Infertility
From The Nutritional Health Bible by Linda Lazarides (1997). This free database is provided for interest only. Linda's later writings refer to more up-to-date research.
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 researchSelenium 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.