Nine Ways to Enhance Your Reproductive Health

Tips for Men on Improving Fertility

Stop smoking. Smoking is linked to low sperm counts and sluggish motility. Recent findings suggest a 64% increase in miscarriage when both partners smoke or when just the man smokes.

Give up marijuana. Long-term use of marijuana in men results in a low sperm count and sperm that exhibit abnormal patterns of development.

Stay off the sauce. Chronic alcohol abuse damages the intricate plumbing of the male reproductive system, reducing a man's ability to produce normally formed sperm cells.

Ease up on intense exercise. Men who exercise excessively may be reducing their sperm count due to the heat that builds up around the testicles during strenuous exercise.

Up your C. Low vitamin C levels may cause sperm to clump together, rendering as many as 16% of all men infertile.

Stay clear of environmental poisons and hazards. These include pesticides/insecticides, organic solvents, lead, ionizing radiation, heavy metals, and toxic chemicals.

Check your nutrition. If you're malnourished or not getting enough of the right foods and nutrients, your sperm count could suffer.

Keep your scrotum cool. Watch out for excessive heat in the scrotal area. Wear loose fitting underwear (not tight jockey shorts), and avoid tight fitting jogging pants. Avoid hot tubs, hot baths, saunas, or hot work environments.

Abstain, but not too long. Brief periods of sexual restraint (three to six days) seem to increase both the volume and potency of semen. Prolonged abstinence, on the other hand, will result in a higher volume of older sperm, which exhibit decreased motility.