Contents:
- Medical Video: Natural Remedies : Increase Fertility With Tea
- Antioxidant function
- Antioxidant effects for male fertility
- Antioxidant effects for female fertility
- A food source rich in antioxidants
Medical Video: Natural Remedies : Increase Fertility With Tea
Antioxidants are compounds that can protect the body from cell damage due to free radicals. So, antioxidants can also protect you from various diseases. But, it turns out not only that, antioxidants are also associated with fertility. What are the antioxidant effects for fertility? Is it true that antioxidants can increase male and female fertility?
Antioxidant function
Antioxidants work by removing reactive oxygen, where these compounds are produced naturally by the body. High amounts of reactive oxygen in the body (usually produced when the body is stressed) is called oxidative stress. This oxidative stress can damage cells, including cells that build eggs (ovum) and sperm. By reducing the amount of these harmful compounds, antioxidants can delay the aging process and improve health, including the health of the reproductive system.
Because antioxidants can protect all cells in the body from damage, many antioxidants are associated with fertility.
Antioxidant effects for male fertility
A study conducted by The Cochrane Collaboration in 2011 showed that antioxidants can increase male fertility. Men who take antioxidant supplements have been shown to increase their partner's chances of getting pregnant until giving birth. Research from the University of Auckland also shows that male partners who consume antioxidants are more likely to be able to make women pregnant.
Other studies also find out how the role of antioxidants for male fertility. Antioxidants can protect sperm from reactive oxygen. Excess reactive oxygen in the body can damage the structure of DNA, reduce sperm count, inhibit sperm movement, sperm development, and damage sperm function. So, this can cause fertility problems or impaired embryo development.
For this reason, the total antioxidant status in the body must be maintained in order to protect sperm cells from damage. The lack of antioxidants from vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B complex, glutathione, pantothenic acid, coenzyme Q10, carnitine, zinc, selenium, and copper, can cause a decrease in total antioxidant status. So, this can then cause a decrease in the quality and quantity of sperm.
Antioxidant effects for female fertility
If a lot of research in men shows that antioxidants can increase fertility, it seems that this shows different results in women. Research conducted by the University of Auckland in 2013 showed that antioxidants do not increase a woman's chance to get pregnant.
In fact, a previous study conducted by the Weizmann Institute of Science in 2011 showed that antioxidants might cause fertility problems in women. Research conducted on these female rats showed that the antioxidants applied to the female ovaries' ovaries could reduce the release of eggs. However, this research has only recently been proven in mice, not in humans, so further research needs to be done to prove this.
On the other hand, several other studies also prove that antioxidants have a positive effect on women's fertility. This is because of the function of antioxidants in protecting cell damage due to reactive oxygen. One study in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine in 2004 proved that supplementation of nutrients containing antioxidants (vitamin E, iron, zinc, selenium, and L-arginine) in women can increase the rate of egg cell release and pregnancy.
This is also reinforced by the discovery that women with recurrent miscarriages have much lower antioxidant concentrations in the body than healthy women. This can indicate that the level of antioxidants that are disturbed in the body can cause recurrent miscarriages.
A food source rich in antioxidants
It's a good idea to eat lots of antioxidant-rich foods before trying to get pregnant to increase your fertility. In both men and women, many studies have proven that antioxidants have a positive effect on fertility.
Some foods that contain antioxidants are:
- Food sources of vitamin E, namely olive oil, canola oil, and oils from other plants, products whole grain, grains, and nuts
- Food sources of vitamin C, namely oranges, mangoes, kiwi, papaya, strawberries, tomatoes, broccoli, potatoes
- Food sources of vitamin A, namely carrots, meat, milk and eggs
