Contents:
- Medical Video: Improving Fertility in Men with Poor Sperm Count | UCLA Urology
- Active smoker's sperm is more difficult to fertilize a woman's egg
- Smokers have fewer sperm counts than men who don't smoke
- Can damaged sperm be repaired with antioxidant supplements?
Medical Video: Improving Fertility in Men with Poor Sperm Count | UCLA Urology
Smoking has been proven by so many studies that it can endanger health and fertility. Especially for male smokers, the toxic content in cigarettes can damage sperm so that it narrows your chances of producing offspring. What exactly is the effect of nicotine on smoker's sperm?
Active smoker's sperm is more difficult to fertilize a woman's egg
Every pack of cigarettes has been warned that smoking causes impotence. But the problem is not just to stop there.A study says that the sperm of people who smoke are less fertile than men who do not smoke. So it is possible, even though the penis can still erect and ejaculate as usual, it remains a small chance for smokers' sperm to successfully survive in a woman's body until it can arrive in the womb and fertilize the egg.
In fact, human sperm cells consist of two small proteins called protamine 1 and protamine 2. Both are responsible for keeping each other in balance. Well, the research team led by Mohamad Eid Hammadeh, PhD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, at the German Saarland University found that smokers' sperm contained more protemin 1 than Protamine 2 very little. This imbalance makes the sperm very vulnerable to DNA damage. This finding was obtained after testing 53 heavy smokers and 63 inactive smokers.
In addition, in sperm DNA there is generally a network of alphabets (A, T, S, C, G) that function as genetic molecules. In smokers, alphabet DNA in many sperm is damaged, losing an average of 1 to 2 letters of DNA. Damage to sperm DNA is one factor in male infertility. Worse yet, this DNA damage cannot be repaired. Even when tested in a petri dish by researchers, the samples of damaged sperm are still unable to penetrate the egg, so there is a high risk of miscarriage.
Smokers have fewer sperm counts than men who don't smoke
Tobacco smoking has been shown to reduce the sperm quality of male smokers. But at the same time, cigarettes also reduce the number of active sperm. Substances in tobacco contain found to damage antioxidants in semen.
Antioxidants have an important role in male sperm, which protects sperm from exposure to free radicals. Antioxidants also affect motility (the speed of sperm to "swim") and their ability to fertilize an egg.
Then, there is clear evidence that smoking marijuana can reduce male fertility. The substance in marijuana can change the work of the endocrine gland system. The endocrine gland functions to regulate reproductive hormones and male testosterone levels. Therefore, smoking marijuana is also able to reduce sperm motility and male fertility.
Can damaged sperm be repaired with antioxidant supplements?
As mentioned above, if antioxidants can counteract free radicals that can damage sperm. But can sperm be repaired just by taking antioxidant supplements? Professor Hammadeh said that antioxidant supplements would not affect too much sperm fertility. Antioxidant supplements have the main function as substances that reduce the risk of oxidative stress due to smoking.
But if a couple wants to get pregnant and fertile, the main key is to stop smoking and live a healthy life. Hammadeh suggested increasing the risk of fertility, it is better to stop smoking 3 months before IVF. Also consume vitamin C and vitamin E which can increase the fertility benefits of both partners.
