Getting Pregnant Naturally_ Healthy Choi - Winifred Conkling [12]
The oil from the seeds of the evening primrose plant contains gamma-linolenic acid, an oil much like the essential fatty acid omega-6. A deficiency in the essential fatty acids can contribute to infertility by causing a thickening of the cervical mucus and the formation of mucus hostile to sperm. Evening primrose oil—as well as fish oils—contains fatty acids that can help reverse infertility caused by a mucus problem.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF COPPER
Shellfish
Organ meats: liver, kidney
Fish
Nuts
Legumes
Mushrooms
Molasses and honey
Wheat germ and whole-grain cereals
The gamma-linolenic acid found in evening primrose oil is also a precursor to the formation of certain prostaglandins, which help reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure, maintain salt-water balance, and support the immune system. While side effects from evening primrose oil are quite rare, you can avoid nausea by taking the supplements with food.
GOOD SOURCES OF EVENING PRIMROSE OIL
Evening primrose oil is commercially available as a nutrition supplement. Look for a product that contains 35 to 40 milligrams of GLA—gammalinolenic acid—per 500 milligram capsule.
HIS
Take Up to 4 Grams of Arginine Daily
Arginine is considered a “nonessential” amino acid, but it may be essential to the formation of healthy sperm. This makes sense when you consider that arginine is required for the replication of cells, including the formation of sperm cells.
Studies have shown that taking 4 grams of powdered arginine dissolved in water can significantly boost sperm counts and sperm motility in some men, especially those with only moderately depressed sperm counts. One study of 178 men found significant improvement in sperm count and sperm motility in almost three out of four men included in the study who took 4 grams of arginine a day.
It may take several months for results, so try to be patient. You should take amino acids on an empty stomach for optimal absorption. They can be purchased as capsules, tablets, and powders, either alone, as protein mixtures, or in multivitamin formulas.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF ARGININE
Animal protein
Brown rice
Eggs
Milk
Yeast
Avoid Consuming Any Cottonseed Oil
While you may not think of foods as contraceptives, cottonseed oil is a rich source of gossypol, an anti-fertility agent that has been examined as a possible active ingredient for a “male birth control pill.” Studies have actually shown that men who use crude cottonseed oil in cooking have low sperm counts and testicular problems. Read your food labels carefully and avoid any product containing cottonseed oil. It is most commonly used in fried foods. (Of course, you cannot rely on cottonseed oil to prevent pregnancy when you want to use a contraceptive, but you should by all means avoid it when you’re trying to get pregnant.)
Take Up to 500 Milligrams of L-carnitine Daily
L-carnitine is a vitaminlike compound that stimulates energy-producing mitochondria in the cells to break down long-chain fatty acids. L-carnitine levels run quite high in the epididymis (the tube in the scrotum where the sperm are formed) and in the sperm themselves. L-carnitine levels in the body have a direct relationship to sperm vitality: the higher the L-carnitine concentration, the more motile the sperm. L-carnitine is found in the diet and can also be produced by the body, mainly in the liver and kidneys.
Taking a L-carnitine supplement can help boost fertility. Look for a product labeled L-carnitine, rather than D-carnitine or DL-carnitine. (The L-carnitine is in a molecular form that is more easily used by the body; in some people, the D-form actually creates an L-carnitine deficiency.) Supplemental Carnitine is not recommended for diabetics or people with liver or kidney disease.
GOOD FOOD SOURCES OF CARNITINE
Red meats
Fish
Poultry
Milk and dairy products
Whole wheat
Avocados
Take Up to 200 Micrograms of Selenium Daily
Fertile men need selenium; it is necessary for healthy sperm production and for