zinc (100 mg/day)
• Coenzyme Q-10 (50 mg/day)
• Levocarnitine (1 gram/day) and acetyl-L-carnitine (0.5 gram/day)
• B-Complex once a day
• Folic Acid (400 mcg/day)
• A general multivitamin with minerals once a day

The anti-oxidants in this list include: selenium, coenzyme Q-10, and Vitamin E. These should be taken with food and at a separate time from the other vitamins and minerals.

You might think about adding some lean read meat to your diet. Some suggest that a serving or two of red meat per week will provide essential nutrients for sperm production.

Stay Healthy and Fit – Moderate exercise will always help. Anything that improves a man's general health is good for his sperm. Get plenty of rest. Drink plenty of liquids. Minimize stress.

Ejaculate frequently – Try to ejaculate every 24 to 48 hours. Sperm production is similar to breast milk production. The more you use the more you produce.

Ice – Icing your scrotum once or twice a day for 20 minutes or so may help. This may be most beneficial for reducing inflammation for vasectomy reversal patients. It probably will not hurt anyone.

Avoid drugs – We all know that recreational drugs are not a good idea while trying to conceive. Many prescription drugs will also diminish sperm production. Check with your doctor about the possible impacts of any drugs you taking.

Be careful about using lubricants – Many women experience dryness with the stress of performing according to a schedule. The more common lubricants are harmful to sperm. PreSeed is specially formulated to be kind to sperm. You can also use mineral oil. There are two kinds of mineral oil that are commonly available. For this application you should use the kind you can drink. It is commonly used as a laxative. I have also heard of olive oil being recommended.