The Role of Selenium in Fertility

One of the great joys and privileges of being an adult man or woman is having the opportunity to bear and raise children. It is something many people cherish and spend a great deal of their lives preparing for in order to become good parents. Unfortunately, nature and biology sometimes interfere with one’s ability to conceive. With a slew of possibilities when it comes to improving fertility rates, one option may be the levels of Selenium (SE) one has.

Dealing With Infertility

It is estimated that one in eight or 12.5 percent of all couples are faced with issues related to infertility in one or both parties. The possible causes range from health issues to issues that may have been caused in the DNA. For many couples, the realization they might never be able to have biological children of their own is devastating. They tend to feel inadequate and build up frustration as they search for answers/solutions to their problem. The most important thing doctors and fertility specialists want to see is the couple coming together to cope with the problem as a unit to start looking for possible solutions.

How Selenium (Atomic Symbol SE) Could Play a Role in Infertility Issues

When looking at possible causes of infertility, couples might want to consider looking at some of the more common causes before they start spending a lot of money, time and effort investigating more complicated issues. One possible cause could be SE levels in men, which can certainly create infertility issues if levels are too low. It can result in low sperm count and weak sperm formation due to the presence of highly reactive chemical fragments called free radicals, which tend to breakdown cell DNA. With low sperm count and/or weak sperm, the chances of it being potent enough to impregnate an egg cell are drastically reduced. In women, there is no verifiable information related to low levels of SE affecting their ability to conceive. However, SE is still an important chemical antioxidant that should be maintained at appropriate levels in woman as well as men.

Solving Infertility Issues Related to SE

If a doctor or fertility specialist concludes that low sperm count could be a contributing factor in a couple’s inability to conceive, the solution would be to start taking in both supplements and foods that will help elevate levels of SE in the male partner. Supplements would certainly be an effective way to try to address the problem, but it is always preferred that natural remedies be used when possible. With that in mind, there is an abundance of foods that can be eaten to introduce more SE into the body. Some of the more popular foods include various nuts (walnuts, peanuts, Brazil nuts), seafood products (crab, lobster, tuna fish), lentils, various types of beans, eggs and meat—especially calf liver. When trying to elevate SE levels, the target amount that should be taken on a daily basis is between 15 and 100 micro grams. It should be noted that exceedingly high levels of SE can cause sperm motility and issues with toxicity.

If low levels of SE prove to have been the primary reason for a couple’s problems trying to conceive, the solution is both simple and inexpensive. With the male partner taking the appropriate supplements and eating SE rich foods, the couple might find themselves expecting sooner than they thought.