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Good News! Glutathione may help reverse male infertility!
Male Infertility is a problem of the modern man. It is said that today's men's fathers are more fertile than themselves. Just look at your own family. Our fathers have more children than us. And their fathers had even more children than them. According to latest researches, one out of 20 men have infertility problems. In this page:
Contrary to popular belief that it is almost always the woman who has the problem, infertility is equally shared among the two. Most doctors declare a couple as infertile when the woman does not conceive after one year of unprotected, regular sexual intercourse.
Male infertility causes accounts for forty percent of infertility problems. Forty percent is caused by the woman alone. And the remaining twenty percent? It is caused by both the man and woman. A man's fertility is usually tested by examining his semen. The sperm cells in the semen are screened for the following parameters:
The normal sperm count is 20 million sperm per milliliter and above. 
Normal sperm motility, according to the WHO, is that at least 50% of the observed sperm are moving forward. To be considered to have normal sperm morphology, a man must have at least 30% of its sperm cells to look physically normal. Take a look at the picture on the right. The first sperm cell on has a "divided" tail. The second sperm cell has a "broken" head and a crooked tail. Both sperms have abnormal morphology or appearance. In summary, a man be be infertile if he fails in any or all of the sperm quality measurements described above. Back to top
First, we have to look at its causes and work from there. If it is just a matter of adjusting your lifestyle, then you know what to do. Quit smoking. Smoking is always a bad habit, for men and women, alike. Excessive alcohol consumption is a no-no, too. Avoid stress in your life. Choose your own battles. You don't have to be superman. Eat well to address nutritional deficiencies. Eat lost of vegetables and fruits. As well as other healthy foods such as fish, whole grains, good fats, etc. Taking honey and cinnamon may help improve chances of having a baby. Honey has lots of vitamins and minerals. And cinnamon is an aphrodisiac. Don't forget to drink lots of water! Take supplements that aid in reducing oxidative stress in general. Promising antioxidants to counteract male infertility are Vit. C and Vit. E. Another promising antioxidant is glutathione. Glutathione supplements are particularly effective in reducing oxidative stress in sperm cells.
How does glutathione help in treating male infertility? Studies show that infertile men have high oxidative stress in their semen. And corollary to that, they also have low antioxidant levels in their sperm. In a study of 33 infertile and 30 fertile men in India, it is found that glutathione peroxidase levels were significantly lower in the infertile group compared to the fertile group. "Pubmed" Glutathione's role in treating male infertility is in its ability to reduce oxidative stress in man's sperm cells. Ok, so sperm cells also undergo oxidative stress? Yes, just like all the cells in the body, sperm cells are susceptible to free radical damage. Free radicals can damage the cell wall or membrane of the sperm as well as the mitochondria which contains the DNA. Damage to the sperm cell membrane When oxidative stress damages the sperm cell membrane, sperm cell motility is inhibited. Imagine a car with worn out tires. It won't run as fast as a car with good tires. When a sperm is slow then it may not be able to reach its destination (the egg cell). It may die before it reached the egg cell. You see, the female's reproductive environment is not so comfortable for the sperm cells. It's way acidic. Therefore, to reach the egg cell, a sperm must move forward (motile) fast!
Damage to the sperm cell mitochondria The mitochondria is the part of the cell that contains the DNA required to produce a human being. The DNA contains the genes from the parent that will be passed on to the child. When there is too much free radical formation in the mitochondria, the free radicals can alter the DNA. Damaged paternal DNA can seriously hinder the development of the first forms of life. Therefore, the conception may not push through. Moreover, damaged paternal DNA may cause abnormalities to the child if the conception pushes through. And we don't want that.
What can glutathione do to treat male infertility? Researches in glutathione showed that glutathione therapy demonstrated a significant positive effect on sperm motility and on sperm morphology.
Reference: Kelton Tremellen. Oxidative stress and male infertility—a clinical perspective. Oxford Journals. February 14,2008. July 15, 2009. http://humupd.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/14/3/243 In a clinical trial Italy in 1992, 11 infertile men were treated with glutathione (600 mg/day IM) for 2 months. The result: sperm motility was significantly increased. "Pubmed" In a placebo-controlled double-blind cross-over trial of 20 infertile patients with dyspermia, glutathione injections of 600mg resulted in a positive effect on spem motility, particularly forward motility. "Oxford Journals" How about oral glutathione? Most researches on glutathione's effect on male infertility has been with injectable glutathione. While injectable glutathione is OK, boosting one's glutathione levels is, for me, more practical. First, eating glutathione-rich foods or glutathione supplements do not hurt. It's non-invasive. Second, you don't have to see a doctor to inject glutathione to you. And last, it's cheaper. Besides, how many men would actually readily admit that they are infertile? Or worse, undergo a glutathione injection just to improve their fertility? Not many I'm sure. Especially here in the Philippines where men never want to be labeled as "infertile" even by their wives. And the same is true for the women. It causes a stigma that no one wants to suffer. So, if you or a loved one is suffering from male infertility problems, you might want to consider increasing your body's own glutathione reserves. This way, your sperm motility and morphology will greatly improve. But of course, you have to be healthy in general to achieve the best results. And if supplementation, healthy lifestyle and eating nutritious foods still don't do the trick. It's prudent to consult a fertility specialist. 
In summary, male infertility is a consequence of the modern stressfull age. However it can be prevented and treated. One is through a healthy lifestyle. Smoking is a definite no-no. Curbing alcohol intake is also a must. Eating foods and supplements rich in antioxidants are also the way to go. Vit. C is a well-known vitamin that may improve semen quality. One study of 13 infertile men was conducted in 2006. They were given 1000mg of Vit. C twice a day for 2 months. And the results were amazing! Mean sperm count increased from 14.3 million to 32.8 million per ml. This is more than double the original sperm count! Remember that the average sperm count of fertile men is only 20million. Mean sperm motility increased from 31.2% to 60.1%! Remember that a sperm motility of 50% is what is considered normal. Mean sperm morphology also increased from 43% to 66.7%! Reference: Akmal M, et. al.,2006 In another experiment by Dr. W.A. Harris, forty infertile men were studied. Half were given 1000mg of Vit. C per day for 2 months. The other half were given a placebo. The results were unbelievable!All the wives of the men given the Vit. C became pregnant during the experiment. Moreover, NONE of the wives of men who took the placebo conceived. Reference: University Medical Research Publishers staff. Amazing Medicines The Drug Companies Don't Want You To Discover!U.S.A.:University Medical Research Publishers,1983, p.306. There are many more studies linking Vit. C to improve sperm quality. This is why it is common for doctors to suggest infertile men to take at least 1000mg of Vit. C per day. Another antioxidant that can help in treating male infertility is glutathione.
Glutathione is a relatively new player in the antioxidant supplements field. But the scientific world is already beginning to notice its potential. Who knows, ten to twenty years form now, glutathione will be a major substance in every supplement? And even a drug for diseases? In fact, glutathione is now an orphan drug for AIDS. So, who knows, what's next? But one thing is for sure. Glutathione holds a promise worth taking. It's our body's own antioxidant, in the first place. Boost your glutathione levels now and it may just increase your chances of having a baby! Back to top
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