Male infertility, which has been gradually increasing worldwide over the last six decades, is mainly caused by free-radical damage to sperm cells through a process called oxidation. These free radicals are generated by high temperatures, electromagnetic radiation, pesticides, and other pollutants, or may be encountered through lifestyle choices such as alcohol, smoking, stress, obesity, and poor diet.
Over the years, researchers have tried to determine whether men who supplement with antioxidants have healthier sperm. A review of the research concluded that couples seeking fertility assistance due to low sperm count or low sperm motility are indeed more likely to become pregnant and have a child if the man is taking antioxidants.
Couples in which the men were given antioxidants were more likely to conceive than couples in which men received placebo or no treatment
The review, which comes from the esteemed Cochrane Library, included 34 studies with a total of 2,876 couples having difficulty becoming pregnant and undergoing assisted reproductive techniques, such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF). The cause of all of these couples’ infertility was determined to be low numbers of sperm or low sperm motility. Each study compared some kind of antioxidant treatment for the men to either placebo or no treatment.
The literature review led to several observations:
“In many cases of unexplained subfertility, and also in instances where there may be a sperm-related problem, taking an oral antioxidant supplement may increase a couple’s chance of conceiving when undergoing fertility treatment,” the authors of the review said. “When trying to conceive as part of an assisted reproductive program, it may be advisable to encourage the male partner to take an oral antioxidant supplement to improve his partner’s chance of conceiving.”
In addition to having the man of the couple supplement with antioxidants, couples can take steps on their own to improve their chances of conceiving:
(Cochrane Database of Syst Rev 2011;1:CD007411)