Male Fertility Specialists

 

Dr. Denise Wiesner, DACM, L. Ac.

 

male-fertilityAt Natural Healing & Acupuncture our male fertility specialists cater to those in the West LA and Santa Monica areas who may have issues that contribute to infertility, such as hormonal imbalances, varicocele, infection, and other conditions.  Male factor infertility is a major contributor for couples who have problems conceiving.  In fact, the NCBI National Institutes of Health claim about 40 to 50% of infertility cases can be attributed to male factor fertility.  If you have had little success with male fertility doctors and traditional medicine or treatment, we urge you to learn more about our holistic approach and how it can change your life.  Acupuncture, Chinese medicine, nutrition, and other natural treatments focus on total health and balance of the body systems, often accomplishing what Western medicine cannot.

Overview

According to the National Institutes of Health, male infertility is involved in approximately 40% of the 2.6 million infertile couples in the United States. Research has shown that acupuncture, Chinese herbs and nutritional supplements can significantly improve sperm quantity, motility and morphology.

 

The following have been implicated in male infertility:

• Obesity

• Infection

• Hormonal imbalances

• Inflammation from excessive oxidation Prostato-vesiculo-epididymitis (PVE)

• Excessive heat

• Smoking

• Pesticide exposure

• High intake of cotton seed oil

• Hepatic cirrhosis

• Xeno-estrogen exposure

• Radiation exposure

• Heavy metal toxicity

• Varicocele

Sperm maturation averages 70-90 days. Therefore, It is essential for men to receive treatment (herbs, supplements, acupuncture) for at least 3 months prior to starting a family.

 

Dad & Miles          

Baby Miles          


 

Nutritional Supplements and Herbs for Enhanced Sperm Production and Motility

L-arginine
Studies have shown L-arginine improves sperm count and motility without side effects. It is also used for erectile dysfunction due to its positive effect on blood circulation.
Dosage: 4 grams/day

Do not take if you have herpes.

L-carnitine
An essential amino acid found in high concentrations in sperm and seminal fluid. Carnitine transports fatty acids into the mitochondria (the power house of the cell). L-carnitine is associated with significant increases in concentrations of sperm, increased motility and count and the percentage of motile sperm.
Dosage: 3 grams/day

Zinc and Folic Acid
Zinc is a trace mineral that is essential for sperm production. Folic acid is a B-vitamin also important as a co-factor in DNA synthesis. A study showed that these nutrients improved sperm counts by 74% for both fertile and subfertile men.
Dosage: 66mg zinc sulfate, 5mg folic acid

B Vitamins
The B-complex vitamins B6, B12 and B9-folic acid are critical nutrients in the male reproductive system for proper hormone metabolism, sperm formation and motility.

Antioxidants
High concentrations of free radicals can directly damage sperm cells and contribute to erectile dysfunction. It is recommended to take the following antioxidants:

Vitamin E – 600mg/day
Glutathione/selenium – 200mcg/day
Co-Q10 – 60mg/day
Pycnogenol – 40 mg.

(One study shows pycnogenol combined with L-arginine improved erectile dysfunction in 92.5% of the patients for 40 men age 40-45.)

Herbs
Certain herbs such as astragalus, epimidium, ginseng and pygeum have been favorably researched for their effect on sperm. However, a personally tailored herbal formula that includes Chinese Medicine pattern differentiation combined with nutritional supplements is the best way to approach the issue.
See Herbal Medicine section.

 

Our Supplement

We carry a supplement to help improve sperm containing many of the ingredients listed above.

 

For references to all studies see the links below.

Full text Review study of nutrients/herbs and acupuncture for use in male infertility Sinclair S.  Male infertility: nutritional and environmental considerations. Altern Med Rev. 2000 Feb;5(1):28-38. Review.

Acupuncture Study Abstracts

Gurfinkel E, Cedenho AP, Yamamura Y, Srougi M.
Effects of acupuncture and moxa treatment in patients with semen abnormalities. Asian J Androl. 2003 Dec;5(4):345-8.Does acupuncture treatment affect sperm density in males with very low sperm count? A pilot study. Andrologia. 2000 Jan;32(1):31-9.

Siterman S, Eltes F, Wolfson V, Lederman H, Bartoov B.
Does acupuncture treatment affect sperm density inmales with very low sperm count? A pilot study. Andrologia. 2000 Jan;32(1):31-9.

Please view Dr. Wiesner’s article The Importance of Men’s Reproductive Health When Trying to Conceive where she discusses the primary causes of male infertility and how to successfully overcome them.