Does Your Man Need Prenatal Vitamins?

Does Your Man Need Prenatal Vitamins?

The simple answer is YES!

While we are so busy focusing on the female factor in pre-conception and fertility health we often forget about future dads and the health of their sperm.  Women will undergo internal examinations, internal ultrasounds, hysterosalpinography studies, bloodwork, basal body temperature tracking, fertility monitoring and acupuncture and often dads have no testing done until it becomes apparent that there is a true fertility problem present.  10-20 percent of men will have concerns around the health of their sperm.   We all want healthy sperm in high numbers that can swim far and fast and that carries with it healthy genetics!  In fact, we all want SUPERSPERM – don’t we guys?

The great news is that men make new sperm every single day and that these sperm mature within about 3 months.  Therefore, if you want to work on increasing your sperm quality and quantity give yourself three months minimum.

What to focus on:

1. Anti-oxidants – Recommendations around anti-oxidants like Co-Enzyme Q10 and Vitamin C are evidence based.  Anti-oxidants can protect your sperm from oxidative damage that might occur through every day stresses and exposures to every day toxins (Link here to Dr. Parks article)
2. Minerals such as Zinc and Selenium are very important for fathers with borderline sperm counts or hormonal concerns such as low testosterone.
3. Fish Oils – guess which country has the highest sperm counts in the world ?  It’s Finland – (go Finland!) and this is thought to be related to how much fish that they include in their diet on a daily basis.    A high quality omega three fish oil is highly recommended for men who are trying to conceive.
4. High quality and professional lines of supplements that are absorbed well

 

What is important then is a good antioxidant base, a multimineral as well as a multivitamin and high dose omega 3 fish oil.  Surprizingly it is difficult to find a male prenatal vitamin on the market today and men usually will simply take a good quality Multivitamin plus a few added extras.

At Barefoot Health we are happy to design an individualized program for you that includes supplements, dietary recommendations, lifestyle recommendations and herbal recommendations to help you to improve the health of your sperm and increase your chances of achieving a healthy pregnancy.

 

Dr. Lisa Doran B.Sc., N.D., R.Ac. Naturopathic Doctor, Registered Acupuncturist