Infertility

June 11, 2002 by Linda Lazarides
Filed under Health issues

Some causative factors

Environmental pollutants which mimic oestrogen
Excess alcohol consumption
Selenium deficiency
Smoking
Underweight or overweight
Zinc deficiency in males.

The body weights of 376 infertile women were compared with fertile controls. The investigators concluded that 6% of infertility in which ovulatory dysfunction is present results from being excessively underweight, and another 6% from being excessively overweight. Green BB et al: Risk of ovulatory infertility in relation to body weight. Fertil Steril 50(5):721-6, 1988.

The incidence of disorders of the male reproductive tract has more than doubled in the past 30-50 years and sperm counts have declined by about half. Similar abnormalities occur in the sons of women exposed to large amounts of artificial oestrogen during pregnancy. Sharpe R et al: Are oestrogens involved in falling sperm counts and disorders of the male reproductive tract? Lancet 341:1392-95, 1993.

Alcohol is a reproductive toxin. The authors discuss various mechanisms by which alcohol can cause infertility in males. Anderson RA Jr et al: Alcohol and male fertility. Br J Alcohol Alcohol 16(4):179-185, 1981.

Men with a low vitamin C intake have a markedly increased likelihood of genetic damage to their sperm. Cigarette smoke is high in oxidants and depletes the body of vitamin C and other antioxidants. Levels of a marker indicating genetic damage to sperm cells was found to be 50% higher in smokers than in non-smokers. The concentration of vitamin E in seminal fluid was 32% lower. Male smokers may therefore experience mutations in their sperm which can lead to cancer, birth defects and genetic diseases in their offspring. Fraga CG et al: Smoking and low antioxidant levels increase oxidative damage to sperm DNA. Mutat Res 351(2):199-203, 1996.

Promising nutritional research

Selenium supplementation to males attending an infertility clinic proved efficient in improving sperm motility. Macpherson A et al: The effect of selenium supplementation in sub-fertile males (abstract). 8th International Conference on Trace Element Metabolism in Man and Animals, 1993.

14 men with low sperm counts were supplemented with zinc sulphate for 4 months. While serum zinc levels did not change, semen zinc levels increased, sperm count increased, and the wives of 3 patients conceived. Tikkiwal M et al: Effect of zinc administration on seminal zinc and fertility of oligospermic males. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol 31(1):30-34, 1987.

Information compiled by Linda Lazarides
Naturopathic Nutritionist, Author, Educator