Preconception Care for Male Partners

In up to 50% of cases, infertility issues stem from the male, and the quality of human semen has declined by 50-60% over the last 40 years due to a variety of factors.

 Addressing the male partner is important when it comes to preconception care as it takes two to tango! Sperm is a reflection of the overall health of the male, and is impacted by factors including hormonal status, heavy metal exposure, stress, immune function, diet & exercise, weight, smoking and drug use. Important nutrients for male fertility include:

• Zinc - has an important role in sperm physiological functions and decrease of zinc in seminal plasma is associated with sperm quality

• Vitamin C - low levels of semen vitamin C concentrations is directly related to decreased amount of normal morphology of sperm and increased sperm DNA damage

• CoQ10 - has been shown to increase sperm concentration, motility and morphology

• Selenium - is essential for normal spermatogenesis

• Vitamin D - plays an important role in male fertility and serum levels of vitamin D are positively associated with semen quality

• Omega 3 - supplementation with DHA has the ability to improve sperm motility