In 2017 there was a study conducted on human fertility (levine, et all Human Reproduction). This study detailed a meta regression analysis of sperm counts.
Sperm are exceedingly vulnerable to oxidative damage, and there are many issues in today’s world that can attribute to the decline in sperm counts, which can be:
- Pesticides
- Endocrine disrupting chemicals
- Smoking
- Pollution
- Lifestyle factors – Junk food diets
- Stress
A male who is aged over 40 is 30% less likely to conceive, compared to men over 30, it also takes five times longer to conceive with a man who is over 45 compared to a man under 25. On top of this, sperm DNA fragmentation and mitochondrial damage worsens with age. Pregnancies conceived with men aged over 40 are 60% more likely to miscarry than from men under 30.
Drugs such as Prozac can have DNA issues with sperm, therefore taking a mixture of supplements and homeopathy should be gradually introduced instead of this drug.
The Impact of Age on IVF
Unfortunately, the chances of conceiving on IVF are significantly reduced due to age. The risk of not having a baby is more than five times higher if the male partner is over 41 years.
ICSI, an IVF technique thought to overcome the issue of sperm defects, which are more common in older man, carries a higher risk of fertility problems in the offspring conceived with this technique (inserting the sperm into the egg).
Reducing Biological Age at a cellular level
A gentle detoxification and cleaning up our lifestyle (quitting smoking, alcohol and other drugs), as well as improving circulation to the testicles (with regular exercise, good hydration) as well as improving nutrition to the developing eggs and sperm, which means eating well and taking appropriate supplements. Some men find it hard to completely quit alcohol, therefore reducing to 3 – 5 drinks a week can be an alternative.
Clean up Toxic Exposure
Shaving and shower products, as well as washing powders, should be as natural as possible. Gardening products should also be checked for toxicity. Processed foods and soft drinks (which have too much sugar) should be removed from the diet. Other things to avoid are gluten; GMO’s, Soya products; trans fats and aspartame.
There are homeopathic remedies that can help with poor sperm counts, as well as macca and omega 3’s. As sperm is made every three months, then it is good to keep testing to show how the sperm count can improve with diet, supplements and homeopathy.
