Food takes an important part in supporting male fertility to be able to impregnate. Some men experience decrease infertility as a result of a poor diet. Decreased fertility will make prospective fathers take longer to have children. Therefore, it is important to adopt a healthy and balanced diet to boost sperm quality. Although there hasn't been much research on how diets increase male fertility, it doesn't hurt if prospective fathers try to meet nutritional needs to help with sperm conditions. This, in turn, increases a man's chances of being able to have a baby.
Then what are the recommended foods for prospective fathers? Here are some foods with nutritional content that can be prioritized.
Foods containing folate
As ideally the needs of a prospective mother, prospective fathers also need an intake of folate or vitamin B9. A study shows that men with folate deficiency can experience problems producing healthy sperm. In addition, there are a small number of findings that link the consumption of folate-rich foods with higher amounts of sperm production.
The recommended daily consumption of folic acid is 400 micrograms. You can meet the folate needs of legumes (such as peanuts, green beans, and soybeans), cereals, potatoes, and orange juice. Some types of green vegetables, such as spinach, broccoli, and sprouts can also be consumed to meet folate needs.
Foods that are rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants
These nutrients help prevent sperm defects and increase sperm movement. Antioxidants can help improve sperm quality by reducing the number of free radicals that can cause damage to cell membranes. In several studies, men whose diet was low in antioxidants tended to have poor sperm quality.
Antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene (a type of vitamin A). You can drink a cup of orange juice per day because it contains about 124 mg of vitamin C. You can also eat apples and grapes.
Foods that contain vitamin D
One study showed that men who lack vitamin D had sperm that was less mobile. Although these findings still require more in-depth research, it is fitting that we meet the daily needs of vitamin D.
Actually, our body makes vitamin D by processing the sunlight it receives, but foods that are rich in vitamin D can also help meet our needs. These nutrients can be obtained from oily fish and foods that have been enriched with vitamin D, such as some types of breakfast cereals and margarine. You can read the nutritional content of the food on the label on the package.
Foods containing zinc and selenium
Zinc deficiency can make sperm clot and contribute to infertility or infertility. Other data show that low levels of zinc and selenium are associated with poor sperm quality and decreased the ability of sperm to move.
You can vary foods containing zinc every day to meet 11 mg of zinc. You can get 2.38 mg of zinc from 85 grams of chicken meat. Six medium oysters can contribute 11 mg of zinc. While consuming 85 grams of beef tenderloin accounted for 4.8 mg of zinc. Another option is one cup of baked beans for 3.5 mg zinc. Meanwhile, selenium sources of food include fish, meat, eggs, and bread.
Multivitamin supplements
Multivitamins can help meet the daily nutritional needs that are so diverse instantly, making it more practical in choosing the vitamins needed. However, that does not mean multivitamin supplements can replace the function of food. Consult with your doctor first to find out which multivitamin supplement is suitable for your needs. In addition to paying attention to diet, men also need to exercise regularly, prevent excessive stress, and be loyal to one partner to avoid being infected with a s*xually transmitted disease that can risk making infertile sperm, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea.
