3 Causes of Male-Factor Infertility

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The Main Causes of Suboptimal Male Fertility

I have identified 3 main underlying causes of male-factor infertility: stress, advanced paternal age, and toxic exposures.

1. STRESS

  • Chronic stress has become a part of daily life. Though stress may rise and fall at different points during the year depending on trends at work, financial status, and changing responsibilities in your personal life, very few patients report low stress levels. The body’s ability to withstand and adapt to the damaging effects of chronic high stress is mediated primary by the adrenal glands. Excessive or prolonged stress is very energetically demanding. Stress consumes high levels of vitamins and minerals that are required for mitochondrial and endocrine function. Overtime the body becomes depleted of essential nutrients, and does not have sufficient antioxidants present to defend against oxidative damage. Sperm are particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage, so sperm cells are greatly impacted by your daily stress. Managing stress levels through self-care, coping mechanisms, and supplementation is an important strategy in male fertility optimization!


2. ADVANCED PATERNAL AGE

  • As healthcare practitioners, we regularly emphasize the importance of maternal age when it comes to optimizing fertility and pregnancy outcomes. However, paternal age also plays a role. Damage to sperm DNA, known as Sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), begins to increase in males 40 years and older. Though we cannot slow chronological aging, we can modify biological age by optimizing diet, lifestyle, and nutraceutical supplementation in order to make you feel and look your age, or even younger. When you feel vibrant, it is because at the cellular level your body is adequately nourished, and metabolic processes are operating optimally. As men get older, it is important to emphasize quality nutrition, regular exercise, and healthy habits in order maintain healthy cell biochemistry required for sperm growth and maturation.


3. TOXIC EXPOSURES

  • Toxic exposure describes a number of different environmental insults to sperm.

    • Chemical toxins - Common toxic exposures that cause DNA damage to sperm include smoking cigarettes, smoking or consuming marijuana, and drinking alcohol. Many toxins also come form workplace chemical exposure. Workplace exposure to organophosphate chemicals is particularly notable in men who work in construction, gardening, commercial painting, chemical labs, or in the oil and gas industry. Food is another source of chemical toxins. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) build up in animals found higher in the food chain, and BPAs can be found in canned foods, and foods stored or heated in plastic containers.

    • Temperature insults - Heat is extremely damaging to sperm! Heat generates reactive oxygen species, and increases DNA damage of sperm cells. Simple things such as using a seat warmer in your car, wearing tight underwear, using a laptop directly on your lap, and carrying a cellphone in your pocket all increase testicular temperature and negatively impact sperm health.

  • Avoiding exposure to toxins and heat, and supporting healthy liver detoxification are key to promoting regular toxin excretion through the sweat, stool, and urine. Lower toxic burden is correlated with better sperm counts, structure, and motility. Therefore, antioxidant supplementation is another key strategy in supporting sperm health.


All three of these underlying causes for male-factor infertility ultimately lead to higher levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which cause oxidative damage to sperm, and lead to DNA damage known as DNA fragmentation. Sperm are particularly vulnerable to DNA damage because of their design. Sperm cells contain 1. low amounts of cytoplasm & 2. high amounts of mitochondria.

  • Low Quantity of Cytoplasm

    • Cytoplasm houses enzymes that are responsible for breaking down waste and support healthy metabolic activity.

  • High Concentration of Mitochondria

    • Mitochondria are energy generating cells. They take in nutrients, break them down, and create energy for the cell. This biochemical process that occurs in the mitochondria is called cellular respiration. Though this process generates lots of ATP (energy molecule) it also generates high amounts of free radicals as a result. Free radicals cause oxidative damage, unless they are neutralized by antioxidants.

There are many factors that can lead to difficulty conceiving or difficulty maintaining a pregnancy. Women often hold a lot of guilt when it comes to infertility, but the reality is that both the male partner and the female partner need to be assessed for possible barriers to achieving a pregnancy. If you or anyone you know could benefit from male fertility support, I encourage you to share this article and book online!

I strongly encourage male partners to come in for their own fertility assessment. While improving your fertility we are likely to uncover ways to help you feel more energetic, get better quality sleep, increase your libido, elevate your mood, and improve your digestion! Alternatively, I invite couples to come for a fertility assessment together - book an Initial Couples’ Fertility Consultation online!

Take care, 

Dr. Laura Nicholas, ND 

This content is not intended to be substituted or interpreted as medical advice and should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health concern. Please book a consultation with me or a qualified healthcare professional before acting on any information presented here.

References

  • Nargund, V. H. (2015). Effects of psychological stress on male fertility. Nature Reviews Urology, 12(7), 373.

  • Bhongade, M. B., Prasad, S., Jiloha, R. C., Ray, P. C., Mohapatra, S., & Koner, B. C. (2015). Effect of psychological stress on fertility hormones and seminal quality in male partners of infertile couples. Andrologia, 47(3), 336-342.

  • Sharma, R., Agarwal, A., Rohra, V. K., Assidi, M., Abu-Elmagd, M., & Turki, R. F. (2015). Effects of increased paternal age on sperm quality, reproductive outcome and associated epigenetic risks to offspring. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, 13(1), 35.

  • Ramasamy, R., Chiba, K., Butler, P., & Lamb, D. J. (2015). Male biological clock: a critical analysis of advanced paternal age. Fertility and sterility, 103(6), 1402-1406.

  • Santi, D., Spaggiari, G., & Simoni, M. (2018). Sperm DNA fragmentation index as a promising predictive tool for male infertility diagnosis and treatment management–meta-analyses. Reproductive biomedicine online, 37(3), 315-326.

  • Lanzafame, F. M., La Vignera, S., Vicari, E., & Calogero, A. E. (2009). Oxidative stress and medical antioxidant treatment in male infertility. Reproductive biomedicine online, 19(5), 638-659.

  • Rao, M., Xia, W., Yang, J., Hu, L. X., Hu, S. F., Lei, H., ... & Zhu, C. H. (2016). Transient scrotal hyperthermia affects human sperm DNA integrity, sperm apoptosis, and sperm protein expression. Andrology, 4(6), 1054-1063.

  • Ko, E. Y., Sabanegh Jr, E. S., & Agarwal, A. (2014). Male infertility testing: reactive oxygen species and antioxidant capacity. Fertility and sterility, 102(6), 1518-1527.

 
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