7 Effective Ways To Maintain A Healthy Sperm Count – Try It Out!

Fertility can pose serious challenges to your life!

From bringing in a storm of emotional balance to causing your relationship, it has historically been associated with your manliness.

Though, manliness is not just about your sperm health but does play a key role in keeping it upright.

According to surveys, almost 43,000 across the world showed a massive decline in their sperm count.

This was mainly because of the lack of knowledge and concern about their sperm health.

Further, unhealthy sperm can also make sex and pregnancy a trickier process.

Hence, taking measures to protect your sperm is not just a positive way of having a successful pregnancy, but also towards a healthy reproductive system.

But since many people don’t know much about what healthy sperm means and one could keep their sperms healthy, here we are.

Starting with what are the Signs of healthy sperm, we help you get through the basic lifestyle changes that you need for better fertility.

Importance of healthy Sperm – Defining the Health Criteria

Infertility is not just about women, almost one-third part of the problem begins because of the male factor.

Clearly, the sperm is at fault here, clearly showing how healthy sperm is important.

But it is literally impossible to find out whether your sperm is healthy or not by just looking at it.

Certain criteria decide if your sperm is healthy or not:

#1. The Sperm Count

Sperm Count is nothing but the volume of sperm that you can ejaculate.  The sperm count is usually examined by the doctor through sample analysis.

For a healthy fertility rate, males must have a sufficient amount of sperm cells.

But according to a report, a volume of 40 million sperms per ml is the best concentration for maximum fertility.

While higher concentrations might not affect the fertility rate.

#2. Mobility and speed

Another factor governing the health of your sperm is its motility towards the egg or the ovum.

According to the national infertility association, around 50% of the cells should be active.

On the off chance, if you go for a semen analysis, your motility would be rated on the scale of o to 4.

If you successfully score 2 or above it shows healthy sperm.

#3. The shape

The size and shape also determine if your sperms are healthy.

At least 50 % of your sperms should have the standard shape and size to be able to fertilize an ovum.

Considering these criteria, the WHO has set up some reference standards for the determination of healthy sperm:

Apart from these three prominent criteria, some other factors too influence the health of your sperm.

Factors Influencing Sperm Health

Acidity – for healthy sperm, your semen’s pH should always be between 7.2 to 7.8

WBC count – a higher concentration of white blood cells can reduce your sperm health. A fewer than one million white blood cells per milliliter is considered to be safe.

Fructose – your semen must have 150 milligrams per deciliter of fructose

However, all these factors can determine your health status, only through a medical examination.

But how would you even know if you actually need to consult a doctor for your semen checkup?

Well, we need a healthy visible checklist for that!

How Do You Know If Your Sperm Is Healthy – The 7 Pointer Checklist

Poor sperm health won’t show any symptoms as the diseases do!

They would only haunt you when you are planning to conceive.

Hence, it is very important to be aware of the signs that show whether you have healthy or ill-sperms.

Here in this list, we highlight the 7 facts that prove your sperm is healthy and fit.

However, if any of these facts go against your current lifestyle, you might need a medical analysis of your semen:

#1. White or Light Grey Ejaculate

According to health experts, Healthy Sperm Colour ranges from white to light grey.

The yellowish or greenish color of the semen usually points out the presence of infection.

While people also spot the reddish color of semen, which denotes a condition called hematospernia.

Hence, if your ejaculate’s color looks different from the healthy range, immediately consult a doctor.

#2. Lean mid-section

Though men love to flaunt the abs they have achieved from vigorous workouts, it’s not what your sperms like.

The lesser you carry around your waist the healthier your semen is.

According to researchers, men who have got 40”+ waist circumference, tend to have weaker sperm with lesser motility.

Hence, that extra weight needs a change in your lifestyle.

#3. You love gorging on fish!

If your partner was always cranky about you ordering fish every time you guys dine together, you have got something to tell her.

A healthy amount of omega-3-fatty acids that fishes offer you are extremely good boosters of sperm health.

Other foods that can yield the same amount of fatty acids include:

• Nuts and seeds
• Plant oils
• Moree fish (can’t deny that fish is the only amazing source of omega-3 here)

#4. No cigarettes near you!

Smoking has many bad health effects, you are already aware of that.

But did you know that your sperm health also gets affected by the tons of toxins, cigarettes hold?

As smoking damages your DNA, it can kill your sperm cells lowering the count.

However, if you are a smoker, you can try cutting it out before it’s too late.

#5. Active and Fit Lifestyle

The lazy ones just get to enjoy a comfortable chair and nothing more out of their lives.

While the active ones bag some good health with good semen too.

Though there are no standard recommendations of how many hours of activity can influence your sperm health.

But regular exercise is done advisable.

#6. You don’t use any BPA infused plastic

Plastic and sperm health, an absurd combination but there is definitely a link.

BPA is a common industrial used in many plastic goods including bottles.

The reasons why BPA-free bottles are hit with professional fitness experts are the fact that:

BPA can cause hormonal imbalance putting your sperms at risk.

If you choose to eat or drink in BPA-infused plastics, they tend to seep into your food pipe through your dish or the water you drink.

Hence, if you a habit of using BPA-free plastic or not using plastic at all, you are definitely keeping a healthy sperm rate.

#7. You say no to the processed meat

According to a study conducted on couples undergoing in-vitro fertilization treatment at the Harvard University:

The implantation rate was found to be lower among men who had a diet rich in processed meat.

Apart from this, health experts also believe that processed meat hurts your sperm health.

#8. You don’t use Anabolic steroids

Lifting weight and muscle building are dreams for many men.

But the steroids that they often use for pumping up the strength to gain those muscles stop the production of sperm.

All these factors greatly influence your sperm health and decide if you have healthy male fertility or not.

But what if the harm has already been done?

What if your sperm is unhealthy and requires a strength booster?

Well, there is nothing much to worry about in such cases, as you still can make your sperm stronger, thicker and healthier.

How To Make Sperm Healthy – Boosting Your Fertility And Masculinity!

Sometimes, it becomes too late to realize that the things you have been doing are hampering your sperm health.

However, you still can reverse those negative effects on your sperm and make it healthier.

Here are the seven efficient steps that help you boost up your sperm health:

#1. Eating Well

A healthy lifestyle and healthy eating can reverse all negative effects on your health including your sperm!

But when specifically considering sperm health there are both sperm increase food and sperm decrease food.

For example, the western diet comprising processed meat, grains, dairy, and pizza usually affects your sperm motility.

While going light on the processed meat and eating more lean meat can give a sperm boost.

Some of the popular nutrients and foods that are considered good for sperm boost include:

Vitamin B12 – found in meat, dairy, and fish, it has got enough positive effects for your body and sperm. Among some popular benefits on sperm, it protects it from damage through reducing oxidative stress.

Vitamin C – More oranges and berries in your diet can double up your sperm count within three months because of the Vitamin C.

Nuts – Nuts have got many nutritional benefits for your sexual health. According to researchers, a diet high of almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts were able to boost up sperm count by 16% among 119 men over 14 weeks.

Lycopene – Tomatoes and watermelons are found to be rich in lycopene that reduces the reactive oxygen species in your body. This helps to improve sperm count and motility.

#2. Moderate Exercises

Light exercises have the ability to shoot up your sperm count, movement as well as shape.

According to a study dating back to 2005, low activity and overweight people were found to have poor sperm quality.

On the other hand, obesity can hurt your testosterone levels too.

Exercising and managing a healthy weight boosts your sperm count within weeks.

You can try going for walks, pushups, or even doing the tough house chores.

All of these would lead to a hormonal surge boosting your sex drive and sexual health.

But do goes overboard with the exercises all of a sudden, this could cause injuries and hormonal changes causing stress.

#3. Choosing the right underwear

Though underwears are mostly about personal preferences.

But according to a study published in 2017, men who chose boxers had 17% more sperm than men who chose briefs.

However, the researchers also claimed that there were no specific factors that led to the improvement in sperm quality.

Further, they also suggested that the heat generated because of the brief might just stimulate the release of sperm-producing FSH.

Hence, it all upon you, but the evidence points towards boxers.

One reason could also be the harm that extra heating can cause to your testes.

#4. Avoiding Alcohol or Caffeine

According to a review of studies published in 2017, caffeine in soda, and soft drinks can damage your sperm’s DNA.

The study comprising of 20,000 men also concluded that more than 3 cups of caffeinated drinks like coffee, or soda also increases the chances of miscarriage.

This fact was concluded irrespective of whether the man dons the drink or the women.

However, two cups of caffeine were considered to be safe post the review.

Coming to alcohol.

A study conducted in 2014 showed that five or more units of alcohol every week can have a lowering effect on sperms.

Another review of 2017, with 16000 men under consideration also found that alcohol can influence the sperm count per ejaculate.

Hence, it’s better to drink less than 5 units of alcohol a week.

#5. Supplements

Though you can derive vitamins and minerals from foods if you actually want to boost up your sperm health, we suggest you go for supplements.

There are many natural supplements available in the market that promote sperm health.

However, choose a supplement rich in:

• Vitamin C – for sperm motility
• Vitamin D- for a boost in testosterone
• Zinc – for low T-levels
• Ashwagandha extract – for increasing sperm count

#6. Avoiding Chemicals

Many such chemicals can play with your sperm health by causing hormonal imbalance.

These chemicals might be lurking around your house or might be present in your grooming care.

Hence avoiding such chemicals is the best way to control their effect on your sperm/.

Some of the common chemicals that affect your sperm include:

Lead – commonly found in pipes, paint, soil

Acetone and Styrene – usually found in plastic products and also in beauty products

Mercury vapor – usually around the industrial aerosol

Most of these chemicals are usually found around industrial areas. But some of them can also be found among your beauty products like soaps or body washes.

Hence always check out your products for ingredients before you buy them up.

Further, replace any of the products in your house which consist of such chemicals.

#7. Avoid Testosterone Replacement Theory

Testosterone replacement theory works well for people suffering from its deficiency.

But one of its major side effects is that it completely stops your natural testosterone production.

This further affects your sexual health including your sperm count and quality.

Hence instead of this, go for natural ways to promote your declining testosterone.

Conclusion

Healthy sperm is very important for fertility and other important sexual functions of your body.

There are many ways that you can determine if your sperm has been affected by the negatives outside.

Some factors that affect your sperm could be lifestyle induced while others could be due to injury.

But whatever the cause is you must not lose hope as there are many ways you can shoot up your sperm count.

You can try to maintain a healthy routine while also some supplements if it goes out of your hands.

However, if the supplements or the changes don’t work for you, make sure you consult a doc.

As sperm health can help find the root of many diseases.