- Make It Yourself Lavender Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs!
- 20 Things You Never Knew About “Down There”
- 12 Best Foods For Those Suffering From Arthritis Pain
- 12 Personal Hygiene Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes (Mom Never Told You About #4!)
- 15 Medicinal Plants And Herbs From The Cherokee People
- 12 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
- 12 Outstanding Winter Foods That Won’t Fatten You Up Like A Christmas Turkey
A Lack of This One Mineral Can Cause Male Infertility
Photo credit: bigstock
Research shows that zinc supplements can vastly improve male sexual function and health. In one study that lasted only two months, men with low testosterone levels took 60mg of zinc each day for 45 to 50 days. All had greatly improved sperm counts (from 8 million to 20 million) and increased their levels of testosterone. Of the 22 married men in this study, 9 of their wives conceived during this short research period. Research also shows that taking zinc supplements even helped prevent prostate related health issues such as enlargement of the prostate gland.
While zinc supplements can be perfectly safe at less than 150mg per day, take care that you don’t take too much as these can sometimes lead to other nutritional imbalances in the body. Taking too much zinc can reduce copper levels in the body, which can lead to anemia. Read more about vitamins and minerals.
To be safe, get your zinc naturally from the foods you eat. Try eating more Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, fish, liver, eggs, seafood, hazel nuts, lima beans, pecans and potatoes, all of which are high in zinc. Oysters, especially, are very high in zinc.
If you and your partner are having trouble conceiving, you might also want to take either vitamin C supplements or eat more foods high in this vitamin as it prevents sperm from clumping together. Aim for 2,000 to 6,000mg of vitamin C daily.
Also, if you smoke, quit. Smoking damages sperm quality as well as quantity.
Sources:
Balch, Phyllis A., CNC. Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements. 5th ed. New York, NY: Avery, 2010. Print.
Haas, Elson M., MD, and Levin, Buck, PhD, RD. Staying Healthy With Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine. New York, NY: Celestial Arts, 2006. Print.
Murray, Michael T., ND. Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements: The Essential Guide for Improving Your Health Naturally. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press, 1996. Print.
