Infertility tends to be a conversation that is geared more towards women. Although women’s health plays a huge role in fertility, men’s health is equally important. It has been found that about a third of cases dealing with infertility are due to the male. As is true with both the woman and the man, a baby needs a healthy environment to be conceived, this includes the egg, the sperm, and the womb. Preparing all three of these components for life is essential to creating life, which means the male plays a very big role!
One component is getting your sperm and male hormone levels checked, as well as comprehensive blood work, so you have a baseline. Oftentimes couples start trying to conceive and then are frustrated when it doesn’t happen without first having all of the information. Before jumping to medical intervention, here are a few ways men can fight infertility and prepare for conception on their own.
1.) Chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is vital for all systems to be working together and working optimally! Chiropractic care is foundational for health, it helps our nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems work cohesively which allows the rest of the body – hormones, digestion, immunity, breathing, sleeping, etc. – work as it should!
2.) Decrease stress. Stress leaves our bodies in a sympathetic state which means most of the energy utilized is used for survival mode, not for beginning life or even basic functions. When we are stuck in a sympathetic state, our bodies only do the functions needed to survive and then focus to prepare to fight or run – which is why this is often called “fight or flight”. This leads to a decrease in the production of hormones related to all things conception.
3.) Diet and hydration. Decreasing inflammation in the body and eating foods that are nourishing your body helps every system work at a higher level. Eat a variety of whole foods so you can be properly nourished with fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals needed for conception. Foods that are particularly helpful for sperm health are walnuts, ground flaxseed, tomatoes, and salmon. Stay hydrated. Dehydration in the body can mean a lowered sperm volume – to be properly hydrated you should shoot for half of your body weight in ounces per day.
4.) Supplementation and Oxidation. Keeping oxidative stress low in the body by increasing antioxidants helps the body detox properly and decrease the chances of infertility. Some good sources of antioxidants are leafy greens, berries, pumpkin seeds, avocado, red bell peppers. Also supplementing with Folate, which is a B vitamin, helps healthy sperm develop.
As you can see, a man’s health is just as important as a woman’s health when planning conception.
-Dr. Sophie Mills, Chiropractor