Veggie/vegan sperm count : Hi everyone... - Fertility Network UK

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Veggie/vegan sperm count

mythyroidlife profile image
14 Replies

Hi everyone.

Around 4 months ago I had a sperm test done (private, I was convinced I was the reason why my wife wasn’t getting pregnant) turns out it was pretty bad. I had low mortality and it would be hard for us to fall pregnant naturally. At this time I was a big meat eater.

About a month ago I went veggie and I am on my way to being vegan.

My question is has anyone had a partner who had bad sperm and has turned it around by not eating meat or dairy products.

We are starting are ivf soon and I want to be in the best condition I can ( I only have one shot on the nhs)

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14 Replies
Sayusayme profile image
Sayusayme

Hi dear

Sperm mortality does not depend on whether you are veg or non veg but yes a balance diet is very important for our body to function at the maximum and exercises.

Avoid alcohol ,smoking , caffeine,tea etc.

In the end after taking all these precaution we must leave it to universe because there are things which is not in our control but as a human we can only do what is required

I wish you all the best for ivf and may God bless you miracles ...god bless

mythyroidlife profile image
mythyroidlife in reply toSayusayme

Hi Sayusayme thank you for your reply and kind wishes.

Unfortunately there isn’t loads of information on low male mortality. But I do believe that it is something I can change and make better with time.

LunaLovegood11 profile image
LunaLovegood11

Hi there, just make sure you’re getting enough nutrients and vitamins.

A lot of people recommend the Mediterranean diet for men.

To be honest a lot of the focus is on the women rather than the men in the IVF process, I think because they can work around most male factor issues with ICSI etc. But still there should be more focus on the men.

There are a number of fertility nutritionists around, could be worth getting an appointment with one especially if you are about to change your diet and have questions.

HPLondon profile image
HPLondon

Worth reading ‘it starts with the egg’ - it includes advice for men re supplements in there if you can’t get to a nutritionist. Good luck!

CLou21 profile image
CLou21

Hi there, sorry to hear this! A friend of mine switched to a veggie diet, both he and his wife. They feel much better in themselves physically but mostly mentally, which I think is sooooo important!

Theres so much conflicting opinions and “research” so go with what works for you 💗✨

Kat9lives profile image
Kat9lives

My husband had poor quality sperm but was advised to stop taking protein powder as it can affect it. 3 months later his sperm quality was good!! Apparently protein powder can be made in the same factories as steroidal powders. Hope this helps. Good luck x

IVFGirlLondon profile image
IVFGirlLondon

My husband is veggie and I try to cook without dairy (but he does eat it) and he has very good sperm. High count, mortality etc I’m convinced there’s a link but I have no evidence! I think we tie ourselves up in knots sometimes with diet and supplements etc (they’ve had zero effect on my low ovarian reserve) but it might be worth cutting down on meat.

crisps88 profile image
crisps88

Hey, sorry to hear about your news. In female equivalent I had a similar story and my situation not too dissimilar. There is a lot more help and advice though for females I think so must be hard for you.

I had an egg quality and quantity issue , which made it near impossible to become naturally pregnant (we had been twice both 7 years ago but resulting in no success).

First ivf cycle was appalling and a near on failure due to finding out I had possibly empty follicle syndrome therefore to use donor eggs. Second and last cycle I took over 16 supplements a day including specifically recommended steroids. It completely turned around and 3 in freezer and one is 4 months old in my tummy.

My point is, throughout both cycles I had a bad diet and higher than desirable alcohol intake. But the cycles were completely opposite and through no changing of my diet not lifestyle. I was healthier and did acupuncture on my first cycle, not successful second.

I don’t honestly think it makes a massive amount of difference but I think intrinsically it makes you feel that because you’re powerless this is one thing you can control and possibly try and make better. Medical help and ivf/Isci 99% of time trumps all dietary restrictions, so have faith in your cycle.

It’s so hard because there’s a lot of pressure especially if it’s just one cycle on nhs - try to enjoy life with your wife and be happy with each other, I relaxed more the second cycle knowing i might need donor eggs because there was no point in me being as miserable. It’s life consuming and overwhelming and the only people you have are each other. Good luck xxx

Daisy08 profile image
Daisy08

Hi my husband had the same problem. He did not give up meat but cut down on dairy and red meat and stopped drinking alcohol for 3 months. Our consultant advised that cutting out alcohol was the best thing he could do even though he is a moderate drinker. He followed a balanced diet lots of complex carbs and veg, he also took vitamin supplements. When we did the egg collection his count and motility came back completely normal which surprised us both. Making healthier choices certainly won't hurt your chances. I know my husband felt a little helpless as most of the IVF stuff is taken on by the woman so doing something proactive himself helped. Wishing you the very best of luck.

purplerain2000 profile image
purplerain2000

Hi there, okay my husband was in the exact same boat as you and turned his sperm count around by reducing his chocolate and coffee intake. He stopped smoking and went to the gym 2 x week. He started on 1g of vitamin C and a wellman multi vitamin. Within 6 months his sperm count was above average, seriously your lifestyle and diet have a massive impact on your sperm however you can turn this around with some hard work and commitment. Good luck with this and I wish you well.

Start taking wellman and impryl for male fertility and reproduction you can buy wellman on amazon or tescos and impryl online my partner had a vasectomy reversal. I advised him to take it before his operation in May, he had a sperm test done in August and his results were positive I can't say if this helped but the consultant was surprised with his results and advised to take wellman we said he was on it already. I hope this helps

Purpledazzle27 profile image
Purpledazzle27

Hi, my husband had poor motility when he was first tested but he lost weight and I made him take wellman fertility and really think they helped massively as his sperm count and motility increased so much that we were able to do standard IVF instead of ICSI which they were considering. Our reason for IVF was I have tubal damage. All the best :)

Peppergirl profile image
Peppergirl

Hey, my husband had low to normal range and the doc he went to wasn't great so we weren't sure about the motility. I started him on a good Multivitamin and he went out and bought other multis like L-arganine and folic acid. He also found a prostate support supplement which he read could be useful. Well, all of that must have worked because his numbers were well above average by the time we did our retrieval for IVF.

Lifestyle also impacts it so moving around and keeping the area cool is recommended as heat can kill sperm. No bikes because of the friction and heat. Also weight can be a factor so get to your good BMI if you want to say you did everything possible. I myself did all those things as well and included Ubiquinol + Fish Oi to my supplements.

It all seems a bit much but it's only for that time before IVF and during. After you get your baby, you can begin to taper off, unless to want another one! But either way, it's important to enjoy eachother's company and LAUGH. That's the only way we got through it.

My partner was the same. He stopped smoking and the difference was very apparent after just a few months, you could see the difference in the sperm after ejaculation. Diet and exercise are supposed to help also. Good luck

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