For all of the aggravation and expense that most of us go through to prevent it, you’d think that getting pregnant would be a breeze. And for most people, it is. More than 900,000 babies are conceived each day worldwide, the overwhelming majority by low-tech means. But about one in six couples has trouble conceiving. They’ve tried for a year or more, without luck, to produce a baby.
Often the problem proves to be “mechanical.” A blocked fallopian tube may prevent an egg from hooking up with eager sperm. Or a varicocele, a varicose vein in a testicle, may interfere with sperm production by making blood pool in the testes, causing an increase in temperature or other changes that may decrease sperm production. Both these of conditions are usually fixed with surgery.
Sometimes, however, the problem is not so obvious and may be related to hormonal or metabolic imbalances. And here, experts say, is where it pays to do some detective work to see if your eating habits and lifestyle are jeopardizing your chances for procreation.
In both men and women, stress, smoking and alcohol are well-known roadblocks when it comes to making babies. Exposure to toxic chemicals and drugs can also play a role, as can nutritional deficiencies or excesses.
“Even in my practice of well-educated, well-off people, there is evidence that some people don’t eat well,” says G. David Adamson, M.D., director of Fertility Physicians of Northern California in Palo Alto. Usually, a few well-focused questions about eating habits ferret out the fast-food feeders, he says. And even some people who eat pretty well—vegetarians, for instance—may have certain dietary shortcomings that affect fertility.
Here’s what research shows.
Vitamin C Keeps Sperm Moving
Imagine trying to move through a crowd if everyone was stuck together: No one would go anywhere very fast. That’s what seems to happen to sperm when a man’s body isn’t getting enough vitamin C.
A lack of vitamin C makes sperm clump together, a problem called agglutination that can easily be diagnosed when sperm are examined under a microscope, says Earl Dawson, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical School at Galveston.
Dr. Dawson and his colleagues found that in men who took 500 milligrams of supplemental vitamin C twice a day, the percentage of sperm that stuck together dropped from above 20 percent to below 11 percent.
“We’ve also found that supplemental vitamin C improves sperm count, motility and viability in male smokers and reduces the number of abnormally formed sperm,” he adds.
Toxic chemicals from cigarette smoke eventually get into semen, the fluid that sperm swim in, Dr. Dawson explains. Vitamin C, which is highly concentrated in semen, neutralizes these chemicals, helping to keep them from doing a nasty number on sperm.
Dr. Dawson found that only amounts above 200 milligrams a day were helpful and that the greatest improvement was noted in the men taking 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C daily for at least one month. To get that high amount from foods, you’d have to eat about 25 cups of chopped rutabaga or kohlrabi, not exactly the kind of meal to get you in the mood. So doctors feel that supplements are in order. But don’t forget vitamin C–rich foods, too. Try citrus fruits and juices, sweet peppers and (ahem!) passion fruit.
Check Up on Zinc
Think of it as a manly mineral.
Although zinc is essential for both men and women, it plays a particularly important role in the production of testosterone, the main male hormone. “A low zinc level leads to a reduction in the production of testosterone, which can lead to impaired fertility,” explains Ananda Prasad, M.D., Ph.D., professor of medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit and a leading zinc researcher.
In one study, Dr. Prasad and his colleagues found that men on a diet deliberately low in zinc had significant drops in testosterone levels and in sperm count. When the men’s zinc intakes were restored to levels on a par with the Daily Value of 15 milligrams, both testosterone levels and sperm count slowly rose back to normal in 6 to 12 months.
Zinc also influences sperm motility, or their ability to wriggle and thrash through the female reproductive tract en route to an egg, says Fouad Habib, Ph.D., a cell biologist at the University of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland. “Low levels of zinc reduce sperm motility, while optimum amounts restore it,” he explains.
Some experts think that low sperm counts or slow sperm can be caused by anything from too-tight shorts to lead-laden drinking water. “In my opinion, not many men in the United States are so deficient in zinc as to be infertile,” says Rebecca Sokol, M.D., a specialist in male infertility at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. This is why measuring blood levels of zinc is not routinely done in infertile men, she says.
If you find that your dietary zinc intake is low, then it might be useful to take zinc supplements under medical supervision, Dr. Habib suggests, and to have your blood level of zinc monitored.
Most experts say that you can safely get the Daily Value (15 milligrams) by eating zinc-rich foods and taking supplements as necessary. But it’s best to work with a doctor, Dr. Habib says, because too much zinc can be counterproductive and toxic, since it might interfere with copper absorption. “The amount needed varies from person to person, and frankly, we are not sure of optimum amounts,” he says. If you’re very low in zinc, you may need to start at a high amount, then cut back as your blood level reaches normal.
Studies show that men generally get between 10 and 15 milligrams of zinc a day, mostly from meats and seafood. Most likely to be coming up short: vegetarians, dieters and older people, who may be getting less than two-thirds, and in some cases less than one-half, the Daily Value.
The absolute best source of zinc is eastern oysters. Six of these succulent mollusks offer 76 milligrams of zinc (but make sure they’re cooked!). Beef, veal, lamb and crab and other seafood are also good sources, as are wheat germ, miso and whole grains.
| Food Factors Dietary changes are about as low-tech as it gets when it comes to treating infertility. "But doctors don't make money offering this sort of advice, so they don't always mention it," one doctor confides. Here's what to watch for. Find your most fertile weight. Body fat plays an important role in hormone levels, especially for women but also, apparently, for men. "Thin women may have too little estrogen, and overweight women too much, to become pregnant," says G. William Bates, M.D., vice-president for medical education and research of the Greenville Hospital System in South Carolina. Thin men, such as marathon runners, may have low sperm counts, while obese men have low testosterone levels and high estrogen levels, which impede sperm production, Dr. Bates says. He has both men and women aim for an ideal body weight based on height, using the 1985 Metropolitan Life height-to-weight table as a guide. "We use a medium weight for a medium frame," he says. Thin women need to gain enough weight to normalize their menstrual cycles, he says. While overweight women don't need to become svelte, they do need to lose enough weight to allow their periods to normalize. After a man reaches his ideal weight, Dr. Bates says, he needs to allow three to four months--the time it takes for a new batch of sperm to be produced--to see results. "We have about a 90 percent success rate with women and about a 50 percent success rate with men," he says. "This is something every doctor should address before beginning hormone treatment." Your best bet for help: a doctor who specializes in reproductive endocrinology. Lay off the hard stuff. Experts agree that alcohol is a reproductive tract toxin for both men and women. And the more you drink, and the longer you drink, the greater the impairment of fertility may be. How much is too much? A study by Harvard University researchers found that women who had more than seven drinks a week were 60 percent more likely to be infertile because of ovulation problems than women who did not drink. And even moderate drinkers (those having four to seven drinks a week) had a 30 percent increased risk of infertility. One drink equals a 12-ounce beer, 4 ounces of table wine or a shot of straight spirits. |
| Save Your Heart, Save Your Love Life You can be packing millions of ready-to-go sperm. But not one of those eager swimmers is ever going to fertilize an egg if your penis can't deliver the goods. We're talking here about potency, or the ability to maintain an erection for intercourse. Although impotence can occur for a multitude of reasons, in men ages 40 and older it's often associated with circulation problems related to atherosclerosis, says Kenneth Goldberg, M.D., founder and director of the Male Health Center in Dallas. The same fatty deposits that clog up the arteries to your heart can build up in the tiny arteries to your penis. The result: too little blood to pump up the spongy cylinders that cause an erection. Drugs used to treat high blood pressure and nerve damage caused by diabetes can also cause impotence. So to stay frisky into your fifties and sixties and even longer, stick to the same lean diet that saves your heart. |
The Salt-and-Pepper Approach
Lots of other nutrients are recommended for fertility problems in both men and women. Magnesium, vitamins B6, B12 and E and other nutrients are all touted now and then as being helpful, even though there is little research to support their use.
“Many times doctors just don’t know what to do. So they’ll add a little ‘salt and pepper,’ trying a bit of this and that without knowing for sure what’s helpful and what’s not,” Dr. Sokol says. But when it comes to hard scientific evidence, there’s no one recipe for making babies.
So use common sense, experts advise. “It may sound boring, but your best bet really is to eat a healthy balanced diet that offers at least five servings of fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains and some good-quality protein such as meats, fish, eggs or milk,” Dr. Adamson says. And take a multivitamin/mineral supplement (or, if you’re a woman, a prenatal supplement) to cover your bases, he suggests. If you’re a vegetarian, he adds, make sure that you’re not shortchanging yourself on zinc, vitamin B12, iron and other essential nutrients.
And if you want to take protective amounts of vitamin E, stick to 400 to 800 international units, Dr. Adamson says. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor before taking vitamin E in doses exceeding 600 international units a day.
| Prescriptions for Healing Doctors agree that eating a healthy, balanced diet is the first step toward successful conception. But in some cases where conception is difficult, nutritional supplements may prove helpful. Here's what is recommended. Nutrient Daily Amount
For Men Vitamin C 200-1,000 milligrams Vitamin E 400-800 international units Zinc 15 milligrams Plus a multivitamin/mineral supplement containing the Daily Values of all essential vitamins and minerals
For Women Vitamin E 400-800 international units Plus a prenatal multivitamin/mineral supplement containing the Daily Values of all essential vitamins and minerals
MEDICAL ALERT: More is not necessarily better. Experts say that a too-high amount of any nutrient can impair fertility. Some doctors recommend that women start taking prenatal supplements a few months before they stop using birth control. Consult your doctor before taking more than 600 international units of vitamin E daily. If you are taking anticoagulant drugs, you should not take vitamin E supplements. |
 | |
