Go Magazine | Issue 56

cleanse detox alkalise boost

Fertility helpers Taken together, the antioxidant vitamins C and E and carotenoids are a powerful combination to sweep up cell-damaging free radicals and protect sperm. Vitamin C also increases sperm motility. Men may also benefit from zinc and flaxseed oil. Zinc plays a vital role in male reproductive ability by increasing testosterone production and sperm count. Flaxseed oil provides essential fatty acids that, among other functions, help to keep sperm healthy. A natural health practitioner may suggest arginine, an amino acid which can enhance sperm motility and possibly help increase sperm count. Arginine is contraindicated in certain health conditions, such as asthma, so seek professional advice. The herb ginseng (either as Panax ginseng or Siberian ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus ) has been traditionally used to boost testosterone production and sperm formation. Other beneficial herbs include ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) , oats (Avena sativa) and red raspberry leaf (Rubus idaeus) . Avoid alcohol. If you smoke, stop. Try yoga, meditation and other stress-reduction techniques. Keep weight within a healthy range for your height and build. Go Vita health shops with the lactolycopene- containing products. Look for a formula which also contains other ingredients shown to support and improve fertility, such as folic acid, selenium and vitamins B1, B6 and B12.

in sperm membrane lipid peroxidation, DNA damage and apoptosis (death of sperm cells), leading to decreased sperm viability and motility. Research has already shown that the antioxidant lycopene, a natural pigment that gives many vegetables and fruit (including tomatoes) their red colour, improves prostate and cardiovascular functions and is a possible treatment option for male infertility, thanks to its ability to neutralise free radicals and therefore counter this oxidative stress. However, lycopene’s molecular structure also means that it is difficult to absorb, so the success of this particular trial is thought to be due to an improved uptake of lycopene as a result of it being combined with whey protein, as lactolycopene. “I nearly fell off my chair” “I wasn’t expecting to see any benefit at all,” says study leader Professor Allan Pacey, a male fertility expert and Professor of Andrology at the University of Sheffield. “When we decoded the results, I nearly fell off my chair.” The findings, published in the European Journal of Nutrition , have been welcomed by specialists around the world who are concerned about the damaging impact of modern living on reproductive health. Andrew Drakeley, a consultant in reproductive medicine at Liverpool Women’s Hospital, England, concludes: “Unlike women who are born with their lifetime reserve of eggs, men make new sperm every 60 to 90 days. These results are probably robust enough to conclude that taking lactolycopene is one thing men can do to improve their sperm quality, along with better diet and more exercise.” The Tomato Pill Company supplies

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