Study Says This Super Food Gives Sperm Super Powers!

If you're  trying to get pregnant, make sure your hubby or partner chows down on plenty of salmon and tuna fish sandwiches.  Why?  A new study from the University of Illinois adds to a growing body of evidence that says DHA, a type of omega fatty acid found in fish, is essential for healthy baby-making sperm.

Writing in the journal The Biology of Reproduction, experts say it works  by helping to to turn round, immature sperm into a pointy-headed super swimmer with an extra long tail - and that means sperm that are much more likely to swim faster and penetrate an egg.

 "Normal sperm cells contain an arc-like structure called the acrosome that is critical in fertilization because it houses, organizes, and concentrates a variety of enzymes that sperm use to penetrate an egg," said Manabu Nakamura, a U of I associate professor of biochemical and molecular nutrition.  His study is among the first to show that an essential fatty acid known as DHA is critical for forming the acrosome - which in turn is critical for forming healthy spearm.

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"Without DHA, this vital structure doesn't form and sperm cells don't work," said Timothy Abbott, a doctoral student who co-authored the study.

In his new book Eat, Love, Get Pregnant; A Couples Guide To Boosting Fertility,  reproductive expert Dr. Lauersen recommends a variety of foods high in DHA and other essential fatty acids which he has long believed play a huge role in boosting not just the production of healthier sperm, but also healthier eggs.

" Fish is by far the greatest source of DHA and other essential fatty acids, but you can also find many other foods that are fortified with DHA, including eggs, some soy products, even certain yogurts," says Dr. Lauersen. 

Dr. Lauersen believes female fertility also gets a boost from these foods.
"It helps to build healthier, stronger eggs that are easier to fertilize and are generally healthier overall, with a reduced risk of miscarriage, " says Dr. Lauersen, who details a number of fertility problems that can be helped by essential fatty acids in Eat, Love, Get Pregnant.

In the new study doctors found that when a male is short on DHA, sperm can't fully form, so their cell structure becomes irregular.  Although DHA is found in many tissues of the body - including the brain and the retina, in men it has it's greatest concentration in the testicles.

Dr. Lauersen adds that many lifestyle factors can deplete our DHA reserves, including stress as well as exposure to pesticides and other environmental chemicals.  Morever, while DHA is considered an essential fatty acid, the body can't manufacture it on it's own - you have to get it from food or supplements.

Dr. Lauersen says that while whole foods remain the best source of essential fatty acids,  natural fish oil supplements can help insure that DHA levels remain high. 

For more information on a variety of foods and natural supplements that have been scientifically shown to boost both male and female fertility,  pick up a copy of Eat, Love, Get Pregnant  or  Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets to Making Babies.

For more information on the new study click here.


This story originally appeared on Examiner.com - National Edition

 Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2012 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

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Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2012 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The authors of this blog may or may not benefit from the products or services advertised or reported on.

"Not Yet Ready For Prime Time" Sperm

Research sheds new light on why some men have fertility problems - and what can be done to turn things around!

By Colette Bouchez

While a great deal of the difficulty in getting pregnant is frequently focused on women, it’s important to remember that up to 50% of all fertility problems are male related.

Now, two new studies offer important pieces in the male fertility puzzle, helping to sort out the reason why some couples may be having problems conceiving. Moreover, both new studies point to a defect in a protein involved in helping sperm to mature and grow as the key culprit.

“Our study shows for the first time to our knowledge that [this protein]…. is associated with a strong impact on fertility outcome,” says lead study author Dr. Jessica Escoffier of the Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, one of two locations where the independent research was conducted.

Indeed, one of the major causes of male infertility is related to sperm which fail to fully develop. When this occurs, two possible problems result. The first is a decrease in sperm motility – meaning that the “little guys” either can’t swim quickly enough to reach the egg in time, or that they lose their direction when they try to swim.

But even if his sperm does successfully reach it’s destination, without proper maturation, entry into the shell of the egg is not possible - and that means fertilization will not take place.

While there have been many theories as to what can keep both these problems from occurring, today two new studies have independently shown that a defect in proteins crucial for sperm development may be at the root of the problem.

In the one study, conducted at The Toyko Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, a group of Japanese researchers zeroed in on a protein which is expressed in the area of the testes where sperm is made . Test subjects who were lacking in this protein ejaculated sperm that were considered “immature” – or not yet ready to fertilize an egg. Both motility and the ability to penetrate the egg appeared to be impacted.

In the study, conducted at the Grenoble Institute of Neurosicence in France, Escoffier and her colleagues found that this same protein played an essential role in the health of the “acrosome” - a portion of the head of each sperm that produces enzymes which help break down an egg’s shell , allowing entry and subsequently, fertilization to occur. In subjects who were lacking this protein, sperm were not able to fertilize an egg in the test tube – the process known as IVF.

Although the research was done in mice and not humans, researchers say they are confidant that the results are applicable and may represent a whole new target for both male fertility medications which target and excite this protein, as well as male contraceptives which help dampen the activity of the protein.

Both studies were published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

In the meantime, remember that many advances in the treatment of male fertility can help nearly all men to father a child. In the procedure known as ICSI, for example, individual sperm are extracted from a man's testicles and placed directly into the egg, thereby reducing a great many of the obstacles to conception.

Also remember that many men can dramatically improve the health of their sperm via simple changes in diet and lifestyle. Good nutrition, along with avoiding certain foods, can be the deciding factor that helps some men go from infertile to fertile without any medical treatments.
To learn more about the foods that can help male fertility click here.

Or visit www.GettingPregnantNow.org to learn more about the latest natural and medical treatments for helping you get pregnant fast!


Copyright by ElleMedia/ Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.