As my wife’s prenatal business, PrenatalCoach.com, continues to grow, so too does my exposure to fertility issues. When couples begin preparing for conception, there is often an unequal amount of pressure placed on the woman and her fertility. If there are difficulties conceiving, the onus is typically taken on by the mother-to-be. Her health is scrutinized, her fertility is questioned, and her confidence is shaken.
It is becoming much more apparent and accepted that the woman’s fertility may not be the only issue. After all, men must contribute half of the genes in order to produce a healthy fetus.
Male fertility is just as crucial as female fertility. In today’s society, we are exposed to more toxins and anti-nutrients than ever before in our history. Consuming proper nutrition can help ensure male reproductive health and optimize the chances of conception.
There are many nutrients and foods which can benefit male reproduction. I have selected 3 tips which will help boost male fertility:
- Fruit, Veggies, Nuts & Seeds – Consuming plenty of fresh, clean fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds will provide the reproductive system with many nutrients essential to male fertility and healthy sperm. Specifically, selenium, zinc, arginine, carnitine, vitamin E, folate, and vitamin C, all of which can be acquired from fruit, veggies, seeds and/or nuts, are needed to promote fertility in men.
- Say NO to Soy – Soy contains phytate which reduces a man’s ability to absorb zinc. Historically, Buddhist monks have consumed soy in order to lower their libido since it has been known to reduce the male sex drive.
- What’s your Beef? – Reducing (but not eliminating) the amount of conventionally raised red meat will help reduce the acidity of your body. Sperm thrive in a slightly more alkaline environment. The quality of the meat will also contribute to the acidity. Eating grass-fed beef which has not been exposed to unnecessary hormones and antibiotics will have a far greater alkalizing effect than conventional meat.
Preparing to have a child is an exiting time in anyone’s life. Taking care of your body and promoting optimal fertility will allow you to enjoy the experience instead of stressing about issues which are often preventable through proper nutrition.
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Hm.. this is confusing… this claims that soy contains phytate, but so do many grains and nuts, no?
The dangers I have heard about soy is that the phyto-estrogens have been speculated to have negative affects on the bioavailability of testosterone. However, most studies are not very conclusive and it seems to go both ways.
Also, doesn’t cooking reduce much of the phytic acid anyway?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19524224
Hi Omar,
Yes, it can be confusing. Nutrition in general can be a confusing subject with the amount of conflicting and contradiction information available.
Yes, many grains and nuts also contain phytate. This is why proper preparation methods are important (such as soaking and sprouting). However, I choose to highlight soy in this short article because I believe it could have a greater detrimental effect.
You also make a great point about its effect on the bioavailability of testosterone. My intention with this article is to simply provide a few quick points for people to consider. The topic of soy is one of much debate. Entire books have been written regarding the effects of soy. I highly encourage you to read “The Whole Soy Story”. It provides far more details than I could possible summary into a one-sentence point in this article.
I also agree that many studies are not conclusive. The sad truth is that you can easily find articles which make conclusion on both sides of the fence. It is our job as consumers to look at both side and decide what we believe to be true.
Here’s just a couple of such examples:
http://jn.nutrition.org/content/130/5/1378S.abstract
http://www.ajcn.org/content/40/5/1071.abstract
Cooking has been shown to reduce a small amount of phytic acid. I do not believe it breaks the phytate down enough, though. Soaking and sprout are my preferred methods for ensuring the phytic acid has been eliminated.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!