What to eat to improve semen quality?.

How to improve semen quality?

The quality of semen is of great importance for conception, both in vitro and out of body, both natural and assisted. Therefore, if you are trying to conceive a child and your semen parameters slightly deviate from WHO standards, you can try to improve them with the right diet. If it involves insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilisation (IVF), it is also worth fighting for higher sperm quality - the more motile and normal sperm in the ejaculate, the better for male fertility. To improve sperm quality and strengthen your sperm, you need to eat healthily!

Remember, always in the context of trying for a child, regardless of the result of the semen test, it is advisable to consult an andrologist who, depending on the specific case, can recommend effective pharmacological treatment, surgery or appropriate supplementation.

Consult an InviMed nutritionist

The quality of sperm can be improved with a tailor-made, individualised fertility diet. A corresponding menu can be ordered from the dieticians at InviMed in Poznan, Wroclaw, Gdynia and Katowice as part of a dietary consultation with menu arrangement. During the consultation, the dietician will take a history and discuss all your eating habits, both the good and bad ones. At such a visit, the rules of the future diet will also be discussed. In this way, even before the dietician prepares the menu, the patient can implement important nutritional changes.

Fertility diet for men

If you want to improve sperm quality, start by eliminating harmful habits. The pro-fertility diet, for both men and women, excludes ready-made products, fast food, sweet drinks, confectionery based on hydrogenated vegetable oils and stimulants: alcohol, nicotine and intoxicants. Such products are best eliminated - and not only when there are problems with conceiving a child or maintaining a pregnancy. A healthy, balanced fertility diet should accompany anyone wishing to conceive a child or planning to expand their family.

A properly composed diet should take into account energy requirements, food intolerances, lifestyle, a person's culinary capabilities and rely on unprocessed foods. In the case of a fertility diet for a man, it is worth including ingredients such as:

• Lentils - are a good source of folic acid, which protects sperm from DNA damage,
• Purple fruits and vegetables - contain anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants and counteract sperm damage,
• Pumpkin seeds - contain zinc, which affects sperm viability and testosterone production,
• avocado - contains glutathione, which has antioxidant effects, and folic acid, which affects DNA methylation,
• broccoli - contains coenzyme Q10, which affects sperm motility and is also an antioxidant,
• Red and green vegetables - are a source of vitamin C, which improves semen quality by preventing damage to sperm,
• tomatoes - the lycopene contained in them has an effective effect on new cell formation processes,
• fish - the L-arginine found in fish plays an important role in immunology and the release of hormones that improve sperm quality,,
• salmon - a source of omega-3 fatty acids and selenium, which is also an antioxidant and affects sperm motility. Salmon is also a source of vitamin D3, which influences hormonal balance,
• Animal protein - this is a source of vitamin B12, which affects sperm count,
• Whole-grain products - are a source of fibre, which lowers the glycaemic index of the diet and influences proper hormonal balance.

Diet to improve semen quality

The daily menu presented below has been prepared by a dietician - Adrianna Barczyńska of the InviMed infertility treatment clinic in Katowice. The menu is designed for approximately 2300 kcal per day for a man over 30 years of age who leads a sedentary lifestyle (e.g. works at a desk) and would like to improve semen parameters.

BREAKFAST TO IMPROVE SEMEN QUALITY

OATMEAL WITH PEANUT BUTTER AND BLUEBERRIES

• Peanut butter - 30 g (2 x teaspoon)
• Blueberries - 100g (Handful)
• Oatmeal - 60 g (6 x Spoon)

Method of preparation:

1. Pour boiling water over the flakes and set aside to swell.
2. Stir in peanut butter and sprinkle with blueberries.

A SECOND BREAKFAST TO IMPROVE FERTILITY IN MEN

SIMPLE SALAD WITH PUMPKIN SEEDS, WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

• Pumpkin, seeds, shelled - 20 g (2 x Spoon)
• Wholemeal rye bread - 60 g (2 x Slices)
• Apple cider vinegar from ripe apples - 3 g (1 x teaspoon)
• Ground black pepper - 1 g (1 x pinch)
• Basil (dried) - 1 g (0.25 x teaspoon)
• Oregano (dried) - 1 g (0.33 x teaspoon)
• Canola oil - 5 g (0.5 x Spoon)
• Radish sprouts - 24 g (3 x Spoon)
• Cucumber - 120 g (3 x Piece)
• Red peppers - 80 g (0.5 x piece)
• Tomato - 120g (1 x piece)
• Lettuce - 10g (2 x leaf)

Method of preparation:

1. Mix the oil with the vinegar and water. Add the spices and mix thoroughly.
2. Slice the vegetables and mix them with the sprouts and dressing.
3. Eat with bread.

PRO-FERTILITY DINNER

PASTA WITH SALMON AND PARSLEY PESTO

• Sunflower seed 10 g (1 x tablespoon)
• Whole-wheat pasta with rye, pigs 80 g (1 x glass)
• Parsley, leaves 30 g (½ bunch)
• Garlic 5 g (clove)
• Lemon juice 6 g (teaspoon)
• Olive oil 5 g (teaspoon)
• Salmon, fresh 150 g (serving)
• Black pepper (pinch)

Method of preparation:

1. Cook the pasta according to the recipe on the packet.
2. Put the parsley in a bowl, add the garlic, a teaspoon of lemon juice, sunflower seeds, olive oil and pepper, blend with a blender.
3. Drizzle the fish with lemon, sprinkle with pepper, steam or cook in a fat-free frying pan. Divide the finished fish into pieces.
4. Add the parsley pesto and fish to the pasta, mix all together.