Should men with poor semen quality, or any TTC man, take vitamin supplements, in particular vitamins designed to “support” fertility? The rationale behind this is that most men with low fertility have very low levels of antioxidants in there semen. Antioxidants (like Vitamins C & E, as well as others) protect cells from damage. Sperm from men with low antioxidants in their semen can have a breakdown of the DNA, or genetic material in the sperm, and it may be a reason for some infertility. So taking vitamins, especially those blended to support antioxidants in semen should be a straightforward approach.
However, the study outcomes in this area are confusing. This has led some doctors to recommending people to not take vitamins. This is throwing the baby out with the bath water—for sure! To summarize, fertility studies can be hard to do because there are so many reasons for couples to not conceive. It is kind of like asking “what is the best cure for cancer?”, without knowing what kind, how long etc… you simply can not answer this. In addition, antioxidants are tricky, more is not better. You can OVER supplement and this can CAUSE sperm damage.
In spite of the difficulties in getting a study that says – “ a man with this kind of sperm defect needs to take this kind of vitamin”, in general, TTC people should take a supplement. This is because nutrients have declined in many plant crops over the last 50 years (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041203100522.htm), this is likely even more true for trace minerals that are critical for normal reproduction that weren’t measured 50 years ago (Zinc…). As a former veterinarian, I always thought it was interesting that we feed our animals less processed grains than we eat (corn, soybean etc…), but all the feeds add trace minerals and vitamins, to optimize the animals function, including reproduction.
Taking a vitamin blended for TTC folks, is a good place to start getting some of the nutrients associated with improved sperm count, without going over board and causing damage. There are several products out there (FertilAid for Men, Fertility Blend etc…). However, I did want to share with you all a study that our Company did on sperm quality in men after taking FertilAid, versus a placebo. The study was done under contract with the manufacturer, Fairhaven Health, but our company retained the rights to disclose the data no matter the outcomes, meaning we had no incentive to find a favorable outcome.
This 90-day, double blind, placebo-controlled study found that FertilAid for Men supported an increase in the total number of normal motile sperm, in the ejaculate. Most of the men that had increased sperm counts while taking FertilAid for Men, showed improvements of 20% or more in the number of healthy sperm. Previous clinical studies have suggested a relationship between the “total normal-motile sperm count” in an ejaculate and the fertility of the man. Specifically, the greater the number of normally shaped sperm that are able to swim (motile), the higher the incidence of pregnancy among trying-to-conceive couples.
There aren’t many simple things to do to help men with poor sperm quality. Taking a vitamin/antioxidant supplement for at least 90 days, to see if sperm counts and function can be improved… Why not!!! We have put a manufacturer’s mail-in rebate for FertilAid in our Pre~Seed cartons to help remind people to take their vitamins 
Let me know how they work for you.
You can learn more about this product at Fairhaven Health (http://www.fairhavenhealth.com), a leading manufacturer of fertility products for both women and men.
Take Care-
Dr. E
