Vitamin D could correct men’s damaged fertility

For decades lower levels of Vitamin D have been associated with unhealthy outcomes in women and children, but now a new Australian research suggests that men too are affected equally.

Researchers believe that a lack of sunlight, nicknamed the sunshine vitamin because of its unique ability of being produced by the body by exposure to the warm sun, may damage sperm and thus affect the male fertility.

800 men with fertility problems were enrolled in the new study. At the start, nearly 59 percent reportedly suffered nutritional deficiencies, including lower than normal levels of folate and vitamin D, analysis revealed.

As all the participants were undergoing fertility treatments to induce pregnancy in their partners, they were urged to take up lifestyle changes.

Of them, as many as 123 participants agreed to make lifestyle changes and to take dietary supplements for 2-3 months before starting fertility treatment.

Quitting smoking, reducing coffee and alcohol intake and taking a diet rich in folic acid and other vitamins were the foundation of lifestyle changes.

Three months on, almost three-fourth reported a significant reduction in the number of damaged sperm. Out of the lot, 36 couples successfully achieved a pregnancy with 18 not using any assisted reproduction technologies.

Highlighting the importance of the vitamin, Dr. Anne Clark, medical director of the treatment centre, Fertility First, noted, “Just like women, men too should monitor their pre-conception health.”

“Thinking about getting pregnant is a combined project. Fertility is a couple issue, it’s not a woman’s issue. The traditional sort of foods that we ask women to eat to improve their chances of having a healthy baby, men need to be told the same. They make up half the baby, so they need to be making changes too,” she added.

Vitamin D also plays a vital role in strengthening bone and fabricating healthy teeth. Moreover, besides its basic function of boosting the body’s calcium absorption, vitamin D also appears to play a significant role in upholding the immune system define.

A chronic Vitamin D deficiency often shows up later as brittle bones and an undermined immune system making people more susceptible to auto-immune diseases, such as type 1 diabetesdefine, multiple sclerosis and to certain types of cancers, researchers noted.

Despite the positives, excessive exposure to sun is the leading cause of skin cancerdefine. So making sure that not all but a small part of the body, such as the hands or legs, are exposed to sunlight for about 30 minutes a day can be a good source of acquiring vitamin D.

Source: http://www.themedguru.com