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MALE INFERTILITY Inadequate sperm production and quality is one of the most common reasons for male infertility as it decreases the odds of one of the sperms fertilizing the egg for conception. According to the World Health Organization, the normal concentration of sperm is at least 20 million per ml of semen. Fewer than 15 million sperm per ml is considered a low sperm count, also called oligozoospermia. Conception problems are associated with fewer than 40 million moving sperm in the ejaculate. Recent studies indicate that heating of the testicles due to electromagnetic frequencies may also contribute to low sperm count. Thus, habits like keeping a laptop on the lap or a mobile phone in trouser pocket are not advised when trying to conceive. NATURAL REMEDIES TO INCREASE SPERM COUNT AND MOTILITY Ashwagandha Method
Aspartate Aspartate builds up in the testicles, where it alleviates a rate-limiting step of testosterone synthesis and thereby increases testosterone levels. Foods rich in aspartate are: Apples, apricots, bamboo shoots, beef, buckwheat, cod, egg white, lamb, nuts, oily fish, pine nuts, seaweed, sesame seeds, shellfish, soya beans, sunflower seeds, parsley, peanuts, rabbit, spirulina, tofu, veal and venison. Korean Ginseng Take one to three capsules of 500 mg Korean ginseng daily for at least three months. Always consult a health practitioner before starting this or any other supplement regimen. Garlic Simply include two crushed or sliced garlic cloves in the daily diet. Allow them to sit for 10 minutes after crushing or slicing to enable the chemical reaction that produces the allicin to take place before consuming or cooking them. Maca Root Take 1 to 3 teaspoons of maca root in 2 divided doses for a few months daily. It can be added to a glass of filtered or bottled water, milk or fruit juice, a healthy smoothie or protein shake or just sprinkle it on cereal. As maca root is high in fibre, start by taking ½ teaspoon and gradually increase the dosage over a few weeks. Moderate Exercise To increase the sperm count, do some type of physical exercise for at least one hour a day on a regular basis. Outdoor physical activities (except cycling) as well as weight training are also beneficial. Method WHAT TO DO THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO CONCEPTION (MALES AND FEMALES) Avoid soya beans and products unless they have been fermented, as with miso, because they contain compounds which mimic human hormones and can reduce fertility. Some high-gluten grains such as wheat can affect fertility in those that are sensitive to gluten. Other alternatives exist, See below. Also avoid low-fat products as often sugar and other additives replace the fat that is removed and fat is required for the absorption of many important nutrients. However, most conventional dairy products contain hormones (mostly oestrogen) which can have a negative impact on testosterone levels in men so it is important to only consume organic dairy produce. Sugar should be reduced radically which means many processed foods and soft drinks should be also eliminated. Replace sugar with honey or sweet fruits.
NUTRIENTS REQUIRED TO IMPROVE FERTILITY
Providing the body with the correct nutrients so that the hormones and reproductive organs can do their job efficiently is very important. Many minerals are seriously lacking in todays foods due to refining and processing techniques and because intensely farmed land-based crops have leeched the minerals from the soil. Therefore, to keep humans fertile the soil must be looked after where we grow our crops. See algae and seaweed are the best natural sources of many important minerals and may be useful to add to the diet of both males and females when trying to conceive.. See Algae and seaweed
Click the blue links to find the highest natural sources of each of these vital nutrients.
NOTE: It is only recommended that natural foods rich in these nutrients are consumed as supplements can cause harmful imbalances as they often do not contain the cofactors required for the correct absorption and utilisation of these nutrients. Click the blue links to find the natural food sources of these nutrients.
THE NATURE CURES DIET TO IMPROVE FERTILITY The Nutrients, Minerals, Protein and Fibre pages can help you understand body processes and the natural foods it needs to function correctly. The nutritional value of foods is important. Stay away from substances that can reduce chances of conception such as: sugar, alcohol, coffee, medications, artificial additives such as aspartame, pesticides and household and cosmetic toxins.Try grinding nuts and seeds to a fine powder to incorporate them into the diet. Visit the Cleanse and Detoxify page to try that regime first which can clear the body of toxins and infection. Drink one litre of bottled mineral water per day to avoid chemicals additives such as fluoride and chlorine and provide more of the essential minerals the body needs. One glass should be consumed just before sleeping to help the body eliminate waste and toxins from the body and the brain. Meat and eggs (Three times a week) Beef (organic lean grass-fed), calf's liver, eggs lambs liver, lamb, poultry and game bird, organ meats, rabbit and venison. Fish (Three times a week) Anchovies, bloater fish, carp, cod, eel, halibut, herring, hilsa fish, kipper, mackerel, octopus, pilchards, salmon, sardines, shellfish, sprats, squid, swordfish, trout, tuna (fresh only) and whitebait and all other oily fish. Anchovies are high in sodium so not advised for those with high blood pressure. Deep sea fish and bottom dwelling shellfish can be contaminated with mercury so it is advisable to consume these with some algae, coriander and other green leafy vegetables or sulphur-rich foods which can chelate (bind to) mercury and eliminate it from the body. Dairy (Yoghurt and kefir milk daily and cheese three times a week) Kefir milk, non-pasteurised blue cheese and yoghurt (plain with live cultures) Fibre (At least one every day) Amaranth, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, oats, quinoa and teff. Consume one tablespoon of psyllium husks per day in a large glass of water or sprinkled onto meals as it has powerful properties that can support digestion and excretory processes and will work within two days to fix many colon and digestive issues. Vegetables (A selection of at least four colours per day meaning all have been eaten at least once a fortnight) Algae, alfalfa, artichoke, ashitaba, asparagus, aubergine, beetroot, bell peppers (all colours), broccoli, carrot, celery, chicory, collard greens, courgettes, cress, cucumber, daikon, garlic, kelp, marrow, mushrooms, mustard greens, okra, seaweed and spinach, Swede, sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, turnips and watercress. Algae, such as chlorella and spirulina, contain many important nutrients and minerals often lacking in land-based crops. Take one tablespoon of one of them per day. Also consume three or four chopped garlic cloves per day. Let them and other allicin-producing plants, such as chives, leeks, onions and spring onions, stand for ten minutes to allow for the process, that produces allicin in these plants when they are damaged, to take place. Allicin has many powerful properties that benefit the health. Legumes (Three times a week) Black beans, black-eyed peas, broad beans, chickpeas, legumes, lentils, lima bean, mung beans, navy beans, peas, pinto bean, red kidney beans, soya beans and winged beans. Fruit (A selection of 2 or 3 colours per day meaning all have been eaten at least once a fortnight) Apples, apricots, avocado, bananas, berries, cherries, lemons, limes, grapefruit, grapes (black or red), mango, maqui berries, mosambi juice, orange, papaya, peaches, pears, plums, pomegranate, tangerines and watermelon. NOTE: grapefruit can interact with many medications. Dried Fruit (As snacks or added to meals daily. Best eaten with a handful of nuts and seeds) Apricots, dates, figs, goji berries, raisins and sultanas. Juice (Pure, additive free, unsweetened, preferably home-made - daily as often as required) Beetroot (raw), carrot, coconut water, cranberry, elderberry, grape, lemon, lime, mango, mosambi, nasturtium (freshly pressed), orange, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate and tangerine. See also Raw Juice Therapy for many raw juicing recipes. Sprouts (See the Micro-diet Sprouting page to find out how to grow your own then add to meals and snacks daily)Alfalfa, almond, amaranth, barley, broccoli, buckwheat, cabbage, chickpea, corn, hazelnut, fenugreek, flaxseeds, kamut, leek, lemon grass, lentil, lettuce, milk thistle, mizuna, mung beans, mustard, oat, onion, pea, peanut, radish, rice, rocket, rye, quinoa, sesame, spinach, spring onions, sunflower, turnip and watercress. Seeds (As snacks or added to meals daily) Flaxseeds, hemp, nasturtium, poppy, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower and watermelon. Hempseeds provide the correct balance of omega-6 (inflammatory) to omega-3 (anti-inflammatory) fatty acids and should be consumed daily. A handful of pumpkin seeds can be sprinkled on any dish or in sandwiches daily and add many important nutrients. Nuts (As snacks or added to meals daily. Best consumed with fresh or dried fruits to obtain the correct balance of vitamin C and E) Almonds (five per day), brazil nuts (2 per week unless excessive sweating, through exercise or fever, has taken place, then eat 2 per day, cashews, chestnuts, coconut, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, walnuts (5 per day). Common Herbs (To be consumed as often as possible daily in meals or as teas)Basil, cardamom, coriander, cloves, dill, lemongrass, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, safflower, sage, tarragon and thyme. Medicinal Herbs Angelica pubescens, borage, burdock root, black seed, cnidium monniera seeds, common stinging nettles, damiana leaves, dandelion, devil's claw, drumstick, elecampane, false unicorn, golden seal, ginkgo biloba, gotu kola, horsetail, hydrangea, Japanese or Chinese knotweed, jasmine, kudzu root extract, huang lian, lavender, liquorice root, lobelia, maca root, milk thistle, motherwort, noni, oatstraw, pan pien pien, passion flower, periwinkle, pine needles, Queen of the meadow, red clover, rock-rose flowers, saffron, saw palmetto, schizandra, scutellaria, slippery elm, yellow dock root, valerian, and wild strawberry leaf. Spices (To be consumed as often as possible daily. Can be added to teas also) Cardamom, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, cloves (three ground), cumin, coriander, ginger, Himalayan pink salt crystals, nutmeg, paprika, peppercorns (all colours), sea salt (pure unrefined) and turmeric. A teaspoon of turmeric should be consumed daily due to its powerful healthy compounds. Sprinkle on to egg, fish and vegetable dishes or on brown rice and other grains. Oils (Cold-pressed only and used to cook with or dress vegetables and salads, especially with foods that contain fat-soluble nutrients, such as carotene, to enable absorption) Coconut oil, flaxseed, grape seed, coconut oil, olive, rapeseed and a blend of sesame and rice bran oils. Also take one capsule of cod liver or krill oil daily, especially during the winter months between October and April in the Northern hemisphere. Derivatives (To be consumed and used as desired on a daily basis) Aloe vera juice, anise seed tea, apple cider vinegar, barley grass (powder or juice), bergamot tea, black strap molasses, brewer's yeast, brine pickles, chamomile tea, green tea, honey, miso, peppermint tea, pine needle tea, tea and tofu. Barley grass is one of the rare plants to contain vitamin B12 so is a useful addition to the diet of those that limit meat intake. At least one (and ideally many more) natural foods and derivatives should be consumed each day from each of the categories above. Pick one of the six colours of fruit and vegetables to consume daily. Yellow/orange, white, red, green, black/blue/purple and cream/brown. Nature has kindly colour coded natural food for us and each colour provides specific nutrients and minerals in the right balances which are required daily. At least one iron rich green leafy vegetable or herb should be consumed daily. If appetite does not allow enough consumption, juice them or make teas by steeping them in hot water for 20 minutes, then strain and drink immediately to gain the nutrients without the bulk. Teas can be gently reheated and honey and lemon added to make them more palatable and to add additional beneficial nutrients. See the Nature's Colour Codes page. NOTE Non-heme iron is found in tea and dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale. However, tea and green leafy vegetables also contain oxalates that block the absorption of iron. To assist the body in the absorption of non-heme iron eat a couple of strawberries, a kiwi fruit or some orange, tangerine or mango at the same time. NOTE: To benefit from foods containing fat-soluble nutrients, such as the carotenoids in carrots and tomatoes, always eat together with oily foods like rapeseed oil, olive oil, fish, nut or other seed oils or avocado because carotenoids are fat-soluble, meaning they are only absorbed into the body along with fats and can then assist with the manufacture of the essential vitamin A nutrient.
NOTE: Motherwort may be habit forming.CAUTION: Many herbs are powerful and can react with medications. Always check before taking at the same time as any drugs.NOTE: Some nutritional yeasts, especially brewer’s yeast, can also interact with medications. Those who are on Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor antidepressants (MAOIs) medication are especially at risk. It is also best avoided by those carrying the herpes virus as it can induce a attack.Try to avoid refined and processed foods, any foods with additives such as aspartame, coffee, fizzy drinks, sugar, table salt (use Himalayan pink crystals or unrefined sea salt), white flour and white rice (choose whole grains and brown or wild rice). Only eat fruit and vegetables if they are organic because of the risk of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides: Associated subjects "Nature cures not the physician..." Hippocrates 460 BC Subscribe to the Nature Cures monthly newsletter
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