Vitamin D boosts sperm quality

Positive association between blood vitamin D levels and sperm motility

This study was carried out by researchers from The University of Copenhagen, Denmark and was funded by various research organisations, including the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Novo-Nordisk Foundation of the Novo-Nordisk pharmaceutical company. It was published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Human Reproduction.

The research shows that vitamin D can have an effect on sperm, but further work is needed to see whether the amount of vitamin D used in the experimental phase of this study reflects the range of vitamin D sperm would typically be exposed to in the human body.

The men in this study were recruited from the general population and although those with deficient vitamin D levels had less motile sperm, it is unclear whether this would be a sufficient impairment to cause problems for them to conceive with their partner.

Further research is needed to see whether vitamin D levels are associated with clinical fertility problems.

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Ejaculate Daily For Better Sperm Quality

Men advised to have sex daily to improve chance of conception

Having sex every day improves sperm quality and could boost the chances of getting pregnant, research suggests.

In a study of men with fertility problems, daily ejaculation for a week cut the amount of DNA damage seen in sperm samples.

Speaking at a fertility conference, the Australian researcher said general advice for couples had been to have sex every two or three days.

Early results from the trial had already shown promising results.



But 118 men have now been tested and the benefits for sperm have become clearer.

Dr David Greening, from Sydney IVF, told delegates at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting that eight in ten men taking part showed a 12% drop in sperm DNA damage after the seven days.

Although there was a big drop in sperm numbers from 180 million to 70 million over the week, men were still within the normal "fertile" range.

Sperm also became more active over the seven days with a small rise in motility, he added.

The theory is the longer sperm hang around in the testes the more likely they are to accumulate DNA damage and the warm environment could also make them more sluggish after a while.

Sperm come under attack by free radicals - small reactive molecules which can damage DNA and cause cell death - in the tube that stores and carries sperm away from the testes.

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Energize your sperm

How to have more active sperm to improve the chances of fertilization

Men who are trying to conceive should avoid using anabolic steroids and testosterone creams and injections because they shut down the body’s production of testosterone and sperm. “The body loves it, but the testicles hate it,” says Turek. “They say, ‘Well, there’s plenty of testosterone. I don’t need to make testosterone or sperm myself’.”

Have more sex. It sounds obvious, but some busy couples don’t make enough time for it. During ovulation—about 10 to 18 days after a woman’s period starts—couples should have sex every other day to “optimize sperm motility,” says Fisch, who is also the author of “The Male Biological Clock.” After five days without sex, a man has a higher volume of fluid, which dilutes the concentration of sperm and makes them less active.



Stay fit. Doctors are seeing more men with obesity-caused infertility. Fat converts testosterone to estrogen, and obese men (or those with a waist circumference of more than 40 inches) are more prone to erectile dysfunction. Men with type 2 diabetes, often associated with obesity, are more prone to low testosterone levels, which negatively affect libido and sperm production.

Stay cool. Heat can damage sperm cells, so stay out of hot tubs, avoid putting your laptop on your lap and don’t sit for long periods of time with your legs crossed or pressed together, says Dr. Peter Schlegel, chairman of urology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. There’s also some evidence linking cell-phone radiation with altered sperm cells in men, so don’t “live on the cell phone,” and keep the device in your jacket or holstered to your belt rather than in your front pants pocket, he says.

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Temptation by testosterone

Fertile Women Prefer Manly Men

A woman prefers a more masculine man when she is fertile and looking for a fling rather than a mate for life, according to a new study.

The finding suggests the value that women place on masculinity changes with context and with women’s reproductive cycles and immediate goals. A woman's preference for manly men also was found to vary based on how attractive she rated herself.

And some of a woman's sex drive might involve tricks in the brain over which she has no control.

Previous research has shown that women view facial masculinity—square jaws and well-defined brow ridges—as good characteristics for short-term partners, while more feminine traits are perceived as better for long-term mates. Another study found that women smell better to men at certain points in their menstrual cycles.

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Jumping Into A Hot Tub Is Bad For Your Fertility

Hot tubs hurt fertility, UCSF study shows
Exposure to hot baths or hot tubs can lead to male infertility, but the effects can sometimes be reversible, according to a new study led by a University of California, San Francisco urologist.

Results from a three-year study analyzing data from infertile men who had been repeatedly exposed to high water temperatures through hot tubs, Jacuzzis or hot baths are reported in the March-April 2007 issue of "International Braz J Urol," the official journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology. Study findings will be available online at www.brazjurol.com.br.

"It has been believed for decades that wet heat exposure is bad for fertility, as an old wives’ tale, but this effect has rarely been documented," said Paul J. Turek, MD, lead investigator who is a professor in the UCSF Department of Urology and director of the UCSF Male Reproductive Health Center. "We now have actual evidence to show patients that these recreational activities are a real risk factor for male infertility."

Although this was only a pilot study, Turek said, "these activities can be comfortably added to that list of lifestyle recommendations and ‘things to avoid’ as men attempt to conceive."

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