The Nuts and Bolts of Men’s Fertility Health

Now gentlemen, when I look down my body nothing stands up to grab my attention, but that isn’t to say I don’t have information and simple advice for the maintenance and care of your crown jewels.

I’m lucky enough to work with men that don’t shy away from men’s health matters. I even have clients who are drawn to my services so they can encourage their partners to participate, and that is just so pleasant to experience

So let’s work through what you can see, what you can experience as symptoms and signs and also how you can use lifestyle factors to attain and maintain optimal health.

Testicles

The testicles are organs suspended in a pouch-like skin sac — the scrotum — below the penis. By looking at the scrotum, both the right and left testicle should be approximately equal in size. An asymmetric enlargement, especially if sudden, suggests an underlying pathologic condition on one side. Similarly, the skin color on both sides of the scrotum should be identical. Any change in color, especially redness or darkening, also suggests a problem. Finally, testicles are normally not painful and any pain or discomfort should alert the individual to seek medical attention, even if there is no swelling or skin color change.

Fertility can also be maintained with only one functioning testes. Similar to women having one functioning ovary. Where our gonads are concerned, they are so precious for procreation we are given two (one as a back up). If you are even injured in the genital area please go and get yourself checked out – Doctors orders!

So it’s imperative that you protect your testes when playing contact sports, don’t subject yourself to too many hot spas or wear extra tight underwear. The reason the testes descend away from the body is that sperm requires 2 degrees cooler than our body temp to mature. It takes 72-90 days to produce mature sperm, and your body produces it 24/7.

Other ailments to be aware of is a bacterial infection called epididymitis, testicular torsion whereby the spermatic cord becomes twisted cutting off blood supply and varicocele which is when veins in the scrotum swell. So the golden rule of thumb is “when in doubt, check it out”. Changes in testicle sizes, skin discolouration are some visual cues. Below is an illustration on normal and abnormal sperm.

Morphology-Normal and Abnormal Forms

Prostate

You can’t see it but you know it has an important role to play in your reproductive health. Luckily awareness has increased due to the presence of prostate cancer and men are more open to having regular check ups with their health professional, with curable results if detected early enough.

The prostate gland itself produces the fluid that carries sperm and is located around the base of the bladder. This is often why the urge to urinate more frequently, yet with only a weak stream (particularly at night), presents itself when there are problems in this area. Besides cancer, the other main problems that can occur include prostate enlargement and prostatic inflammation (or prostatitis). Be aware of symptoms including: painful urination, painful ejaculation, pain in the lower abdomen or in the penis shaft, fever.

Nutrition for healthy sperm production

Supplements like Menevit has shown to assist in improving male health in preparation for fertility. Others include:

Arginine, L-Arginine — studies indicate that this amino acid may improve sperm motility

Vitamin B12 is essential for enzyme production and keeping the central nervous system healthy. Vitamin B stores can last up to one year. Keep on top of it by fuelling your body with sardines, liver, kidneys, rabbit, beef, high fat fish, eggs and mussels.

Zinc is an essential nutrient for proper sperm production. This mineral is found in great amounts in the outer layer of sperm and plays an important role in the production of the hormone testosterone. A deficiency may result in lowered testosterone levels… The usual recommended dosage of zinc is about 15 to 30 mg daily, coupled with 1 mg of copper for balance. Too much zinc can be toxic. Do not exceed a dose of 15 to 30 mg daily. Foods include Oysters, shellfish, brewer’s yeast, wheat germ, wheat bran nuts and salads

Decrease acidic foods in your diet. Avoid too much animal products, white rice, corn, tomatoes, oranges

Increase alkaline foods which is predominantly fruit and vegetables as a general rule of thumb.

Anti-Oxidants are necessary for good sperm health, so eat anti-oxidant rich foods

Fruits– Berries (Cherry, blackberry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, bilberry/wild blueberry, black currant), pomegranate, grape, orange, plum, pineapple, kiwi fruit, grapefruit.
Vegetables – Kale, chili pepper, red cabbage, peppers, parsley, artichoke, Brussels sprouts, spinach, lemon, ginger, red beets.
Dry Fruits high in antioxidants– Apricots, prunes, dates.
Legumes – Broad beans, pinto beans, soybeans.
Nuts and seeds – Pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, ground nut or peanuts, sunflower seeds. Peanuts contain high concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols, roasting boosts its overall antioxidant content by as much as 22 per cent. Roasted peanuts are far richer in antioxidants than apples, beets and carrots and comparable to the antioxidant content of strawberries and blackberries.
Cereals – Barley, millet, oats, corn.
Spices – Cloves, cinnamon, oregano

‘Manopause’

Although not as pronounced, men can also experience a drop in testosterone levels at a similar point in their lives and this can lead to fatigue, mood changes, loss of libido and muscle strength. It’s not as dramatic and final as it is in a woman’s body where the end of their reproductive years is marked by a prominent full stop of their menstrual cycle.

If you are concerned about any of the symptoms you are experiencing a simple blood test can detect if your testosterone levels are too low.

So beautiful men, you are lucky that you touch your penis’ numerous times a day so you are more aware of changes externally. A mirror check of your testes is also recommended. And check in with your internal self for any symptoms mentioned above that may require you to stand to attention.

Yours in health and wellbeing,