Eat a healthy diet. Choose plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants — and might help improve sperm health.
A study of 250 men who had sperm analyzed at a fertility clinic showed that men who ate higher amounts of fruits and veggies, particularly green leafy vegetables and beans (legumes), had higher sperm concentrations and better sperm motility compared to men who ate less of these foods.
Dietary changes that promote a higher sperm count include reducing the intake of trans fatty acids and increasing polyunsaturated fatty acid and vitamin D intake. Maintaining a healthful, balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables is the best way to boost sperm count through the diet.
Overexposure to certain environmental elements such as heat, toxins and chemicals can reduce sperm production or sperm function. Specific causes include: Industrial chemicals. Extended exposure to certain chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents and painting materials may contribute to low sperm counts.
A trained expert checks your sperm count, their shape, movement, and other characteristics. In general, if you have a higher number of normal-shaped sperm, it means you have higher fertility. But there are plenty of exceptions to this. A lot of guys with low sperm counts or abnormal semen are still fertile.
Some studies suggest that moderate ejaculation (2–4 times per week) is associated with a lower prostate cancer risk. However, ejaculating more often doesn't mean your cancer risk drops even more.
If you're producing less than a third of a teaspoon of semen you may have underlying health problems. Low semen volume could be a sign of low testosterone or diabetes. Some of the causes of low semen volume are treatable, so don't be afraid to bring up the topic with your doctor.
The concentration of sperm is what makes the semen cloudy and thick, so if your ejaculate is watery it is possible that you have a low sperm count. This doesn't mean you're infertile (so precautions to prevent pregnancy still need to be taken for couples that don't want to get pregnant).
Thick semen can be a result of unhealthy habits like excessive alcohol intake or sedentarism. It can also by a sign of abnormal hormone levels, sexually transmitted infections, dehydration, prostate changes or the use of anabolic steroids without medical orientation.
Male fertility generally starts to reduce around age 40 to 45 years when sperm quality decreases. Increasing male age reduces the overall chances of pregnancy and increases time to pregnancy (the number of menstrual cycles it takes to become pregnant) and the risk of miscarriage and fetal death.
Oranges and pomegranate juice both have high amounts of antioxidants and vitamins in them. The vitamin C found in oranges has been shown to improve not only sperm mobility and count, but also the morphology and overall health of sperm.
A male's body is constantly creating sperm, but sperm regeneration is not immediate. On average, it takes a male around 74 days to produce new sperm from start to finish. Although the average time is 74 days , the actual time frame for an individual to make sperm can vary.
During sexual intercourse, most men ejaculate between 5-10 minutes and research has shown the average time to ejaculate after penetration is 5 1/2 minutes. Usually, ejaculation less than 1 to 1 1/2 minutes after penetration is regarded as premature ejaculation.
Causes of male infertility
Abnormal sperm production or function due to undescended testicles, genetic defects, health problems such as diabetes, or infections such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, mumps or HIV. Enlarged veins in the testes (varicocele) also can affect the quality of sperm.
Men start losing their fertility at age 40.
In a study of more than 1,900 couples, irrespective of the woman's age, IVF attempts involving men 40 or older failed 70 percent more often than IVF attempts involving men younger than 30. Previous theory: Older men produce fewer kids because they get less sex.
Even if everything does appear normal and healthy on the surface, you can't really tell whether your sperm is healthy just by looking at it. Scheduling an appointment with your healthcare provider to perform a semen analysis is the only way to find out for sure.
Have sex regularly. The highest pregnancy rates occur in couples who have sex every day or every other day. Have sex near the time of ovulation. If having sex every day isn't possible — or enjoyable — have sex every 2 to 3 days a week starting soon after the end of your period.