Coenzyme Q10 & Male Infertility

If you're a man who is focused on fathering a baby, take steps that will not only improve your overall health but optimize your fertility, as well. Making your daily diet as nutritious as possible is the first step. Recent research is pointing to a measurable impact of some dietary supplements on fertility, including male-factor infertility. One of these fertility optimizing nutrients is Coenzyme Q10.

Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that your body makes primarily in the liver. You may also hear it referred to as CoQ10 or ubiquinone. It's primary job in your body is to help your other cells make energy. Antioxidants in general serve another important function in your body: They protect other cells from damage. The Mayo Clinic lists many potential uses for supplements of Coenzyme Q10, most of which need more research studies to establish or validate claims about its effects. Still, preliminary results are promising. CoQ10 is known to decrease as you age. Since the essence of fertility depends on two cells -- the egg cell and the sperm cell -- how those cells function greatly affects conception and continued pregnancy.

Male Fertility

The condition and function of your sperm cells is only part of the complex fertility equation. As long as your organs that produce and transport sperm cells -- such as the epididymis -- are functioning properly, then the next area of concern is the condition of the sperm cells. Sperm are judged as adequate or not based on three variables: motility, or movement; morphology, or shape; and count, or number of cells present in ejaculate. This is where supplements that claim to assist male fertility come in -- to protect or repair sperm cells in terms of these three markers.

CoQ10 and Fertility

Researchers from Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy demonstrated in preliminary studies that CoQ10 is present and measurable in seminal fluid, the fluid that carries sperm cells from their production point and beyond. They demonstrated that the concentration of CoQ10 directly correlates with both sperm count and motility, or movement. Their research further showed that in some conditions associated with male infertility, CoQ10's levels were altered. With a placebo-controlled, double-blind randomized trial, the investigators concluded that oral CoQ10 supplements increased the amount of the substance in semen and improved sperm cell movement. The Mayo Clinic gives coenzyme Q10 a grade of "C" for increasing sperm count, saying better studies are needed to back up a strong recommendation by a physician.

Adding CoQ10

CoQ10 is not medicine, although it does appear to have some particular actions that can promote your fertility. Since it's a nutrient, the effect of adding it to your diet as a supplement will likely not have an immediate result. CoQ10 is available and recommended in soft gel capsule form or tablets. The University of Maryland Medical Center says a typical daily dose is 30 mg to 200 mg, depending on the formulation. For maximum absorption, you should take CoQ10 during an evening meal that contains fat. Other than the risk for occasional stomach upset such as that associated with most supplements, there are no known significant side effects. You can also boost your CoQ10 levels by eating more oily fish, like salmon and tuna, and organ meats, like liver.

Caution

CoQ10 may interact with some medications, including some chemotherapy treatments, blood pressure medicines, blood thinners and glaucoma drops. Talk to your physician about potential problems from combining CoQ10 with any other medications you're taking, including fertility medications.