Question
Is it true that vitamin D and zinc are good to help boost reproductive health for a male? Or are there better alternatives you would suggest?
Answer
Vitamin D is important for both men and women in fertility — achieving the ideal level through sunlight exposure and eating fatty fish, or taking supplements, improves sperm production and health. Being a healthy weight and exercising a minimum of 30 minutes each day will also improve fertility.
Zinc is important for a variety of processes involved in sperm maturation and therefore, enough zinc is also important.
However, there are steps you should take to help improve your fertility before supplements. The most important thing you can do is to stop smoking if you already do. Smoking is toxic to sperm production and affects the quality and quantity of your sperm.
Magdalena Simonis AM
General Practitioner
A/Professor Magdalena Simonis AM is a General Practitioner with interests in health equity, chronic disease prevention and preconception health. She’s a representative of the Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) and has represented the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) in national health policy development and at senate enquiries.
