The Male Factor: How to Improve Sperm Health for Better Fertility

As many as one in eight couples reportedly struggle to conceive, and a full third of Americans have either sought fertility treatment themselves or know someone who has.

What’s going on here? It’s clear fertility has become an issue. The farther we have gotten from natural rhythms, the closer we get to these consequences of our collective choices.

Ancestrally we moved, we used our body heavily, we were sweating daily, we were breathing heavily and we weren’t exposed to the types of compounds and frequencies we are today. We are called now to become conscious of what we are doing.

Now, if you are a man or woman who has difficulty with fertility, seemingly hormone issues, or simply want to understand how to support yourself to prepare for a health pregnancy, this is for you.

FACTORS FOR BOTH PARTIES

First up, it’s not just about the woman. There are many factors that affect fertility and hormone signaling and, if possible, should be considered BEFORE conception including the health of the man.

Both parties are contributing their genetic material to this new human, so we want to make sure we are offering up the best we have.

However, I often find sperm health is overlooked when preparing to conceive. Both partners must prepare – it’s not just the woman’s job.

By the way, these same steps and approaches will equally assist the man in addressing several underlying factors contributing to resulting “hormone issues.” Whether that’s to prepare for conception or whether that’s to simply improve hormone signaling and overall wellness.

Infertility is generally defined as such when a couple has been trying to conceive for a year but has not been able to. Or for couples over 35 years old that have been trying for 6 months without a successful pregnancy.

We have to consider several factors and several considerations in each of those factors when infertility has become apparent. Ideally we’d want to prepare and rule these out before it gets too far down the line for a couple.

— 30% infertility contributed to by male factors

— 30%  infertility contributed to by female factors

— 30% infertility contributed to by problems in both partners

The remainder 10% is not understood or explained by what we see in the research.

However it’s important to note, most infertility or hormone issues are NOT hormone issues directly.

“Hormone imbalances” are the result of the body adapting and compensating for other stressors. Just throwing herbs to boost hormone production, is a very misguided approach.

HOW A COUPLE CAN PREPARE FOR A HEALTHY PREGNANCY

Let’s talk about a few of these now.

Untox Before Detox – What sense does it make to try to improve drainage, excretion, detoxification if we continue to use the products and compounds that impair function?

It’s important we look at what kind of water we are drinking. The water must be pure, without chlorine, fluoride, pharmaceuticals, heavy metals and more. Yep, those are all in our drinking water!

We must stop consuming, as much as possible, conventionally grown and sprayed crops. We should stop lathering our body with endocrine disruptors and placing even more burden on our largest organ, the skin.

Check out better non toxic options for house and body HERE.

Support Healthy Biotransformation – Biotransformation is the process by which substances that enter the body are changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic molecules to facilitate elimination from the body.

The purpose of this is to simply take substances that will damage the body and make them totally harmless or less problematic.

Both men and women really should focus on this if they plan to get pregnant OR are having some fertility concerns. Just as I mentioned above, simply taking supps/herbs is not the ticket here.

They can be helpful, but they will not replace addressing what you allow in and around you, and returning to the natural rhythms we are built to utilize.

Now for this biotransformation there are some helpful products that can be utilized with working on the other lifestyle factors. Products such as Apex Energetics ClearVite, or Organic Olivia Liver Juice or Dr. Shade’s Liver Sauce, or Cellcore TUDCA or Cellcore Kidney Liver Support or Premier Research Labs Liver ND can be helpful.

Up-regulate Drainage – Supporting biotransformation as discussed above brings me to the next stop. These substances conjugated must get out of the body. They can only get out if the main emunctories are fully functional – the colon (poo), the kidneys (urine), the skin (sweat), the lungs and the lymph.

It works like a funnel, if the major end game pathways listed above are backed up, it will back up into your tissues, organs and cells. It won’t matter how great your liver is functioning if the other pathways are stagnant, the waste won’t get out as well.

We didn’t have much trouble at all doing this ancestrally. We moved, we used our body heavily, we were sweating daily, we were breathing heavily and we weren’t exposed to the types of compounds and frequencies we are today of which can further jeopardize the ability to excrete.

Today we can return to those ancestral ways and watch our labeled health issues fade away in many cases or we can use the methods that mimic these ancestral healing modalities.

One I want to highlight is sauna. Sweating is crucial because we’ve seen that specific compounds such as heavy metals preferentially are excreted through the sweat.

Furthermore raising body temperature by a few degrees enhances production of heat shock proteins (HSP). HSPs help re-stabilize, re-organize, and rejuvenate intercellular order. It also helps to repairing damaged proteins, improve immune response and reduces free radical damage.

I also want to mention the specific sauna that I absolutely love and trust. Sauna Space saunas, their Luminati and Faraday Saunas are the best on the market.

The Luminati sauna has ZERO EMF output. Not low, but zero. No other sauna company has achieved this. It’s critical that when we are trying to up-regulate detox that we are not adding another EMF burden on the body.

Their Faraday sauna not only has ZERO EMF but it blocks ambient EMF such as the wifi from your house, the cell towers nearby, the electrical fields in your home, this is HUGE. It’s like returning to how the ancestors lived.

Also appropriate infrared light waves stimulate the health of mitochondria, specifically near infrared. Sauna space has full-spectrum regenerative and detox wavelengths with incandescent near infrared light. No UV or blue light and no flicker stress like you will have with LED lighting.

Most saunas are simply heat therapy. Sauna Space is heat and light therapy just as the sun provides minus the UV rays. You can check them out here and get 5% off any of their products using DETOXDOC5

I’m talking about this not because I want you to buy this sauna but because I’ve seen it be so instrumental in people’s recovery and overall well-being. It’s so critical that these pathways are worked and supported just like they were before we got so comfortable in our concrete jungles!

I actually recently bought my own. They didn’t give it to me, I paid for it because I just couldn’t justify not having it anymore. Well worth the investment.

Support Neurological Integrity – if you want a more resilient stress response and not wiped out by emotional stressors or even physical stress, must ensure the autonomic nervous system is resilient with the best chance of adapting.

We need to be able to smoothly move between sympathetic and parasympathetic dominance. They actually are both working simultaneously all the time in a beautiful dance, however many people have a degraded or less utilized parasympathetic arm. It’s no surprise this is the case considering their lifestyle requires the body to give all the goods it can from the sympathetics.

I highly encourage those who desire this to seek out upper cervical chiropractic. This region is adjacent to the brainstem where the vagus nerve exits.

It’s not about pain, it’s not about lessening symptoms, it’s about ensuring full neurological integrity. Without this, the body has to compensate and functions have to be prioritized.

TARGETED SPERM SUPPORT

Remember the supplements are there to bridge the process as you work on the very impactful and important lifestyle, diet and toxic load factors.

Testosterone Support – this can help support testosterone as you work on the underlying factors. I use Apex Energetics Opticrine and Metagenics HisSynergy.

Liposomal Glutathione – 10mL/day or equivalent is a general guide. I like Apex Energetics or Quicksilver. If you suspect heavy metal toxicity, this may not be appropriate for you.

Turmeric – 1,000 mg/day is a general guide. I often use Professional Formulas Turmeric, Apex Energetics TumeroActive, Premier Research Labs Turmeric or simply organic dry root powder from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Resveratrol – 1,000 mg/day is a general guide. I like Premier Research Labs Resveratrol, Metabolic Maintenance Resveratrol with Piperine, Gaia Herbs Resveratrol

Zinc – 10-30 mg/day is a general guide. I use Metabolic Maintenance Zinc Picolinate, Innate Response Zinc, Vital Nutrients Zinc Citrate.

Selenium – 300-500 mcg /day is a general guide. I like Trace Minerals Liquid Ionic Selenium, Metabolic Maintenance Selenium, or Designs for Health Acnutrol which provides zinc, selenium and L-carnosine plus others.

Folate – 1000-3000 mcg/day is a general guide. I like Designs for Health Super Liquid Folate, NuMedica Methyl Folate Optimizer.

B12 – 5000 mcg/day is a general guide. Quicksilver Scientific Liposomal Methyl B12, Apex Energetics B12 Max, Klaire Labs B12

Vitamin C – 1000-5000 mg/day is a general guide. Whole food vitamin C is great, I like The Synergy Company for this and their Pure Radiance C. Metabolic Maintenance Buffered Vitamin C I also use.

Myo-Inositol – 2000-4000 mg/day is a general guide. Protocol for Life Balance Myo Inositol Powder.

L-Carnitine – 2000-4000 mg/day is a general guide. I like Designs for Health Carni Clear and Designs for Health Carnitine Synergy.

CoQ10 – 100 mg/day is a general guide. Metagenics CoQ10 – ST 100 or Fairhaven Health FH PRO for Men has several nutrients plus CoQ10 in it.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids – 3000-5000 mg/day is a general guide. Apex Energetics Phyto Brain E, Empirical Labs Liposomal DHA, Nordic Naturals Algae Omega

STEP-BY-STEP SUPPORT OF THE “MALE FACTOR”

STEP 1: Semen analysis. You can now get an at home semen analysis. I have no affiliation with these companies, but to give you an idea you can see one here.

Be sure your analysis involves volume, count, concentration, morphology, motility.

STEP 2: If Semen analysis is abnormal then rule out anatomical abnormalities with a urologist. (retrograde ejaculation, varicocele, duct blockage, etc) 

STEP 3: Consider any issues with weight, being both overweight or underweight can pose an issue. Improve dietary and lifestyle aspects. Eat real foods from the earth, ditch the food like substances, get outside and move. Get into the sun and out in the natural elements.  

STEP 4: Further lab testing:

— Blood sugar testing with glucose tolerance and insulin response.

— Thyroid testing to rule out hypothyroidism.

— Pituitary testing to rule out high prolactin.

— Evaluate male hormones via blood testing of LH, FSH, total and free testosterone, estrogen

— Also can get urine hormone testing via Dutch test.

STEP 5: Consider oxidative stress (smoking, drinking, drug use, EMF exposure, environmental toxicity testing, metals).

These can absolutely affect the quality of sperm, all of which can be seen in the literature we have on all these factors.

FURTHER INFORMATION & LINKS

You can find 15% off most of the supplements listed above via my online dispensary HERE.

For in depth presentation of both female and male considerations when it comes to hormones and fertility check out my 90 min masterclass here for $49.

For Sauna Space products go here and use DETOXDOC5 for a discount.

To consult with me or for questions contact us at askdrsteph@protonmail.com.