"Nutritional Supplements" and Fertility

We've been seeing a lot of patients in the office recently on some kind of nutritional supplements, mostly to improve fertility, but some being taken (by men) as part of a regimen to increase strength or muscle-building. I think taking such supplements is unwise. Here's why:

Body-building supplements for men – Several of our patients with really low sperm counts (or even no sperm) admit to being on these supplements. Sometimes the guys say they are just using a “protein supplement” from the health food store; others admit they are getting something from a friend at the gym. We don't know just what's in these supplements, but some of them probably contain testosterone derivatives, which are well known to reduce sperm production. The good news is that sperm production usually comes back when the supplements are stopped, but it can take several months.

Fertility supplements for men and women – In my opinion, the use of nutritional supplements to improve fertility is mostly bogus. Nutritional supplement manufacturers are exempt from the rigorous regulations of pharmaceutical manufacturers. If you label your product as a nutritional supplement, you can pretty much make any claim about it you like. The “scientific proof” they hold up is nonexistent or quite flimsy. Although some fertility clinics recommend these products, in my opinion, they are a waste of money.

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Alabama Fertility is an advanced fertility care clinic specializing in a wide variety of fertility procedures for both men and women. We use our medical expertise to help our patients with both conception and pregnancy and we cannot wait to help you start your family! Our experienced and knowledgeable staff assist with couples and individuals looking to become pregnant or for those who need assistance with conception or fertilization. To help do this our clinic is proud to offer the most advanced fertility care available throughout Alabama. Some of the services we offer include fertility testing, fertility treatment, and reproductive surgery. We also have a selection of frozen and fresh donor eggs for our patients. We encourage any potential patients to learn more about our team, our medical specialties, and how we can help you. We also encourage those interested in fertility treatment to view our program overview to find the right fit for your conception, fertilization, and pregnancy needs.