There has been an estimated 50% decline in sperm production over the last 50 years

Male fertility is all obviously all about sperm – how many and how able each sperm is able to survive the perilous journey to the egg. The moment the sperm starts its journey it is attacked by molecules that can damage the sperm and render it immobile and usless. It is easy to appreciate that the more sperm there are, the greater the chance that healthy sperm will reach the egg, but what is as or more important is that only well fuelled, fast swimming, healthy sperm will have a chance of surviving the perils ahead. So, male fertility is all about the number (sperm count) and the health (viability) of the sperm

As many as 1 in 5 young men between the ages of 18 and 25 produce abnormally low sperm counts, and of those with normal sperm counts just 5-15% of sperm produced are classed as normal under the World Health Organisation criteria. For anyone who skimmed over that last piece of information, read again…..’Daddies’ of the future have falling sperm counts and high levels of abnormal sperm.

Contra to traditional beliefs, infertility is roughly equal between men and women, with 32% of cases attributed to men and 32% to women, whilst the remaining cases involve either both partners or are unexplained (HFEA, 2007). The number of couples who are struggling to conceive has risen to over 25% and so it isn’t surprising that more and more couples are now seeking fertility treatment. But is that the only option or are there alternative solutions to try first?

‘Changes to lifestyle and diet, plus a good supplement regime, can make a massive difference to male fertility’

Scientific evidence estimates a 50% decline in sperm production over the last 50 years, as well as a correspnding decline in sperm quality. This sudden fall in sperm numbers and quality has occured too rapidly for genetic influences to be considered responsible; a combination of both environmental and lifestyle factors are the root causes.

Research suggests that changes to diet and lifestyle routines will significantly improve both female and male fertility in the majority of individuals.   So far, at least 19 trace elements are known to influence human fertility, and many other nutrients are also likely to be important but not yet adequately researched.  Deficiencies in nutrients that are known to be key to male fertility are common in the UK, and these deficiencies are likely to affect sperm counts as well as compromise the quality of the sperm produced, thus reducing the likelihood of a viable sperm reaching the egg for fertilisation to take place.

One group of nutrients that greatly influence male sperm production and quality are the Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). Over the last 50 years, i.e the same time frame as the falling sperm count, we have seen a drmataic  decline in intakes of the omega-3 fish oils. In Western societies our typical intake of omega-6 PUFA, the alternative family of fatty acids, is very high and the ratio of the omega-6: omega-3 fatty acids in the UK is now thought to be greater than 10:1 and even as high as 25:1 in some adult diets. In comparison, the omega-6: omega-3 ratio dietary intake of primitive man was closer to 1:1.

Intakes of omega-6 fatty acids have increased, primarily to displace the saturated fats in our diet , and it is high intakes of these fats that are now  associated with heart disease, stroke and cancer due to their inflammaotory influences. The main sources of omega-3 fatty acids in the UK diet were green leafy vegetables, diary produce and meat produced from cattle grazing on grass, and eggs produced from chickens which fed naturally on seeds. In contrast with the rise in omega-6 intakes, the fall in popularity of green leafy vegetables, and changes in animal feeds to maize and corn based foods, have resulted in a dramatic decline in our intakes of these omega-3 fatty acids and an enormous imbalance in the ratio of the consumption of the two fatty acids familites.

The omega-6: omega-3 ratio affects numerous male and female reproductive processes; omega-3 fatty acids are extremely important for male sperm count, motility and morphology; which then supports conception and embryo development.

Research enthusiastically supports the role of omega-3 fatty acids in male fertility;  fertile men have been found to have sperm levels of omega-3 FAs compared to infertile men and patients with high omega-6 fatty acid and low omega-3 fatty acid concentrations in sperm were found to have lower overall sperm counts, sperm motility and sperm morphology.

Unsurprisingly, male fertility can be enormously improved by making careful nutritional and lifestyle choices that  support sperm production and viability. If I could offer just one piece of advice to all men wishing to start a family it would be to take a DHA rich omega-3 fatty acid supplement such as my own DHAPURE Conception which is completely free from all impurities and contains a high concentration of key omega-3 fatty acid, DHA.

Lifestyle, diet and supplement plan to improve male fertility

• Take an omega- 3 supplement, such as DHAPURE Conception
• Eat a balanced, unprocessed, nutrient-rich diet
• Exercise 2-3 times weekly
• Stop smoking
• Drink very little alcohol
• Protect yourself from environmental chemicals

This entry was posted on Monday, January 9th, 2012 at 5:45 PM and is filed under Fertility, Preconception. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.