A Simple Lifestyle Change to Increase Sperm Count

Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Improve Sperm Count

It just doesn’t happen when you are trying to conceive! You are reminded of the various do’s and don’ts and finally end up doing nothing. Couples nowadays are already stressed enough while trying for a baby and they don’t need anything more to stress them out.
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Fertility Factor
Increasing number of couples nowadays suffer from infertility issues and almost 50% problems are due to the male population. Experts feel that low sperm count is the primary cause for most of the fertility issues. Blame it on lifestyle, nutrition, diet or other factors but the statistics remain the same and maybe, can only become worse. IVF, IUI or other assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are not the solution for this. These techniques are definitely appreciable and there are no second thoughts on it, but we are also obliged to fulfill whatever is possible from our end to enable natural fertility. Conceive naturally with the help of health, exercise and food tips from the website www.firsteatright.com.
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A new study by a team of researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health shows that men who more frequently wore boxers had higher sperm concentrations and total sperm counts compared to men who did not wear boxers in the sense that, certain types of men’s underwear may inhibit production of sperms. The beauty of this study is that, it does not request you to exercise differently, eat certain types of foods or eat less. All that it asks you to do is to change the type of underwear you use when trying to become pregnant. It’s been well-known through a list of previous studies that elevated scrotum temperatures can affect testicular function but there have not been much idea or studies on how different styles of underwear may affect sperm production.

Boxers or Briefs?
The large study involved 656 men aged between 32 and 39 years who were seeking treatment at a fertility center. The research team collected semen samples and requested them to complete a survey that included questions about the style of underwear they wore in the previous three months. Some of the options available in the list include boxers, bikini, jockeys and briefs. Results proved that:

1. Among the participants, 53% men reported wearing boxers and analyses of semen samples showed that these men had 25% higher sperm concentration and 17% higher total sperm counts compared to those men who did not wear boxers. Men who wore boxers also held an advantageous edge when it came to sperm motility-they had higher percent of sperm motility and also an increased quantity of sperms that are capable of moving through the female reproductive system and fertilizing an egg. There was remarkable difference in sperm concentration visible between men who wore boxers and those who wore jockeys and briefs.
2. Blood samples collected from 304 study participants showed that men who wore boxers had 14% lower levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) compared to those who did not wear boxers. FSH is associated very much with sperm production and male fertility.
3. Also, men with lower sperm counts had higher FSH values as visible in the case of men who wore tight-fitting underwear. Researchers felt this to be some kind of a compensatory mechanism where decreased sperm production due to tighter underwear is compensated by increased hormone production that stimulate the gonads to increase sperm production with the help of signals from the brain.
4. Even when average sperm count was low in men with tight-fitting underwear, surprisingly, this value was well within healthy levels.

The variation in underwear does not make a significant difference in most men who have normal sperm count and choosing boxers over other options might only benefit those men who have relatively low sperm count.
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Still, there are certain other researchers who feel that differentiating semen quality or production based on boxers or briefs will only add even more stress on the couples involves and in reality, there is not much difference between any of these which can greatly affect sperm quality. These researchers even feel that wearing tight-fitting jeans on top of loose boxers is again going to ruin any benefit derived from loose boxers. People are not going to roam around with their underwear but would be wearing some garment on top of it definitely.
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Boils Down to Temperature Difference
If you look at the science behind all this, it all comes down to temperature differences. The spermatogenesis process is affected badly due to increasing temperature and this remains as a vital reason for the scrotum and testes to remain outside the abdomen. By remaining outside the body, the testicles are equipped to produce the best-quality sperms. Ideally, testicles need to remain cooler than the rest of the body and the ideal temperature for sperm production is almost 34.5˚C and this is slightly below the body temperature which is around 37 ˚C.

By putting on a pair of briefs, you are disrupting the cooling effect and affecting sperm production. Wearing tighter underwear can increase testicle temperature by up to 1˚C.

There is nothing wrong from switching from tight to loose-fitting underwear as it might only help men who are on the lower side of sperm production. It takes almost three months for a whole set of sperms to change and it is ideal that you plan in advance while trying to conceive. It is high time that we come to terms with the fact that infertility is not just a woman’s problem but can equally be a man’s problem as well as reproduction involves both a man and a woman isn’t it?