Vitamin C and fertility
It seems I’ve been leaving our poor men out in the dark when it comes to things to do to boost fertility, so….
A University of Texas study has shown that increasing the daily amount of Vitamin C in men, helps them produce more sperm, stronger sperm, and more mobile sperm. Sometimes the sperm count rose over ten times when men started ingesting the healthy amount of vitamin C.
Basically, because vitamin C is an antioxidant, it helps to protect the sperm and it’s DNA from damage thereby increasing the sperms quality. Sperm with damaged DNA can fail to thrive or fail to allow conception. And in some circumstances, it’s the damaged DNA that causes birth defects or a failure for the baby to thrive. It also helps to neutralize any chemicals or toxins found in the semen from things like environmental pollution, or smoking. (Another reason to quit before you try to conceive!) Along with it’s antioxidant properties, vitamin C seems to help sperm be less sticky, or clumped together, so that they are more mobile.
Foods high in Vitamin C:
- red peppers (1/2 cup has 142 mg)
- orange (70mg)
- broccoli (1/2 cup has 62 mg)
- kiwi (74 mg)
- papaya (62 mg)
- strawberries (5 of them have 51 mg)
How much should you take?
Currently the RDA amount for Vitamin C was recently raised almost across the board for all men, women, and children. What used to be 60mgs per day for men, now stands at 90 for non smokers and 120 for smokers. But fertility studies showing the effects of vitamin C were using 1000mgs, 3000mgs, and sometimes even more. So really, what you do is up to you! Personally, I’d start by making sure I get a least the recommended amount, if not a little bit more – especially if you have low sperm counts. If it doesn’t seen to help, try upping your dosage or taking a vitamin C supplement.
*I should also let you know that taking aspirin, alcohol, or antidepressants has been shown to lower vitamin C levels in the body. And high doses of C can also make some medications not as effective, so check with your doc if you’re serious about taking large doses and are already on meds. About 3/4 of the way down on this page tells you a bit more about the safety of high vitamin C doses.
I have a lot of new and exciting things coming up here this fall, so make sure you add my blog's RSS Feed to your reader or you can sign up for free updates by Email. I can also be found on Facebook and Twitter! **
Thank you for this insight!!
[Reply]