Imagine the baby we hope you’ll someday hold in your arms and call son or daughter. Now imagine feeding that baby a Big Mac, a Twix bar, or greasy French fries. Horrible thought, isn’t it? So why would you feed yourself that way? Why would you feed your sperm that way?

 

Feed junk into a system, and the system produces junk. Your body is no different. Bad fuel creates bad sperm. In our supplementation routine, we explained the power of antioxidants. These should increase your power to fight the damage caused by free radicals. Your diet is another way to do that. Decades of scientific research have found that men with a diet higher in antioxidants are more likely to produce sperm with the correct number of chromosomes. They also tend to have improved semen parameters such as sperm count and motility.

 

Small changes can make big differences. One study found that men with higher fruit and cereal intake had better sperm quality. This is likely due to the high levels in those foods of the antioxidant folate (Vitamin B⁹). Your partner may also be concerned with getting adequate folate in her diet, as it’s a standard recommendation for women to reduce the risk of birth defects. But it’s critical for men too. Folate plays a big role in protecting sperm DNA, and in one study men with higher folate intake were less likely to produce sperm with the chromosomal error that causes Down syndrome. Another study showed that folate, combined with other antioxidants, may even prevent or reverse the increase in sperm DNA damage associated with aging. Men with a diet high in antioxidants had sperm DNA quality similar to that of younger men.

 

But if you’re already taking your supplements, shouldn’t they take care of those pesky free radicals? Supplements are a great start, but a nutritious diet is important because the specific antioxidants found in supplements are just a small percentage of the vast array of antioxidants found naturally in food. For example, anthocyanins, which give berries their dark purple color, and beta carotene, found in sweet potatoes and carrots, are unlikely to be found in any multivitamin you’ve decided to take. There are many such examples, and research shows that your best approach is to eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, with a particular focus on the most brightly colored varieties, which are typically higher in antioxidants.

 

Obviously, there are also foods you shouldn’t be eating. These tend to contain chemicals or compounds that cause oxidative damage in the body. We’ll go into some of those foods below, but in general, a healthy diet results from following a few basic rules.

 

The Four Basic Rules of Healthy Eating

 

1.      Eat real, unpackaged foods you cook yourself. Processed foods are notoriously harmful, and whatever harms the body harms your “sperm factory”. In addition, plastic-wrapped foods often carry Bisphenol A (BPA) and other chemicals that can mimic estrogen and disrupt hormones essential for sperm production. Finally, microwaving food in plastics or Tupperware can transfer microplastics or other harmful chemicals into the food, then into your body. These have been clearly shown to harm fertility.

 

2.      Choose organic whenever possible. Research consistently demonstrates that exposure to pesticides can lead to a decline in sperm quality and a reduction in sperm counts.

 

3.      Skip dessert. In case you hadn’t heard…sugar is really bad for you. Among other negative effects, it can lead to insulin resistance and hormonal imbalances, which negatively impact sperm production. See if you can skip dessert for the next 3 months. Too tough? Then allow yourself a weekly sweet “cheat”, and make sure it doesn’t come from a package.

 

4.      Don’t drink anything that comes in a bottle or a can. See number 3. Even seemingly healthy canned or bottled drinks like juices or specialty waters contain added sugars or chemical sugar substitutes, not to mention other additives, preservatives, etc. Stick with water and unsweetened coffee or tea (note, however, that high caffeine intake has been linked to decreased sperm count and poor sperm DNA integrity, so keep it to 2 cups a day if you can). And if you need that morning glass of orange juice, squeeze it from an organic orange yourself.

 

Giving you months of fertility-friendly recipes is beyond the scope of this overview, but what we can do is give you a solid list of the ingredients you should be looking for, and a list of the ones you should be avoiding. You can find those in the two charts below. The first lists “Food for Fertility”. You’ll recognize many of the vitamins we covered in our post on supplements. Search for recipes containing lots of those. The second lists “Food for Infertility”. Get those ingredients out of the house.

 

FOODS FOR FERTILITY 

 

Food	Examples	Why It Helps
Asparagus		High in folate, supporting DNA synthesis and reducing chromosomal abnormalities
Avocados		High in vitamin E for sperm motility and healthy fats for hormone production
Bananas		High in magnesium, which supports testosterone production and protects against oxidative stress
Bell Peppers		High in Vitamin C
Berries	Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries	Full of antioxidants, protecting sperm DNA integrity
Broccoli		High in Vitamin C
Cereals (grains without added sugar)		High in folate
Citrus Fruits	Oranges, grapefruits, lemons	High in Vitamin C
Dark Chocolate		Contains L-arginine, increasing sperm count, as well as other antioxidants
Eggs		Provide protein, zinc, selenium for sperm health and testosterone production
Fatty Fish	Salmon, mackerel, sardines	Rich in omega-3s, improving sperm morphology, motility, and count
Garlic		Contains selenium and vitamin B⁶, boosting sperm production and blood flow
Leafy Greens	Spinach, kale, arugula, Swiss chard	High in folate
Lentils		High in folate
Nuts and Seeds	Walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, chia seeds	Contain antioxidants (Vitamin E), arginine and Omega-3s for sperm count and motility
Olive Oil		High in Vitamin E
Oysters		High in Zinc, which is essential for sperm production and testosterone levels
Pomegranates		Antioxidant-rich, which protects sperm DNA from oxidative stress
Pumpkin Seeds		Provide zinc, magnesium, and omega-3s for sperm quality and testosterone
Whole Grains	Quinoa, brown rice, oats	High in Zinc

 

 

FOODS FOR INFERTILITY

 

Food	Examples	Why It Hurts
Processed Meats	Sausages, bacon, deli meats	High in saturated fats and preservatives, which reduces sperm count and motility, and may contain hormone-disrupting chemicals
Trans Fats	Fried foods, margarine, packaged snacks	Linked to reduced sperm count and poor sperm morphology
Soy Products	Soy milk, tofu, edamame	Contain phytoestrogens, which can interfere with testosterone and reduce sperm production
High-Mercury Fish	Tuna, swordfish, shark	Mercury is toxic to sperm and can damage sperm DNA
High-Fat Dairy	Whole milk, cheese, butter	May contain traces of estrogen, lowering testosterone and impairing sperm production
Artificial Sweeteners	Aspartame, sucralose	Some studies suggest they may negatively affect sperm motility and quality
Fried Foods	French fries, fried chicken	High-temperature frying creates harmful compounds that cause oxidative stress and sperm damage
Excessive Red Meat		Linked to increased inflammation, which harms sperm health

 

 

Start today by choosing fertility foods and avoiding infertility foods. Although the lists above are not comprehensive, they should give you some general guidelines. In general, eat organic and unpackaged, cook for yourself, avoid sweets and anything that comes in a bottle or a can, and you’ll be doing yourself a favor.

 

It’s not that complicated. Make these changes to your diet for 3 months, and you’ll likely see positive effects on your fertility. Worst-case scenario, you’ll be healthier than you are today.