Dr. Mary Dan Eades
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 In couples having difficulty trying to conceive a child male infertility is the cause about 40% of the time. To determine what kind of problem is preventing conception, you should consult a specialist in fertility. The evaluation in men usually begins with an examination of a sample of semen to check the sperm count and the vigor with which the sperm move. If, after such evaluation, your physician discovers you have a low sperm count or poor motility of sperm, are there specific nutrients that may help or worsen this problem of male infertility? Let's look.
What helps it? |
Gary Null
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 In this chapter, we look at some of the alternatives now available to address male infertility. This chapter will also include some recommendations for the treatment of infections and other problems of the male genitalia. Many of the herbs and formulas we recommend in this chapter can be taken as teas, so we include a brief discussion of how to brew or decoct teas.
The Chinese Perspective_
The Chinese say that male infertility is caused either by a deficiency of sperm creation or by the sperms lack of motility. Sperm motility does make a difference. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Given the known physiological role of carmtine in sperm function and its link to male infertility, a recent study was designed to assess the therapeutic effect of carnitine in men with low sperm counts and depressed sperm motility.76 One hundred men selected from infertility clinics participated in the "Italian Study Group on carnitine and male infertility". Each subject was given 3,000 mg of L-carnitine daily for 4 months. |
Gary Null, Ph.D.
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 Infertility
Results of this study showed that treatment of male infertility patients with oral zinc sulfate improved sperm motility.
—A.A. Caldamone, et al., "Seminal Zinc and male infertility," Urology, 13(3), March 1979, p. 280-281.
Results of this study indicated that the administration of 440 mg per day of zinc sulfate over a period of between 60 days to 2 years had beneficial effects on male patients experiencing infertility, particularly following variocelectomy.
—H. Takihara, et al. |
Textbook of Natural Medicine 2nd Edition Volume 1Michael T. Murray, ND
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| Other clinical indications involving the reproductive system (based on historical use and experimental evidence) include decreased sperm counts, testicular atrophy or hypofunction, and other organic causes of male infertility, and ovarian atrophy or hypofunction, amenorrhea, and other organic causes of female infertility. It should be noted that several reports of mastalgia have been reported in women taking ginseng. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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 Thus, selenium may prevent male infertility; however, we do not know whether selenium deficiency will actually cause male infertility. These are only some of the conjectures about other selenium functions.
Uses: A growing number of clinically effective uses of selenium have been developed, and others are being tested for possible value. |
Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC
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 The clinical use of arginine aspartate in male infertility. Acta Eur Fertil 1982; 13: 133-67.
9. Tanimura J. Studies on arginine in human semen. Part II. The effects of medication with L-arginine-HC1 on male infertility. Bull Osaka Med School 1967; 13: 84-89.
10. Schacter A, Goldman J A, Zukerman Z. Treatment of oligospermia with the amino acid arginine. / Urol 1973; 110: 311-13.
11. Schacter A et al. Treatment of oligospermia with the amino acid arginine. Int ] Gynaecol Obstet 1973; 11: 206-9.
12. Mroueh A. Effect of arginine on oligospermia. Fertil Steril 1970: 21: 217-19.
13. |
Elson M. Haas, M.D.
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| Thus, selenium may prevent male infertility; however, we do not know whether selenium deficiency will actually cause male infertility. These are only some of the conjectures about other selenium functions.
Uses: A growing number of clinically effective uses of selenium have been developed, and others are being tested for possible value. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D.
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 Reproductive system enhancement
Therapeutic indications of Panax ginseng involving the reproductive system (on the basis of historical use and experimental evidence) include decreased sperm counts, testicular atrophy or hypofunction, and other organic causes of male infertility; and ovarian atrophy or hypofunction, absence of menstruation, other organic causes of female infertility, and menopause.
Cancer prevention
Regular ginseng consumption may protect against cancer. |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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 The fact is that male infertility and birth defects in their offspring are linked to the father's smoking. During my early urology years, my interest turned to male infertility. I discovered that all efforts to effect reproduction would fail if the patient continued to smoke. This proves why! Cadmium, a toxic metal found in cigarette smoke, and nicotine have been implicated as the sperm's primary adversaries. |
Gary Null
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| Zinc shows promise in treatment of male infertility. Many studies point to zinc in treatment of skin disorders such as eczema, herpes, and acne. Many older people have anorexic symptoms because they do not have normal diets. Zinc doses in the range of 40 to 90 mg a day help anorexic patients to gain weight. Zinc affects improvement in patients with sickle cell anemia, cerebral palsy, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Lutein. Lutein is a yellow-pigment carotenoid found in vegetables and fruits. It acts as an antioxidant, protecting cells against the damaging effects of free radicals. |
Doris J. Rapp, M.D.
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 Aitken:
33b Earth Crash Earth Spirit, June 22, 2001: "Scientists suspect pesticides, heavy metals, electromagnetic radiation in dramatic decline in human sperm quality - up to 85% of sperm produced by healthy men now DNA-damaged, causing male infertility and possibly, birth defects, brain cancer, leukemia, other cancers in children." See: http://eces.org/health/ malerepreductiveproblems.shtmt
33d http://www.alkalizeforhealth.net/Lspermdamage.htm.
34 Frederick vom Saal, F., et al. |
Jack Challem
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 Other common side effects of corticosteroids include a thinning of the skin and bruising, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels (which increase the risk of diabetes and coronary artery disease), cataracts and glaucoma, male infertility, menstrual irregularities, and loss of muscle mass.
Conventional NSAIDs
Aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, and generic brands), naproxen sodium, (Aleve and others) are the most popular over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and many higher-potency NSAIDs are available by prescription. |
Doris J. Rapp, M.D.
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| December 8, 2001 (323) 1317-18.
48 "Male Infertility and Other Reproductive Problems in Men," Environmental Health, March 17, 2002. http://eces.org/ec/health/ malereproductiveproblems.shtml.
49 New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, Winter 1991-92: 3 (1)8.
50a www.mercola.com/2001/feb/28/pesticides_miscarriage.htm 50b www.mercola.com/1997/jul/13/stillbirths.htm.
51 Occ. and Env. Med., 1997:54, 511-518.
52 Epidemiology, March 2001: 22, 148-56. |
Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D.
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 More research is necessary to conclusively determine the causes of sperm cell abnormalities and male infertility. But according to what we know about oxidative damage, sperm cells probably are very susceptible to DNA alterations by free radicals, leading to faulty replication. This may be why Mother Nature has equipped men with accessory sex glands that secrete antioxidant enzymes into seminal fluid: The secretions may help to protect sperm against oxidative damage. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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 And finally, another popular natural treatment of male infertility involves the use of glandular therapy. The concept behind this therapy is discussed in Glandular Therapy, later in this chapter.
Controlling Sperm-Damaging Factors
Scrotal Temperature
The scrotal sac normally keeps the testes at a temperature of between 94 and 96 degrees Fahrenheit.2 At temperatures above 96 degrees, sperm production is greatly inhibited or stopped completely. Typically, the average scrotal temperature of infertile men is significantly higher than that of fertile men. |
Alan Keith Tillotson, Ph.D., A.H.G., D.Ay.
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 He also argues against the pigeonholing of this herb as useful only for BPH, mentioning benefits for cystic acne, stimulation of sexual maturation in delayed puberty, and male infertility.
An important saw palmetto mechanism of action is inhibition of the inflammation-promoting enzyme 5-alpha-reductase, an action which it shares with stinging nettle root (Urtica dioica), another herb useful for BPH. However, these actions are not strong enough to account for the reported results. |
| Male infertility is usually quantified at a count of 20 million sperm per mL or less. There are some reports that male fertility in certain parts of the world has been falling in recent years at an alarming rate.
Under investigation is the possibility that pesticides and other forms of pollution are responsible, because many chemicals have been shown to impair fertility or lead to impaired prenatal and perinatal development in experimental studies. Such problems require a global improvement in environmental conditions to reverse. |
James F. Balch, M.D.
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| During my early urology years, my interest turned to male infertility. I discovered that all efforts to effect reproduction would fail if the patient continued to smoke. This proves why! Cadmium, a toxic metal found in cigarette smoke, and nicotine have been implicated as the sperm's primary adversaries. The antioxidant vitamins C and E and Co-Q-10 are sperm protectors essential to the sperm's genetic integrity, preventing mutation that would lead to cancer and birth defects in the offspring. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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 Nifurtimox can cause acute symptoms, such as anaphylactic shock, and chronic symptoms, such as dermatitis, nausea and vomiting, painful neuropathy, pulmonary infiltration, and male infertility. Herbal treatment offers protection against the parasite without these side effects.
GIARDIASIS
Giardiasis is infection with the single-celled protozoan parasite Giardia lamblia. This extremely infectious microorganism lives in an inactive, cyst stage in contaminated water or feces-contaminated food. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Botanical Medicines
Ginseng
Current scientific investigation suggests that both Panax ginseng (Chinese or Korean ginseng) and Eleutherococcus senticosus (Siberian ginseng) are probably effective in the treatment of male infertility. Both botanicals have a long history of use as male "tonics." Although human clinical studies are lacking, Panax ginseng has been shown to promote the growth of the testes, increase sperm formation and testosterone levels, and increase sexual activity and mating behavior in studies with animals. |
Bill Gottlieb
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 In fact, he says, studies show that large doses of supplemental vitamin C can actually reverse some cases of male infertility. He recommends taking at least 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C each day, as well as 400 to 800 international units of vitamin E and 15 milligrams (25,000 international units) of beta-carotene.
And try taking 30 to 60 milligrams a day of zinc, which may also help increase sperm count, says Dr. Whitaker.
Ingrown Toenails hey don't call them toenails for nothing. |
Michael T. Murray, N.D., Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D.
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| Free-radical or oxidative damage to sperm is thought to be responsible for many cases of male infertility.
• Antioxidants such as vitamin C, beta-carotene, selenium, and vitamin E, have been shown to be very important in protecting the sperm against damage and improving male fertility.
• Zinc supplementation can be very helpful in achieving fertility, especially in men with low testosterone levels.
• Carnitine supplementation can lead to improvements in sperm counts and sperm motility.
Pesticides (DDT, PCBs, DBCP, etc. |
Bill Gottlieb
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| A lot of male infertility is due to oxidation, which can weaken or kill sperm."
For other food sources of zinc and vitamin C, see "Getting What You Need" on page 142.
1111!
Homeopathy
Infertility should be treated on an individual basis by a homeopath or fertility specialist, write Andrew Lockie, M.D, and Nicola Geddes, M.D, in The Women's Guide to Homeopathy. But they add that there are several homeopathic remedies you can try while waiting for professional care. They suggest taking a 30C dose of one of the following remedies every 12 hours for up to seven days. |
Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
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| Hochu-ekki-to
A traditional Chinese herbal formula that greatly reduces male infertility caused by doxorubicin treatment.
Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia (Rehmannia-Six Combination)1
A traditional Chinese herbal formula that has been shown in animal studies to protect bone marrow, heart, kidney, and liver function during treatment.
Precautions for the use of formulas:
1Do not use Six-Ingredient Pill with Rehmannia if you have an estrogen-sensitive disorder, such as breast cancer, endometriosis, or fibrocystic breasts. |
| Although the formula was originally used to treat prolonged infections causing fevers and chills, its most frequent application today is in the treatment of male infertility for which there is no readily discernible cause.
In a clinical study in Japan, 20 percent of participating couples achieved conception with twelve weeks, and 51 percent of the men taking the formula had increased sperm counts. Laboratory studies indicate that the formula works by stimulating the production of proteins that enable sperm to reach functional maturity. |
Schuyler W. Lininger, Jr. DC
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| The effects of medication with L-arginine-HC1 on male infertility. Bull Osaka Med School 1967; 13: 84-89.
10. Schacter A, Goldman J A, Zukerman Z. Treatment of oligospermia with the amino acid arginine. / Urol 1973; 110: 311-13.
11. Schacter A et al. Treatment of oligospermia with the amino acid arginine. Int ] Gynaecol Obstet 1973; 11: 206-9.
12. Mroueh A. Effect of arginine on oligospermia. Fertil Steril 1970: 21: 217-19.
13. Pryor JP, Blandy JP, Evans P, Chaput De Saintonge DM, Usherwood M. Controlled clinical trial of arginine for infertile men with oligozoospermia. |
Michael Tierra
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 Pygeum
Pygeum ajricanum Parts Used: Trunk bark Energy and Flavors: Cool, bitter Systems Affected: Prostate, kidneys
Biochemical Constituents: Ferulic acid esters, as well as beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosterone, which serve as hormone precursors
Properties: Antiinflammatory
Pygeum is specifically useful for benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, urinary tract infections, and male infertility and impotence.
Dose: Simmer 1 ounce in 1 pint of boiling water for 20 minutes. Cool and take 1 cupful three times daily. |
the Editors of PREVENTION
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 Cause: male infertility can be traced to sperm production mishaps. Either not enough sperm are produced, the sperm aren't shaped correctly, or they don't swim well enough. A common reason for these defects is a varicocele, a vein malfunction located near the testicle that drives up the testicular temperature and harms sperm. Environmental and health factors also play a role.
Incidence: It's estimated that roughly 5 percent of men in the United States have some problems with fertility. |
Jean Carper
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 A versatile and powerful antioxidant, vitamin C seems to protect against asthma, bronchitis, cataracts, heart arrhythmias, angina (chest pain), male infertility and birth defects transmitted by men, and cancer of all types. It has also stopped the growth of the AIDS vims in test tubes. Vitamin C's antioxidant ability, many experts think, helps keep LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized, making it a major deterrent to clogged arteries and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin C and vitamin E work together to revitalize and replenish each other.
Major Sources of Vitamin C. |
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