Vitamins strengthen sperm quality

Vitamins keep sperm busy: Nutrients help with decreasing sperm quality in old age

04/17/2013

Women can postpone their desire to have children only for a few years, men still into old age - so at least the myth. But even the strong sex is ticking the biological clock. The longer couples wait with the offspring, the more likely they are to remain unintentionally childless. Contrary to popular belief, it's not just women. Due to aging, decreasing sperm quality of men often leads to unfulfilled desire for children. However, unlike women, men have the opportunity to counteract this aging process by changing their way of life.

From the age of 35, hormone production and therefore sperm quality in men slowly decrease. Testicles gradually produce fewer and fewer sperm. „In addition, the body no longer properly absorbs damaged sperm cells, so immobile and slow sperm increasingly enter the ejaculate, thereby reducing the likelihood of egg cell fertilization“, explains Dr. Reinhold Schaefer, urologist and medical director of the medical network Uro-GmbH North Rhine. To determine fertility, urologists examine testosterone levels in the blood and, if necessary, order further tests, such as spermiograms. They examine sperm samples for factors such as concentration, sperm motility, appearance, quantity and pH value. Potential treatments for fertility problems, such as hormone replacement therapies, surgery or artificial insemination, are best discussed with a urologist. Changing habits is, however, the simplest and gentlest measure to promote the production of healthy and agile sperm.

For example, men who want to have children prefer their diet and take natural nutrients such as vitamins, zinc, selenium and folic acid in their natural form. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, wholemeal and dairy products are high on the menu for health-conscious men. Exercise also helps raise testosterone levels and get rid of excess kilos. In sports, however, the rule applies: The dose makes the poison. Exaggerating men with physical exercise, the body releases the stress hormone cortisol. This in turn decreases the testosterone level, which subsequently inhibits sperm production. Also, congestion heat on the testicles by sitting long, hot baths, sauna visits, heated seats or very tight underwear affects the sperm production. In some cases, this even leads to irreparable damage to the testicles. These are not without reason outside the body, because they need 33 to 35 degrees Celsius for optimal production of male germ cells. (Pm)