Reactive Oxygen Species And Infertility: A POWERFUL New Role For Antioxidants

Infertility affects many couples of child-bearing age.

A couple is considered infertile if they are unable to get pregnant for more than one year.

About one third of infertility cases are attributed to the man.

Infertility is caused by many different factors, including irregular development of the testicles, low mobility of the sperm, irregular growth of veins around the testicles, and lack of sperm development among others.

Hiowever, research suggests a potential new factor affecting male fertility.

Damage caused by reactive oxygen species, suggests research, could play a very large factors in male fertility.

Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) are a normal byproduct of cellular metabolism.

But ROS’s could potentially be dangerous to the cells in your body.

When ROS levels exceed your body’s normal antioxidant levels it may lead to increased cellular damage.

Oxygen species, free radicals, and peroxides are grouped together under the general term reactive oxygen species.

And, over half of the infertile men, according to research, showed higher than normal levels of ROS.

Oxidative Stress and Infertility

Oxidative stress affects the sperm of men in two different ways:

1. Oxidative stress damages the cell membrane of sperm, which could decrease sperm motility and its ability to connect with an oocyte.

2. Oxidative stress causes damage to the DNA of sperm.   This could increase the chance of passing along damaged DNA from the man

Your body has many different ways to protect sperm from oxidative stress.

According to clinical research, albumin found in sperm has the potential to block free radicals, which prevents them from reaching the sperm.

Also, sperm DNA is tightly covered by a protective protein.

And this layer can protect the DNA in your sperm, suggests research, which could prevent damage from occurring to your sperms DNA.

However, infertile men could be deficient in this protein, possibly leaving the DNA exposed to reactive oxygen species.

Antioxidants and Fertility

Your body is full of antioxidants.

However, when levels of reactive oxygen species are too great, and there are not enough antioxidants, this could potentially lead to
damage to your cells, suggests research.

Research suggests that powerful antioxidants could reduce damage associated with ROS’s by destroying them.

One powerful antioxidant, Astaxanthin, has been shown in research to reduce free radical damage associated with male infertility and could help improve sperm motility.

Researchers tested to see if Astaxanthin has the ability to reduce damage associated with free radicals.

They recruited 30 infertile men who had suffered infertility for 12 or more months.

They administered 16mg/day of Astaxanthin for three months.

The researchers noted, the Astaxanthin group showed a significant reduction in reactive oxygen species. 

Also noted in the Astaxanthin group, was a significant increase in sperm velocity which was different than the placebo group.

Total pregnancies and pregnancies per cycle increased in the Asataxanthin group (54.3% and 23.17%) than in the placebo group (10.5% and 3.6%)

The researchers concluded that the evidence needs further research, but that Astaxanthin could potentially be a new method of treatment for male infertility.

Power Up Fertility With Antioxidants

The latest research shows damage from reactive oxygen species could be a cause of male infertility.

And, according to research, increasing your total antioxidant levels could reduce damage to sperm membranes and its DNA.

Powerful antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E and Astaxanthin, could be a potent nutrients that could reduce reactive oxygen species.

And, research suggests, this could improve the function of male sperm and has the potential to increase your chance for getting pregnant.


NEXT: Discover Other Amazing Benefits Of Astaxanthin >>






References:

Comhaire, FH.  Garem, YE.  Mahmoud, A.  Eertmans, F.  Schoonjans, F.  Combined conventional/antioxidant “Astaxanthin” treatment for male infertility: a double blind, randomized trial.  Asian Journal of Andrology.  2005.  Vol. 7(3):pp. 257-262.

Twigg, J.  Fulton, N.  Gomez, E.  Irvine, DS.  Aitken, RJ.  Analysis of the impact of the intracellular reactive oxygen species generation on the structural and functional integrity of human spermatozoa: lipid peroxidation, DNA fragmentation and effectiveness of antioxidants.  Human Reproduction.  1998. Vol. 13(6):pp. 1429-1436.