Question:
My husband and I are in our early 30s and have been trying for a baby for 18 months. We have both been tested and the only problem is that even though my husband has a lot of sperm, only six percent were classified as healthy. He doesn’t smoke or take drugs, but he occasionally drinks in excess of ten to fifteen pints in one night. He also sometimes binges on bread, cookies, and chips and is a heavy coffee and tea drinker. You are prone to back pain and irregular bowel movements. What do you recommend?
Answer:
This is something I hear quite often, but always from women. Men in general are ashamed to talk, much less do anything about it, although new technologies can help men with a small number of healthy sperm to become fathers. The fact is that the quality and quantity of sperm in the male population is decreasing and this is a problem for the survival of the human species. Most men, however, are concerned only with their sexual performance, rather than the quality of their sperm.
First of all, you need to talk to your husband about your concerns. It is a very sensitive matter, so you should be discreet and not accusatory. You can accept changing your lifestyle as a favor to yourself, rather than accepting that it is your responsibility. Men are often concerned about the response of their male friends, in case they are teased, although some men find a lot of support from their peers.
Once you are willing to talk about possible changes, you can discuss the details. I suspect your drinking is a problem. Could you kindly suggest that you follow a nonalcoholic regimen for three to four months. After that, you could go back to drinking a couple of glasses of good red wine once a week until your sperm quality improves when tested.
It is vital that you feed yourself by eating well. An old Indian book on the art of love states that out of 40 pounds of good food, a man gets a pound of meat. That meat produces a pound of blood (this was in the days when solid and liquid weights were equal), and that blood produces a pound of sperm. The message is the same today, eating poor quality (or too little) food leads to poor quality and quantity of sperm. Imagine how much energy a sperm needs for its long journey to fertilize the egg. Unhealthy sperm just aren’t up to the task. They get their energy from the man’s body, and nutrition and stress management are vital factors.
Here are my suggestions for your husband:
* Eat fresh, healthy food, preferably organic, and always start with a good breakfast.
* Eat protein (chicken, red meat, or fish) once a day.
* Avoid yeast products because they produce alcohol in the intestine. Avoid all acidic or bitter foods (citrus fruits, pineapple, mango, chili, olives, vinegar, alcohol, coffee, fried, canned or processed foods, canned drinks) as they can act as spermicides. Drink tea only in moderation.
* Mix an egg in a glass of hot milk, add salt and pepper to taste and drink.In the East, raw eggs are eaten this way to aid sperm production (make sure the eggs are organic to avoid the risk salmonella).
* Take Ashwagandha Indian ginseng: one a day for two months.
* Take Fortex to increase sperm volume once a day for three months.
* Take one 15mg tablet daily for two months of Zinc Citrate or Shilajit, which is mined from a bitumen-like rock in the Himalayan Mountains and has an optimal concentration of magnesium, zinc and many trace elements necessary for healthy sperm .
* Take positive steps to manage stress, which can be responsible for back pain, constipation, and bingeing on food and drink. Take a daily walk outdoors for at least 30 minutes. Do another exercise that you like. Practice yoga or a martial art like tai chi. Listen to a relaxation tape at night to improve the quality of your sleep.
* Constipation can affect nutrient absorption, so make sure this is not a problem by drinking at least eight large glasses of still water a day between meals. Eat lots of fruits like figs, prunes, and papaya for breakfast. If you are constipated, take Herbolax to regulate bowel function.
