Categories: Mens fertility

Improving Sperm Quality

It takes 100 days for sperm to develop (74 to form and 20-30 to mature), therefore addressing sperm health concerns 100 days before conception is important.

Contents[show]

1 Three main factors make up ‘good sperm’:
2 Things to start today
3 Things to Avoid

Three main factors make up ‘good sperm’:

– Sperm count (more than 20 million per millilitre of ejaculate)
– Morphology (shape of the sperm)
– Motility (how fast and straight the sperm swim)

Things to start today

– eat healthy, take a multivitamin/multimineral.
– talk to a natural healthcare provider and do a liver detox.
– learn coping techniques for stress and incorporate them into your every day (meditation, stretching, reading, breathing, qigong, taiji).
– get weekly acupuncture treatments to promote general health, reduce stress, and ensure smooth energy & blood flow throughout the body.
– stay active, take the stairs, walk or cycle to work, go swimming, hit the gym (not too hard).
– make a commitment to engaging in and enjoying regular sex with your partner.
– stop smoking, cut down on alcohol, avoid drug intake (of all types), and keep it to 1 or 2 cups of coffee in the morning only.
– drink more water, semen is made mostly of water (your whole body is 70% water).

Things to Avoid

High Temperatures The body is 37 degrees celcius. Sperm functions best at 32 degrees celcius.
Long distance driving or sitting, hot baths, saunas, hot tubs, tight fitting underwear, and athletic support straps, all can raise the temperature of the scrotum, thus ‘cooking’ the sperm.

Stress
Blood gets routed by all means to vital organs for survival such as the lungs, heart, and brain in times of stress. Obviously the testes are malnourished when the body is under constant stress.

Alcohol
Take a breath, if you stop now, most damage done by drinking will be repaired naturally.
Alcohol interferes with the secretion of testosterone, speeds up the conversion of testosterone into estrogen, lowers sperm count and sex drive.
The breakdown product of alcohol in the body is acetaldehyde, which is toxic to sperm.

Smoking and Male Fertility
Smoking increases the number of free radicals in the body which do damage to many cells. It reduces sperm count and motility, and increases the number of abnormally shaped sperm.
Free radicals that are said to be responsible for 40 percent of sperm damage can be battled with antioxidants such as vitamin C, E, beta-carotene, selenium, zinc, blackberries, blueberries, garlic, kale, strawberries, brussels sprouts, plums, alfalfa sprouts, broccoli, red peppers, grapeseed extract, and pine bark extract.

Drugs
Aside from the many prescription drugs that effect fertility, the chemical ingredient in Marijuana is very closely related to testosterone, therefore the body will produce less of the male hormone. It builds up in the testes lowering libido, causing impotence, and sometimes sexual anxiety. The effects of cocaine are similar in some aspects.

Caffeine
May impair sperm production, cause chromosomal abnormalities, and effect sperm motility.

Medical Problems
Hernia surgery, tubule infection, chlamydia, or mumps may effect sperm count. Diabetes can also have detrimental effects on male fertility.

Exercise
Yes, it is good for you, although, excessive amounts that punish the body may lower sperm count and temporarily reduce testosterone production.

Toxins and Pollutants
Pesticides and heavy metals are terrible for sperm. Since the start of the use of pesticides since World War II, male sperm counts have plummited. Note: pesticides are designed to disrupt the reproductive cycle of the insect, fungus, or weed it is trying to kill! I think there may be a corelation here. Eat Organic! Also watch exposure to X-rays, solvents, paint products, and toxic metals.

Environmental Estrogens
The meat we eat is filled with hormones, unless it is organic. Estrogens are now found in our drinking water. Plastics also give off estrogens. Do not microwave plastic, and try to drink from glass containers. If you are drinking water from a plastic bottle, try to limit its exposure to the sun.

Dr Spence Pentland

Dr. Pentland is founder of The IVF Acupuncture Group of Greater Vancouver, available 7 days a week for on site embryo transfer and acupuncture treatments at the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) and Genesis Fertility Centre. “The integrated relationship I have established with these clinics is something that I value very much as it expands my knowledge, gives me the opportunity to reach more people, and helps me better understand how to support women on their journey toward family.” says Dr. Pentland. Dr. Pentland, along with Dr. Jeffrey Roberts of The Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM), and Dr. Christine Sutton of the University of British Columbia, authored research published in Fertility & Sterility on the stress reducing effects of acupuncture when administered in the weeks leading up to an IVF embryo transfer. In 2015 Spence published BEING FERTILE - 10 Steps to Help You Overcome the Struggles of Infertility, Get Pregnant, and Create a Happy, Healthy Family. A book written to provide hope, tools and resources for women and couples experiencing difficulty starting or expanding their families. Dr. Pentland is founder of The IVF Acupuncture Group of Greater Vancouver, available 7 days a week for on site embryo transfer and acupuncture treatments at the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) and Genesis Fertility Centre. “The integrated relationship I have established with these clinics is something that I value very much as it expands my knowledge, gives me the opportunity to reach more people, and helps me better understand how to support women on their journey toward family.” says Dr. Pentland. Dr. Pentland, along with Dr. Jeffrey Roberts of The Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM), and Dr. Christine Sutton of the University of British Columbia, authored research published in Fertility & Sterility on the stress reducing effects of acupuncture when administered in the weeks leading up to an IVF embryo transfer. In 2015 Spence published BEING FERTILE - 10 Steps to Help You Overcome the Struggles of Infertility, Get Pregnant, and Create a Happy, Healthy Family. A book written to provide hope, tools and resources for women and couples experiencing difficulty starting or expanding their families. Further demonstrating his commitment to reproductive health, he is a devoted member of IAAC (Infertility Awareness Association), CFAS (Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society), and ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine). As the former president of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association of British Columbia and the provincial BC TCM quality assurance committee, Dr. Pentland is well respected by peers and patients alike. He remains actively involved in educating healthcare colleagues and the public on the powerful benefits of Chinese medicine & acupuncture, working steadily on the integration of ancient Daoist wisdom into modern western life as a way to build awareness about reproductive health. This compassionate expertise is reflected in patient testimonials. When not helping others start their families, Spence can be found spending time with his own--his adoring wife Chantal and their two beautiful sons. “I am very proud to be part of the team of professionals at Yinstill. We are all dedicated to raising the bar in the field of complimentary and alternative reproductive medicine. Nothing is more important than family,” he says. 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