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How to Increase Sperm Count (Naturally)

Having a low sperm count can make pregnancy difficult but not impossible. According to the NYU Langone Medical Center, in approximately 25 percent of male infertility cases, a couple achieves pregnancy within one year of visiting a physician -- without any treatment. Adopting simple lifestyle changes can increase your chances of improving your sperm count naturally.

  1. Keep Things Cool

    • There's a reason why testes hang outside the body -- to stay cool. Higher than optimal temperatures within the testes can prevent normal sperm development. This is the rationale for the oft-repeated advice to wear boxer shorts rather than briefs to improve sperm count. Don't wear tight-fitting athletic shorts; if you cycle, take frequent breaks. Stay out of hot tubs and avoid hot baths, which can also raise the temperature within the testes, albeit briefly, with a resultant decrease in sperm production. Because your laptop generates a large amount of heat, don't put it on your lap.

    Quit Smoking

    • If you smoke cigarettes or illegal substances, quit if you want to improve sperm quality and fertility. Smoking can cause a low sperm count or an increase in abnormally-shaped sperm, which often have abnormal chromosomes and aren't capable of fertilizing an egg. Smokers also have sperm with reduced motility, meaning that the sperm don't move well. Sperm need to travel through the fallopian tubes to reach the egg released from the ovary at the time of ovulation. Smoking affects hormone production and decreases sperm concentration by 23 percent and motility by 13 percent, New York fertility specialist Dr. Michael Werner says. The seminal fluid that contains sperm is also affected; placing normal sperm from non-smokers in fluid from smokers damages sperm, according to Dr. Werner.

    Regulate Alcohol Consumption

    • Alcohol in large amounts can also decrease sperm quantity and quality. Drinking alcohol in moderate amounts, however, may actually improve your sperm count, due to the antioxidant effects of moderate alcohol intake. Alcohol affects the hormones that influence sperm production, which can cause a decreased number of sperm as well as an increase in abnormal sperm.

    Make Dietary Changes

    • Increasing your fruit and vegetable intake adds more antioxidants to your diet, which can help increase sperm production in some cases, according to MayoClinic.com. Soy may worsen male infertility issues, so avoid it if you have a low sperm count. Real licorice made from the licorice plant may cause sperm problems. Increasing your vitamins C and E and zinc may also help, but take supplements only with your doctor's approval.

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