Oligospermia is a primary cause of male infertility. In daily life, avoid exposing the testicles to high temperatures and implement protective measures to safeguard testicular health. What factors contribute to oligospermia? What foods can improve sperm quality?
Oligospermia refers to a condition where the sperm count in the semen of a fertile male falls below normal levels.The World Health Organization defines oligospermia as a sperm count below 20 million per milliliter, which significantly impacts fertility.
Causes of Oligospermia
Varicocele: This condition significantly impacts sperm development and production. Elevated local testicular temperature often severely impairs spermatogenesis, leading to reduced sperm count and ultimately oligospermia.
Urinary tract infections: Prostatitis in men is often caused by chronic infections in the reproductive glands. Such patients may experience reduced sperm counts.
Immune factors: The presence of anti-sperm antibodies in a man's body can hinder sperm production and transport, potentially leading to oligospermia.
What foods can improve sperm quality?
Sperm health is crucial for men, regardless of fertility plans. Maintaining a diet that enhances sperm quality and motility is essential. Regular ejaculation contributes to robust physical health. Modern medical research indicates semen contains over 50 substances, including arginine, choline, zinc, hormones, enzymes, calcium, and various vitamins.Experts recommend incorporating foods that nourish the kidneys, replenish essence, boost energy, and promote blood circulation to enhance sperm quality and vitality.
1. Calcium plays a pivotal role in sperm motility, capacitation, maintaining hyaluronidase activity, and the fertilization process.Calcium deficiency can slow sperm motility and reduce the activity of sperm acrosomal protease. Therefore, men should also focus on consuming calcium-rich foods such as milk, sweet almonds, wakame seaweed, anchovies, coriander, shiitake mushrooms, mustard greens, pork rib soup, soy products, raisins, laver, dried shrimp, kelp, and daylily buds.
2. Additionally, sperm motility is linked to fructose levels in the seminal vesicles. Low fructose in semen can easily lead to necrospermia. Fructose is abundant in honey and various fruits like pears, apples, grapes, pineapples, and sweet oranges, so their consumption should be emphasized.Traditional Chinese medicine recommends foods that nourish essence, strengthen yang, and replenish vitality, such as river shrimp, fish maw, sparrow meat, beef, dog meat, goji berries, walnuts, and leeks, which may also be selected for consumption.
3. Arginine is a primary component of the sperm head and enhances sperm motility.Foods rich in arginine include sea cucumber, sunflower seeds, tofu skin, frozen tofu, eel, hazelnuts, Chinese yam, cuttlefish, sesame seeds, peanuts, loach, and ginkgo nuts. Sea cucumber, for instance, has long been regarded as a precious tonic for nourishing the kidneys, enhancing essence, strengthening yang, and treating impotence.
4. Consume magnesium-rich foods. Magnesium helps regulate heart function, lower blood pressure, prevent heart disease, and enhance male fertility.Men are advised to consume two bowls of oatmeal with milk and one banana for breakfast. Magnesium-rich foods include soybeans, potatoes, walnuts, oatmeal, pasta, leafy greens, and seafood.
5. Sperm contains significant amounts of zinc, a trace element that plays an indispensable role in maintaining male reproductive function.As zinc is essential for sperm metabolism and enhances sperm motility, consuming zinc-rich foods like oysters, bran, animal liver, clams, shrimp, shellfish, walnuts, milk, beans, and lotus seeds is necessary.
Oysters boast the highest zinc content among foods. Adequate intake supports sperm nucleic acid and protein metabolism while enhancing sexual performance. However, daily zinc consumption must not exceed 15 micrograms, as excessive intake may interfere with other minerals' functions in the body.