Infertility is a problem which is evenly split between men and women. Yet it is often focused around the woman — perhaps because treatment such as IVF involves her body and it is her body that gives birth. As a result, men’s feelings can sometimes be neglected, leaving feelings of guilt, shame or loneliness with no outlet.
Male infertility means a man has a smaller chance of getting his partner pregnant and it is usually related to the quality of his sperm cells. It is something that many men experience — so you are not alone.
Infertility in men can have numerous causes including health reasons, genetics, fitness, and disease.
There are a number of factors which may affect male fertility:
- Sperm DNA fragmentation — the separation or breaking of DNA strands into pieces. Sperm DNA fragmentation is associated with infertility and early miscarriage.
- Sperm DNA decondensation — a reflection of faulty compaction or unravelled DNA. Sperm DNA decondensation is also associated with infertility however has frequently been neglected.
- Testosterone levels — in some men infertility can be a result of low levels of testosterone.
- Sperm motility — the sperm’s ability to swim, which is measured as the percentage of moving sperm cells in a sample of semen.
- Sperm count — the number of sperm cells in a given amount of semen.
- Sperm morphology — the shape/form of the sperm and the size of the sperm.
- Impotence — also known as erectile dysfunction, this is when a man is not able to develop and maintain an erection.
Science-backed ways to boost fertility naturally
1. Take a supplement
Male fertility supplements can conveniently help both men and women, but the nutritional micronutrients found in Impryl are especially important for men with sperm that has oxidative damage — which causes DNA fragmentation.
All too often, men take strong antioxidants to try to improve the health of the sperm, but this can lead to reductive stress and another damage to your sperm —DNA decondensation. Taking Impryl can help you treat DNA fragmentation while avoiding DNA decondensation. A long course of Impryl can help if you have a sperm DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) and/or Sperm Decondensation Index (SDI) higher than 20%.
In fact, clinical data shows that Impryl can help men who have even failed with Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) and may achieve a pregnancy if their DFI and/or SDI is reduced after treatment with the micronutrients in Impryl.
2. Manage your stress
Stress has been found to affect fertility and reduce libido. This is because long periods of stress increase your levels of cortisol. When cortisol levels go up, testosterone levels go down.
If you have anxiety or depression, it is important that you talk to your GP. However, for lower levels of stress, stress management can involve meditating, exercising, spending time outdoors or socialising.
3. Exercise regularly
Studies show that exercising can raise your testosterone levels.
4. Avoid heavy alcohol consumption
Heavy alcohol consumption can reduce testosterone by:
- Increasing cortisol, which can decrease testosterone.
- Damaging Leydig cells in the testes which produce testosterone.
- Increasing the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the body.
- Utilising nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), which is used for both testosterone synthesis and alcohol metabolism. When you drink alcohol, NAD+ is busy metabolizing the alcohol rather than synthesizing testosterone.
- Releasing endorphins, which make you feel happy and relaxed but can also disrupt testosterone synthesis.
5. Lose excess weight
Overweight men are more likely to have lower sperm count — so a balanced diet and exercise are a priority.
6. Get between 7-9 hours sleep a night
Too little or too much sleep has been linked to poor sperm quality.
Men are affected by infertility all over the globe. Luckily there are ways in which you can boost male fertility and they are all part of a healthy lifestyle. If you follow these tips, you will increase your chances of getting pregnant at the same time as improving your overall health.
