Boost your fertility level, eat oyster

Infertility is a big problem experienced
by some couples.Infertility is a worldwide problem that is on the rise. But research has shown that some particular foods can help the chances of a man being able to father a child. One of such foods that have been found to boost fertility is oyster, reports Sade Oguntola.

IF “we are what we eat,” can a man’s diet help encourage fertility? In the broadest sense, experts say the answer is yes. While scientists already have evidence that vehicle emissions and smoking can contribute to a man’s infertility, there is also growing, but still sketchy, evidence that specific eating habits can help or hurt the odds of a man being able to father a child.

Dr. Abayomi Ajayi, a fertility expert at the Nordical Fertility Clinic, Lagos, described male infertility as a problem that accounts for a sizeable reason some couples are unable to have children of their own. In such men, he said the problem could be due to such factors as low sperm count and having sperm too weak to swim the distance to the fallopian tubes.

While some of the infertilities seen in some couples can involve the female reproductive system, due to such factors as blocked or damaged fallopian tubes and lack of ovulation, he said in some cases, it is a combination of problems from both the man and the woman.

Though most physicians woould not consider fertility treatments for a couple until they have been trying to conceive for at least a year, but nonetheless after a few months of trying to conceive with no success many couples become anxious about the possibility of having infertility problem. However, just because your physician would not consider treating the case as an infertility issue does not mean that there are no options that can be tried to naturally to enhance fertility and assist with conventional fertility treatments.

Naturally, food plays a large role in alternative fertility therapies. Certain foods are believed to be beneficial in treating infertility. One of such that was recommended by Dr. Joe Orisakwe, a paediatrician and former Chief Medical Director, Imo State Hospital Board, is oyster because of its richness in zinc.

According to him, “many doctors treating infertility ask that such people should eat oysters because it has lots of zinc.”

Naturopaths claim that because oysters are high in zinc, men who eat it would have an increase in their sperm count and the mobility of their sperm. They said one oyster contains the recommended daily allowance of zinc and so making it an extremely easy and tasty way of increasing one’s chances of fertility.

The Romans documented oysters as an aphrodisiac food in the second century A.D as mentioned in a satire by Juvenal. They described the wanton ways of women after ingesting wine and eating “giant oysters”. An additional hypothesis is that the oyster resembles the “female” genitals. In reality oysters are very nutritious and high in protein.

In addition, zinc is a critical trace mineral for male sexual function. It is involved in virtually every aspect of male reproduction, including hormone metabolism, sperm formation, and sperm mobility. Zinc found in the seminal fluid increases sperm count and mobility, and blood testosterone levels.

Zinc deficiency is characterised by decreased testosterone levels and sperm counts. Experts, in a study that assessed the zinc level of the semen of post-vasectomy patients and patients with prostatitis in the 1975 edition of the journal, Fertility Sterility found that zinc levels are typically much lower in infertile men with low sperm counts, indicating that a low zinc status may be the contributing factor to infertility. The results from several studies suggest that zinc supplementation may be beneficial for men who have low sperm count and low testosterone levels.

In one study, 37 men who had been infertile for more than five years, and whose sperm counts were less than 25 million/ml were given a supplement of zinc sulfate (60 mg of elemental zinc daily) for 45 to 50 days. In the 22 patients with initially low testosterone levels, their sperm count increased significantly, from eight to 20 million/ml. Testosterone levels also increased, and nine out of the 22 wives became pregnant during the study. In contrast, in the 15 men with normal testosterone levels, although sperm count increased slightly, there was no change in testosterone level and no pregnancies occurred. Thus zinc appears to be effective in increasing male fertility when testosterone levels are low.

Though a 2002 study found that infertile men who took zinc (66 mg) and folic acid (5 mg) supplements daily for six months increased their sperm counts by 74 per cent another in 2005 found that zinc and folate did not affect sperm quality, but another group pointed out that indulging in diet rich in such food items as whole grains, citrus fruits, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, oranges and legumes because of there high content of folate is a possible way of correcting chromosomal abnormalities in sperm.

Some other experts also pointed out that foods rich in vitamin C and certain antioxidants are also good for maintaining the health of a man’s sperm. Studies at the Texas University Medical School illustrated the vital role vitamin C plays in maintaining healthy sperm. Patients were given 1000mg doses of vitamin C and after a period of two months their sperm counts jumped nearly 60 per cent, sperm were 30 per cent “friskier” and the percentage of abnormal sperm dropped. This includes fruits like oranges and banana.

A man’s general health and lifestyle may affect fertility and many things can affect this:
•Emotional stress. Stress may interfere with certain hormones needed to produce sperm. Your sperm count may be affected if you experience excessive or prolonged emotional stress.
•Obesity. Increased body mass may be associated with fertility problems in men.
•Cancer and its treatment. Both radiation and chemotherapy treatment for cancer can impair sperm production, sometimes severely.
•Alcohol, tobacco and drugs. Alcohol or drug dependency can be associated with poor health and reduced fertility.
•Other medical conditions. A severe injury or major surgery can affect male fertility. Certain diseases or conditions, such as diabetes, thyroid disease, Cushing’s syndrome, or anaemia may be associated with infertility.
•Over-exposure to certain environmental elements. Elements such as heat, toxins and chemicals can reduce sperm count. Overheating of the testicles may impair sperm production and lower your sperm count.