Several studies was conducted that proved that acupuncture has positive effect on female fertility, when preparing for IVF for an example, but a research about acupuncture treating male infertility was neglected. However, several studies were conducted and they suggested that acupuncture has positive effect on sperm production and its quality.

Recently a study was published in journal Fertility and Sterility describing the effectiveness of acupuncture on male fertility. This study suggests once again that acupuncture has positive effects in treating male infertility: it improves a number of normal sperm and reduces sperm defects.

Study was conducted on a study group of 28 men, all diagnosed with idiopathic infertility. Study group received acupuncture twice a week over a period of 5 weeks. Needles were inserted 15 and 25 millimeters, depending on the region treated.  Control group did not receive any treatment.

Specific acupuncture points were included:

Guan yuan (Ren 4),
shen shu (UB 23, bilateral),
ci liao (UB 32, bilateral),
tai cong (Liv 3, bilateral),
tai xi (KI 3, bilateral).

Secondary points included the following:

zhu san li (ST 36, bilateral),
xue hai (SP 10, bilateral),
san yin jiao (SP 6, bilateral),
gui lai (ST 29, bilateral),
bai hui (Du 20).

In order to achieve the qi, were needles manipulated for approximately 10 minutes, and then they were left in place for another 25 minutes.

According to the research, semen samples were collected from both study and control group after a 3-day period of sexual abstinence, one sample before the acupuncture treatment began and one sample after the last treatment.

According to the study results, motility levels increased significantly in semen samples in the men receiving acupuncture. In the control group median motility levels increased from 32% to 37% in the control group, while in the study group that received acupuncture, the median motility levels increased from 44.5% to 50%.

Additionally, the number and percentage of healthy sperm also increased. After the 10th acupuncture sessions, the median percentage of healthy sperm had increased more than four-fold.

Moreover, significant changes were noted in sperm structure and quality in the group that received acupuncture treatment: the median percentage of normal acrosome shapes increased for 16%.

In conclusion, acupuncture appeared to improve the overall quality and structural integrity of sperm, which could, according to researchers lead to acupuncture treating male infertility.

The most common causes for difficulties in connection with fertility in men are described below, and in my opinion it is important to bring out that female problems account for 35-40% of all fertility problems, just the same as males account for being responsible for 35-40% of all fertility problems.

In men the problem of infertility is referred to male tube blockages, sperm motility, quantity and quantity problems and sperm problems that relate to sperm allergy.

Male tube blockages mean that tubes have problems to transport healthy and fertile sperm. The most common problem for this is problem related to varicose veins in testicles, but also STDs like chlamydia or gonorrhea can be a cause. Problem can be solved with surgery that repairs varicoceles, and about as 40% of males are within 6 to 9 months able to impregnate woman after the surgery.

Sperm problems are connected to sperm motility, sperm quality or sperm quantity, which means the problem relates to low sperm count, poor ability of sperm to move, or abnormally shaped sperm. There are certain drugs that can boost sperm production, and about 25% of males are able to impregnate woman after fertility drugs treatment.
Besides fertility drugs woman can receive partner’s sperm injection directly into the egg (the process is called intracytoplasmic sperm injection). With artificial insemination approximately 5-20% of women become pregnant per cycle.

Another option for conception would be receiving donor sperm, which has a success rate of about 15% per attempt.
It was thought that sperm allergy is rare condition, but it is estimated that as much as 5-10% of infertile males and females are allergic to sperm. This does not necessarily means they will have reactions visible to the eye, but it does mean that if they are allergic to sperm their body will have immune reactions to sperm, which cause them to produce antibodies that kill sperm cells. In males this is most common after vasectomy. It is possible to treat sperm allergy with a success rate of up to 20%. Sperm allergy can be treated with several methods, including sperm washing, intrauterine insemination, assisted conception treatments, and even with immunosuppressive drugs, such as cortisone and prednisone, but many doctors don’t recommend these drugs.

There are several measures a man with a low sperm count can do in order to increase low sperm count, including lifestyle changes such as regular exercise (cycling can negatively impact male fertility), stop smoking,  and avoiding tight underwear, whirlpools and saunas.

Additionally, a man can take several nutritional steps in attempt to increase his sperm count, including following foods in daily diet.

Oysters: they are high in zinc which is scientifically proven to increase sperm count: Journal of Laboratory Clinical Medicine” found that zinc deficiency in men decreased sperm count in four out of five study members, and as soon as they started increasing zinc intake, a sperm count increased.

Spinach is rich in folic acid – a vitamin that increases overall sperm count and motility, especially when eaten in conjunction with vitamin C rich foods that promote absorption of folic acid. Men with low levels of folate have more sperm with chromosomal abnormalities. A study that was published in an issue of Fertility and Sterility showed that the combination of zinc and folic acid were found to have a positive effect in increasing sperm count.

Eggs, promote male fertility and improve chances of conception, because they are high in vitamin E. Vitamin E is in case of deficiency linked to testicular tissue degeneration.

Fruits that is rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, cherries, asparagus, snow peas, cooked tomatoes,  Study proved that a semen of men with a diet of up to 1,000 mgs of vitamin C a day has less clumping than that of their deficient counterparts. This means their semen had increased motility and of course increased possibility of fertilization.

Food rich in vitamin A, including carrots, red peppers, oatmeal, dried apricots, dark green lettuce, broccoli, spinach, sweet potatoes etc. Vitamin A helps grow healthy sperm, and deficiencies in vitamin A in men are linked to lowered fertility due to sluggish sperm.

Nuts: every person should eat a hand full of nuts every day. It is your choice: nuts, almonds, walnuts, brazil nuts… take what you want. Scientists recommend eating choosing walnuts and almonds because they are both rich with arginine, an amino acid that increases sperm production and blood flow. Increased blood flow is related with stronger erections, which, though unrelated to sperm count, is correlated with higher rates of fertilization. On the other hand Brazil nuts are high in selenium that is an essential mineral for developing normal sperm and in increasing sperm motility.

Whole grains increase chromium levels, thereby increasing your sperm count; studies namely prove that low chromium levels are correlated with decreased sperm count.

Make sure to include DHA and other essential omega-3 fatty acids into your diet because they help improve blood flow to the genitals and increase sexual function. DHA and other essential omega-3 fatty acids are found in salmon, sardines, anchovies, walnuts, arugula, crab, shrimp, flax, chicken, fish oil, etc.

Not always the problem is in woman, man can also have problems so it is necessary for your partner to get checked. A rutting control with a doctor can easily show a number of sperm and also a quality of sperm (witch include sperm speed and sperm life span). If something is wrong it can be spotted and the treatment can begin instantly.

One thing that can easily be changed is your daily nutrition. Healthy body is very important for pregnancy, and you can leave your bad food habits in order to help your self in conceiving quickly. Try to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits because they will bring you a lot of vitamins and minerals necessity for your body. If you still do not have enough vitamins and minerals in your body then you can consider taking pill supplements to increase vitamins and minerals in your body. Consult with your doctor is a good thing to do because he can monitor your pill intake so you do not have too much vitamins in your system and you have to know that high amount of vitamins and minerals in body will not benefit you.

Next thing that you can do with out too much effort is to prepare your body physically. Try to make it your daily routine to exercise but you have be careful not to overload your body. Try with some simple exercises that will help you with your abdominal and back. By doing this you are not only preparing your body for pregnancy but you are also making exercises your daily routine that can be very helpful during pregnancy.

And finally the most important thing that both you and your partner can do is to regularly have sexual intercourse. You only have a short period of time for conceiving and it is important that you have unprotected sexual intercourse during this period because your next chance will be at least 28 days later. If you are not monitoring your body temperature or your monthly cycles you can not know for sure when you are ovulating. Having sex daily will increase the chances of trying to get pregnant quickly. Try to enjoy your sex life as much as you can because this also will make conceiving much easier.

Male fertility depends on sperm quality and quantity, which both can be affected by many things. Unhealthy lifestyle, such as smoking, alcohol or drug abuse, poor diet, obesity, underlying infections or generally bad health are among major factors that affect health of sperm.
Healthy sperm is usually linked with three important factors: quantity, quality and motility.

Sperm quantity or sperm count is usually taken as indicator of male fertility. Men are most likely to be fertile if they have more than 20 million sperm per milliliter of semen, which is the benchmark for ‘normal’ count according to WHO guidelines. Of the millions of sperm in the ejaculated semen, only about 200 reach the fallopian tubes and one is needed to fertilize the egg. So, the more sperm the better chances are for conceiving.

However, to be fertile is not enough just to have enough sperm. Sperm quality also plays important role in conception process, i.e. the shape and structure of sperm.  A normal sperm has an oval head with a long tail. Sperm with different shaped head, or curled or double tails are less likely to fertilize an egg. If one-third of your sperm is of normal shape and structure, you’re most likely to be fertile.

Another important factor is sperm motility, i.e. how your sperm wriggles and swims to find its way to the egg. Men are most likely to be fertile if at least half of their sperm is moving.

Having lower sperm count doesn’t necessary mean that you’re infertile and that you cannot conceive, but it could be an obstacle to successful conception. Lowers sperm count indicate that you’ll most likely need more time for conception, or require additional medical interventions, as well as interventions to your diet and lifestyle.

Good news is that sperm count can be increased and improved by implementing these small changes, in the same time increasing chances for you and your partner to get pregnant.

• It’s needless to say that you should drop smoking, alcohol or drugs. They’re directly involved with infertility in both men and women, so stopping your bad habits could increase your sperm count.
• You should consider exercise, especially if you’re slightly overweight. Physical activity is good for reproductive health as well as your overall health. But don’t overdo it, because exhaustion could cause temporary change in hormone levels and a drop in sperm quality.
• Eat healthy and watch your weight. Eat plenty of fresh food, especially fruits and vegetables, as well as food rich in zinc and vitamins. Consider taking supplements, such as multivitamins or supplements rich in selenium, zinc and folic acid to support your daily diet.
• Too much heat can affect sperm count and health, so avoid tight underwear or hot water while bathing or showering.
• Reduce stress as much as possible, although it may sound impossible. Consider stress-reducing exercise like yoga, tai chi, or meditation practice.
• Sperm count is the highest in the morning, so time your intercourse in the morning to afternoon hours.
• If you have a documented sperm count issue due to various underlying health conditions, you should consider visiting your doctor for additional information regarding your condition and potential treatments.

As been said, sperm count isn’t the only factor for male fertility, but it is important for successful conception. So don’t be desperate if your sperm count is low. It could be fixed, together with sperm quality. All you need is a little effort and patience.

One important thing with woman’s irregular period while trying to conceive is of course partners sperm quality. The better quality of sperm your partner has the bigger the chances are that you will conceive with irregular period. Many doctors say that here the amount of sperm is not the most important thing but the movement of the sperm. As we know sperm can live up to seven days once it is inside you. But with irregular period these seven days might get very short and this is why it is better if the sperm swims faster up to your egg.

There are several things that can cause irregular period. A visit to gynecologist is a good thing, because he can do tests and see what might be your problem. Once you find out what is causing your irregular period you might be able to eliminate this problem and increase a chance of getting pregnant.

Smoking, drinking alcohol, environmental toxins, low weight are just few causes of irregular period. Toxin released from smoking a cigarette can have bad affect on your ovaries and circulatory system. Alcohol is known for ovulation reduction, so it is highly advised to stop drinking alcohol. Environmental toxins have a high impact on your hormones. Also low weight has affect on your hormones, because your body will lose hormones that contribute to regular periods. The important this is to find a good diet were you will consume enough body fats, vitamins and minerals.

Generally speaking, soy is a great source of proteins and actually contains phytoestrogens, plant-derived estrogen (female reproductive hormone estrogen). Isoflavones are the type of phytoestrogen and are known to come in different forms and different effects: some might act positive and have similar effect to estrogens in the body, producing a very weak effect compared to the real hormone, others may have decreasing effect on fertility: they might function as antiestrogens and reduce the activity of estrogen.

However, there are a few studies that suggest that high levels of soy protein may decrease fertility.

In a Report in The Journal of Clinical Nutrition a small number of studies have shown that high levels of soy can:

• increase menstrual cycle length,
• decrease follicle-stimulating hormone
• decrease leutinizing hormone.

It is important to bring out that the participants in the study were drinking three 12-ounce glasses of soy milk (60 g soy protein equivalent to 45 mg of isoflavones) for a month. These are very high levels and therefore generate such results. The results cannot be applied to a ‘typical’ soy consumer who does not consume this much soy food.

Soy and sperm count

Soy reduces sperm count, it is not a myth. Several studies have demonstrated that a nutrition rich in soy food could reduce the sperm count by as much as half.

When scientists conducted such soy and fertility study, they looked at 99 men who were currently suffering from fertility problems. Those men who were on a daily basis consuming the most soy-based foods had the most significant impact on their sperm count. The leading belief behind this effect is due to the chemicals known as isoflavones that are found in soy products and mimic the estrogen hormone.

In another study, researchers compared the effect of two scoops of pure soy protein powder (56g/day) on the testosterone levels of 12 healthy young men. They were consuming the soy protein powder for 4 weeks, and the average testosterone levels of the subjects had decreased by almost 20 %. After about two weeks the men stopped taking the soy supplement, and their testosterone levels returned to normal.

An article from the journal Natural Toxins concluded that evidence from studies of different animal species has proved that eating high levels of phytoestrogens can have negative effects on fertility. But also that there is no current data to suggest that consumption of phytoestrogens at the levels normally encountered in nutrition are likely to be harmful.

If you have been wondering how to increase sperm count, it is wise not to overconsume soy products, as with any other food: eating soy in moderation allows you to avoid any potential harm, as well as leaving room in your diet for variety. The more variety in your diet, the more likely you are to get all the important nutrients that your body needs.