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Infertility
- Male
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Between 10 and 20% of
couples are infertile - that is they are unable to conceive
after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse. It
is estimated that in about 40% of cases the problem is sperm
related.
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What
Can Help |
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Start eating
a healthy, well balanced diet. Avoid animal fats,
sugar, junk foods and fried foods. |
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Quit smoking
and avoid cigarette smoke - there are toxins in
cigarette smoke that cause abnormalities in sperm |
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Cut out
alcohol. Alcohol decreases the body's ability to
produce the male hormone, testosterone. It also can
effect sexual function. |
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Stay out of
hot tubs and saunas, and avoid vigorous exercise as
these can reduce sperm count. One study also showed
that vigorous exercise may reduce the production of a
hormone that is directly involved with fertility,
potency & sex drive. |
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Avoid
tight-fitting underwear and pants. The testicles need
to be at the correct temperature to keep sperm healthy
and mobile. |
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RELAX !
Stress is well known as an excellent contraceptive. |
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DON'T FORGET TO READ
ABOUT MACA |
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Some
Nutrients Worth Considering |
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Multivitamin
& mineral supplement - a good place to
start to ensure adequate nutrition. |
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Vitamin C,
1000mg daily - keeps sperm healthy and mobile (see
below) |
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L-Arginine -
helps to increase sperm count |
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Vitamin E,
400 - 800 IU daily - Needed for the balanced
production of hormones |
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Zinc 75mg
daily - Aids in prostate gland function |
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| Sperm mobility
and Vitamin C |
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For conception to
occur it is necessary that a man's sperm be healthy. If the
sperm move slowly or clump together then the chance of a
pregnancy is greatly reduced.
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| Men who smoke are
particularly at risk, as toxic chemicals from cigarette smoke
gets into their sperm reducing the sperm count and increasing
sperm abnormalities. |
| Studies have shown that
these problems can be helped by increasing Vitamin C intake. |
| A study at the
University of Texas showed that giving men 500 mg of Vitamin C
twice daily reduced the number of sperm that clumped together
from over 20% to less than 11%. It was also found that Vitamin C
neutralized the damaging effects caused by the toxic chemicals
in cigarettes. |
| The greatest
improvements were seen in men who took 1000 mg of Vitamin C
daily for at least one month. To get this amount from diet alone
would be very difficult, so some doctors feel that supplements
are a good idea. However it is still best to increase your
intake of foods that are rich in Vitamin C as well. |
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