The Evolution of a Men’s Prenatal Vitamin

Posted on by Paul Turek, MD
Men's Pre-Conception Vitamins
Paisley is the shape of things to come.

Over the last decade, my view of vitamin supplements has evolved. Yes, I know that half of all Americans take a multivitamin daily. Maybe to replace dietary deficiencies. Or to keep healthy, prevent disease or stay young. But the honest truth is that except for treating actual vitamin deficiencies, hard evidence showing that vitamins can prevent disorders like heart disease or cancer is sorely lacking. Maybe we’ve oversimplified how we think our bodies handle that complex mixture of nutrients called “food.” Maybe a pill just isn’t the same as a great diet.

But that doesn’t mean that consumption of vitamins is futile in all cases…

Vitamins & Development

For example, the value of pre-conception vitamins for women is well known and has been uncontested for decades. Calcium keeps mom’s bones healthy as the developing fetus borrows this mineral for their own bones. Iron prevents the anemia of pregnancy. And folic acid clearly prevents neural disorders and birth defects in babies. No doubt about it, prenatal vitamins for women make sense. So, there is a definite role for vitamins in our lives.

But there’s more. If vitamins can help create healthier babies, might they also create healthier sperm? We’re not talking about “curing” diseases here, but simply improving the health of one of our busiest and most vital organ systems: the reproductive system. Remember, sperm aren’t just another cell in the body; they create life.

But how might vitamins help sperm? A decade or more of research now suggests that, just like with cancer and aging, free radicals or oxidants are a root cause of male infertility. In fact, many of us fertility experts think that as much as half of male infertility is due simply to oxidative stress. This kind of stress reduces sperm motility, damages sperm DNA, and otherwise renders sperm dysfunctional. These effects are not good for sperm or for male fertility.

A Perfect Storm of Science

Along with this research came clinical trials in which men were given antioxidants or placebo and their respective partners’ pregnancy outcomes were examined. The Cochrane group summarized these trials (61 trials, 6,264 men) in 3 separate meta-analyses over the last decade, and their findings have changed my view of things. Briefly, among antioxidant users the rate of live births was twice as high and the rate of clinical pregnancies was three times as high. There was also the suggestion that both sperm concentration and motility improved in antioxidant users. To me, when basic research and clinical medicine agree like this, I find that it usually reflects real scientific truth.

A Smart Male Pre-Conception

So, I took action based on the following simple logic:

  1. Oxidants hurt cells.
  2. Sperm are cells.
  3. Antioxidants can protect cells from the oxidant-induced damage.
  4. Antioxidants can decrease oxidative damage to sperm.

Motivated by this epiphany, I assembled a team of supplement gurus. Gathering experts in food science, including Dr. Eduardo Dolhun, the highly regarded physician and founder of DripDrop® oral rehydration therapy, and nutritionists, we set forth to create a male pre-conception supplement that would be better for fertility than eating airport food. We wanted it to be made in the U.S., be natural, and to reflect the latest findings in antioxidant research. It should contain vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients that have been studied for their effects on sperm health. And being a firm believer in eastern medicine, I included several herbal ingredients important for reproduction. Finally, to seal the deal on its quality, we included all-natural organic “fillers” to make all this goodness as bioavailable (i.e. absorbable) as possible. After all, the body doesn’t benefit from what it can’t absorb. Yep, this is one smart supplement, and one in which the main ingredient is great science.

Dedicated to You

Does every man of reproductive age need a pre-conception supplement? Probably not, because nothing beats a perfectly balanced, healthy diet. But if you are like most of us — creatures of habit eating airport food, taking your meals on the run, and busting your chops to keep a roof over your head and put food on the table — it is to you that I dedicate AlphaSperm. And because you read it here first, use the discount code  TurekBlog at checkout for a better deal.