Are You Half The Man Your Father Was?
It is a well-known fact that sperm counts have dropped by half in the last 50 years, and that modern men have 20 percent less semen volume than their fathers (BMJ, 1992, volume 305).
A recent report from researchers in Aberdeen presented preliminary data that suggests the sperm concentration of the men seen in their clinic had declined by 29% over the past 14 years. (British Fertility Society; 5 January 2004)
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals from normal, everyday plastics are known to cause reproductive damage, as documented in Theo Colborn's book "Our Stolen Future."
Damage to sperm caused by exposure to common chemicals like alcohol, pesticides in food, has been linked to lowered intelligence and behavioral disorders in children.
Lifestyle risk factors known to decrease sperm quality include
> Cigarette smoking
> Alcohol consumption
> Chronic stress
> Nutritional deficiencies.
Other reasons for infertility include congenital factors, and health conditions like prostatitis and diabetes that can affect sperm production.
Pollution is stealing our future, and there's little anyone can do to avoid it. There may not be a lot you can do to reduce your exposure to persistent environmental toxins.
But there are definite measures you can take to reduce the impact of the environmental pollutants and toxins on your body.
You can prevent and, to a certain extent, repair the damage they cause to your body, through a better lifestyle and nutrition.
Some nutritional therapies and antioxidants that have proven beneficial in treating male infertility and improving sperm counts, sperm morphology and motility include:
> Carnitine
> Arginine
> Zinc
> Selenium
> Vitamin B-12
> Vitamin C
> Vitamin E
> Glutathione
> Coenzyme Q10
Studies show that anti-oxidant supplementation - glutathione in particular - can improve sperm quality, and possibly increase your chances of conceiving.
If you smoke, drink, are exposed to stress, chemicals, radiation, pesticides or take medication or drugs (like sulfasalazine, ketoconazole, azulfidine, anabolic steroids, marijuana) that affect fertility, you should consider taking an antioxidant supplement to reverse some of the damage.
Why are Antioxidants Important for Sperm Quality?
Mammalian spermatozoa are coated by a membrane rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids are extremely susceptible to oxidative damage by free radicals or Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) by a process called lipid peroxidation (LPO).
Lipid peroxidation damages the sperm cell membrane. It is considered to be the key mechanism of ROS-induced sperm damage and leads to
> Loss of sperm motility
> Abnormal sperm morphology
> Reduced capacity for oocyte penetration
> Infertility
To protect sperm from damage, the body depends on powerful antioxidant enzymes in the body such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase/reductase (GPX/GRD).
Seminal plasma and spermatozoa have several antioxidant enzymes - glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase.
Some amount of all the antioxidant enzymes, which may protect spermatozoa from oxidative attack, are also made by the epididymis during storage.
The glutathione peroxidase/reductase enzymes play a central role in the defense against oxidative damage in human sperm.
Why is Glutathione important for Sperm Quality and Fertility?
A decrease in levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) during sperm production is known to disrupt the membrane integrity of spermatozoa due to increased oxidative stress.
Intracellular glutathione levels of spermatozoa are known to be decreased in certain populations of infertile men. Compared with a control group, the infertile men in all groups had significantly higher levels of ROS and lower levels of total antioxidants.
There is strong clinical evidence to show that men diagnosed with infertility have high levels of oxidative stress that may impair the quality of their sperm.
In some groups, higher levels of ROS were associated with lower sperm counts and defective sperm structure, while lower antioxidant levels correlated with reduced sperm movement.
Previous evidence has also shown that oxidative stress can decrease a sperm's life span, its motility, and its ability to penetrate the oocyst, or egg cell.
Up to 40% of men with unexplained male infertility have higher levels of free radical activity in their bodies.
Because men with high levels of ROS have a seven-fold lower likelihood of inducing a pregnancy than men with lower levels, researchers recommend that treatment for infertile men should include strategies to reduce oxidative stress and improve sperm quality.
How can Glutathione help in the Treatment of Infertility?
Glutathione is not only vital to sperm antioxidant defenses, but selenium and glutathione are essential to the formation of "phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase" - an enzyme present in spermatids - which becomes a structural protein in the mid-piece of mature spermatozoa.
When either substance is deficient, it can lead to instability of the mid-piece of the spermatozoa, resulting in defective motility.
Free radical scavengers - such as glutathione - that restore the structure and function of poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the cell membrane, can be used to treat these cases.
In a double-blind cross-over study of twenty infertile men, treatment with glutathione led to a statistically significant improvement of the sperm quality.
The study concerned men in whom the sperm quality was poor due to unilateral varicocele or germ-free genital tract inflammation - two conditions in which ROS or other toxic compounds are indicated as causative factors.
Treatment with glutathione was also found to have a statistically significantly positive effect on sperm motility (in particular forward motility) and on sperm morphology.
The findings of these studies indicate that glutathione therapy could represent a possible therapeutical tool in cases where ROS or exposure to toxins is the probable cause of infertility.
Read the complete report with references on male infertility and glutathione
Copyright ? 2004 Priya Shah
_____________________________________________
About the author:
Priya Shah is the Editor of male infertility and glutathione, a newsletter featuring regular updates on the health benefits of glutathione. Get a male infertility and glutathione ____________________________________________
Do we really need a home water filter? Can't we... Read More
An American culture that is marked by a chronic lack... Read More
Dr. Barry Sears revolutionized nutritional thinking around the world with... Read More
When it comes to planning a healthy diet, fat is... Read More
There are numerous diets out there that guarantee that they... Read More
Toxic metals exist in our environment as pollutants in our... Read More
Nails are a protective horn at the end of our... Read More
The wonders of modern science continue to amaze us with... Read More
As a low carb dieter, your diet is undoubtedly high... Read More
The key to better health is learning the difference between... Read More
People want to get the very best they can when... Read More
Fruit calories are very healthy as compared to calories in... Read More
Archeological records indicate that man has cultivated the olive tree... Read More
Finding simple ways to reduce my waistline is always a... Read More
If you have high cholesterol, the American Heart Association's low-cholesterol,... Read More
Protein is one of the basic building blocks of the... Read More
There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More
The confusion about eating healthy and dieting will now be... Read More
Finally, a positive solution regarding America's difficult and costly campaign... Read More
It is often taken as a given fact that soy... Read More
Wow! Is it just me or? Wait! Let me start... Read More
Today, more than ever, consumers over the age of 50... Read More
1. Water. If you're thirsty you're already dehydrated. The majority... Read More
Some people say to themselves, junk food is not that... Read More
Spring in New York City is a really magical time.... Read More
shuttle from O'Hare Alexander ..DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and... Read More
Heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arterial... Read More
NutrientsFat, Sugar, Sodium and CarbohydrateThe sections on a food label... Read More
Coq10 is also known as Coenzyme Q10.This co q10 is... Read More
Your healthOrganically grown fruit and vegetables are not covered in... Read More
Because of consumer demand, the food industry focus is on... Read More
If you are like most people, you don't enjoy the... Read More
Whatever diet you choose to live by, the food you... Read More
During the past thirty years there has been a steadily... Read More
The American Heart Association recommends that you eat a variety... Read More
It would be fair to assume that almost everyone on... Read More
Can we really stop the aging process, slow it down,... Read More
You really are what you eat. You are also very... Read More
I'm always amazed at how many people seem to know... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
Nails are a protective horn at the end of our... Read More
Because I believe diet and exercise are so important, I'm... Read More
Most red and white meats are very fatty and are... Read More
The most incredible thing you can do for yourself is... Read More
Since 1994, food manufacturers have required the Food and Drug... Read More
The question most people think they need an answer to... Read More
My name is Mildred Shears. I'm retired and I live... Read More
Are you sick and tired of the confusion about our... Read More
Cranberry juice was first made by American settlers in 1683.... Read More
Beverages - and not just alcohol - are a significant... Read More
Nutrition |