The trying-to-conceive burden often falls on the female partner in a hetero relationship, but the truth is there’s a lot that can be done to support sperm health. That’s right—men and people with sperm can take prenatal vitamins, too. Male fertility supplements are a great way to improve your chances of conception.
The testicles continuously generate new sperm and making these cells—anywhere from 20 to 200 million per millilitre of semen—takes a lot of nutrients. For any chance of successful conception, sperm also need to be able to swim, travel, fertilize an egg, and provide healthy DNA to make an embryo. Without nutritional support, sperm may not develop properly—never mind the rest of those steps needed to make an embryo. And because the testes are mass-producing sperm, sometimes quality can slip. And, in case there wasn’t enough to worry about, male fertility is on the decline overall, thanks largely to endocrine-disrupting chemicals increasingly found in our environment (and some foods).
The good news? The body regenerates sperm every 3 months (ish), so supplementing now can really pay off, and quickly. Read on to learn more about how to boost male fertility through the best vitamins for sperm health.
Find all the recommended nutrients (and more!) in The Power Prenatal for Males with CoQ10 Boost—the preconception supplement doctors *want* you taking.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3s are used to make sex hormones like estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, they improve circulation and heart function (supporting sexual function) and, when it comes to sperm, Omega-3s like DHA are critical for the sperm to be able to fuse to and fertilize an egg, and have been associated with greater sperm motility, morphology, and concentration.
You can’t make Omega-3s on your own, instead, you have to get your daily dose from diet or supplementation. Fish, like sardines, anchovies, and salmon, and Omega-3-fortified foods are your best dietary bets, or you can add an Omega-3 supplement. Look for one that contains 200 to 300 mg of DHA (a type of Omega-3)—having low DHA is one of the more common causes of low-quality sperm.
Male Infertility Signs and Symptoms →
Vitamin C and Vitamin E
Vitamin C and E are grouped together because they help each other, making their effects last longer. They’re also both important antioxidants for sperm health, protecting your cells from damage.
Vitamin E is especially important—supplementing with 15 mg of Vitamin E daily can improve sperm motility by 15% or greater, according to one study. Overall, the vitamin also plays a role in cardiovascular health and blood flow. It reduces the oxidation of lipids (fats) which could cause blood vessel damage and plaque formation. Another bonus for blood flow and sexual performance.
B Vitamins (including Folic Acid)
Supplementing with Folic Acid (400 mcg per day) and other B Vitamins has been shown to improve sperm concentration and decrease the amount of genetic abnormalities in sperm DNA. For each of the millions of sperm cells that are produced regularly, each one needs to have its own DNA and that DNA needs to be intact, otherwise the sperm won’t be able to function or contribute to the survival of an embryo. B Vitamins (like Folic Acid, B1, B6, and B12) are necessary for making DNA.
Zinc and Selenium
Zinc and Selenium are both trace minerals and act as antioxidants. They have major roles in gene expression, DNA metabolism and repair, and are important for sperm morphology (sperm structure) and motility (sperm movement). As antioxidants, they protect sperm from free radical damage and improve sperm DNA fragmentation, and Zinc in particular (at 11 mg per day) can protect sperm cells from bacterial infections.
Carnitines
Carnitines are another group of antioxidants that benefit sperm, especially sperm motility. Carnitine acts as a shuttle to bring fatty acids into the sperm mitochondria, essentially making Carnitine a fuel delivery service, while protecting the sperm cell from oxidative damage.
CoQ10
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant and a key molecule that pumps out cellular energy while protecting the mitochondria from damage. This is important because the body of the sperm has mitochondria wrapped all around it, providing the energy needed to swim. Natural levels of CoQ10 decline around 30 years, so supplementing with CoQ10 is more important if you’re in your 30s, 40s, or beyond, or if your sperm have motility issues. Supplementing with 200 mg to 400 mg CoQ10 for three months has been shown to improve sperm concentration and motility in males with poor sperm quality.
