Diet
A healthy diet is key for healthy sperm production
Foods that help produce plenty of quality sperm
When talking about male fertility, it’s important to forget all traditional notions of what makes a man ‘manly’. Diet is one area in particular where the meat-chomping, beer guzzling caveman image is completely wrong when it comes to male fertility.
Red meat, sugar, alcohol and caffeine can all hamper sperm production, and even though fast food may fill you up, burgers, chips and kebabs are full of additives and artificial preservatives that can stop your sperm developing as it should. It can be tough to completely change your diet overnight, so start small by cutting out one or two items that aren’t helping to produce healthy sperm. Then, once you’ve cleared out the convenience foods that weaken your sperm, try gradually adding the five foods below to help your sperm recover and get stronger.
Five foods for better sperm production
Eggs – As well as being high in protein and rich in almost all of the important vitamins your body needs to function at its best, eggs also contain selenium, which has been found to increase testosterone production and sperm formation and motility.
Leafy green vegetables – A natural source of folic acid, leafy green vegetables can increase a man’s sperm count when combined with foods rich in zinc.
Nuts and legumes – The zinc found in nuts and legumes have a greater positive effect on male fertility when combined with the folic acid in leafy green vegetables, salmon and certain fruits.
Wholegrain oats and grains – Fibre is essential for processing and digesting the nutrients found in foods that form part of a healthy diet.
Avocados – Essential fatty acids, found in avocados, help to regulate hormone production, which means greater levels of testosterone and better quality sperm.
Is it important to ‘go organic’?
The pesticides found in non-organic foods have been found to affect sperm production, so choosing organic options are always best. If you find that you can’t afford to buy 100% organic you may find that buying in bulk from local farm shops or farmers’ markets, and then batch cooking and freezing helps to make organic food go further. Making these positive changes to your diet will improve your chances of conceiving.
Is your fertility diet already in great shape?
If you’re already eating everything you should be and cutting out the things you shouldn’t, there may be another area of your fertility fitness that you could look at improving.
