Fish Oil for Male and Female Infertility

Male and female infertility is a growing concern, and in 30% to 40% of cases, a couple cannot conceive because of problems in men. Fish oil is one of the solutions to increase fertility in both, as it contains Omega 3. Read to learn more about the benefits of Omega 3.

Infertility among men and women is a growing problem across the globe. Many couples are unable to conceive and then go under treatment to have a child. Apart from exercise and treatments, diet also plays an important role—what kind of food is beneficial? A proper diet includes those supplements that boost fertility in men and women. It has been observed that supplementation with dietary elements such as fish, fish oil, and nuts can directly boost testosterone levels—not only testosterone but also other hormones that affect fertility levels, such as FSH, LH, and estrogen. Follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, is a hormone released by the pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain) that plays a key role in the menstrual cycle. During the first half of the menstrual cycle, increased levels of FSH work in concert with luteinizing hormone (LH) to tell the ovaries to make more estradiol (estrogen), while also recruiting and stimulating an egg in the ovary to mature for ovulation. FSH testing may help you better understand your ovarian reserve and provide information that can be helpful and relevant for your fertility. In women, FSH helps control the menstrual cycle and stimulates the growth of eggs in the ovaries, and in men, FSH helps control the production of sperm.

The Magic of Fish Oil

You must be wondering: How can fish oil help with fertility? The answer lies in the fact that it contains Omega 3, which is packed with tremendous health benefits. It is obvious from the name that fish oil is extracted from the tissue of an oily fish and is a dietary supplement consisting of natural Omega 3, which can also enhance fertility.

Fish oil contains two types of omega-3 acids:

• Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA)
• Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)

These two together can aid not just fertility but also overall health especially chronic conditions such as

• High blood pressure: Taking fish oil is believed to help lower blood pressure—possibly more so for those who have moderate to severe high blood pressure.
• Boost brain and mental health: Omega-3s play a huge role in brain development and function and are even helpful in improving mild memory loss. They can also help improve the symptoms of depression.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: If you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), try fish oil to help treat its symptoms, including joint tenderness, morning stiffness, and swelling. People with RA are at an increased risk of having a heart attack, and taking a fish oil supplement may also help lower their risk.

Besides these chronic diseases, it is also useful for heart health, weight loss, eye health, reducing inflammation, healthy skin, reducing liver fat, improving symptoms of depression, improving ADHD, improving asthma and allergy, and bone health.

The benefits of fish oil come from its omega-3 fatty acid content, and the fish that are rich in this are mackerel, herring, tuna, and salmon. The body doesn't produce many of its omega-3 fatty acids, which is exactly why we need to supplement this by eating foods rich in omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids reduce pain and swelling and also prevent the blood from clotting easily.

Female - Fish Oil - Fertility 

The major cause of women's infertility is PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), which is the result of elevated insulin. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age. Women with PCOS may have infrequent or prolonged menstrual periods or excess male hormone (androgen) levels. Another factor to look into is an imbalance of eicosanoids that can be treated with increased consumption of fish oil. According to studies, omega-3s enhance ovulation. The connection between incorporating DHA and progesterone escalation has resulted in progesterone escalation, a hormone that is responsible for the lining of the uterus and is very important in pregnancy. It was then identified that a long duration of consuming a rich omega-3 diet can boost the health and quality of ovarian reserve in older females and also help obese women. Pregnant women who consume large amounts of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, like EPA and DHA, are found in fish oil.

• Tend to carry their babies for a longer period.
• They also have a correspondingly lower rate of premature births which can cause physical and neurological problems such as learning disabilities.

High dose of fish oil

• Help in the development of the child’s brain. Long-chain Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for fetal brain development.
• Avoid two serious conditions that can occur during pregnancy: pregnancy-induced hypertension (pre-eclampsia) and gestational diabetes. 
• Lowers the risk of post-partum depression.
• Important for the mother who is breastfeeding to maintain the DHA levels in her breast milk which is crucial for the development of the baby’s growing brain.  

Fishing out Male Infertility

Male infertility is also a major concern, where male sexual dysfunctions account for half of the cases where a couple cannot bear a child. Those male dysfunctions include low sperm count, abnormal sperm shape, barriers to the delivery of sperm, impaired sexual function, and/or poor sperm motility (i.e., difficulty “swimming” to the egg).

The theory that fish oil can improve fertility in men was proven by conducting a research study in which approximately 1700 Danish men participated. Some men have taken fish oil supplements, and some have not. When results were compared, it was found that the young men who reported taking fish oil supplements routinely displayed five fertility-related advantages:

1. Larger testicles
2. Higher sperm counts
3. Greater volumes of semen
4. Higher proportions of normal sperm cells
5. Lower levels of follicle-stimulating and luteinizing hormone, indicating healthier testicle function

The amount of time taking fish oil also seemed to make a difference. Men who took fish oil for 60 or more days during those three months had higher semen volumes, higher total sperm counts, and larger testes compared to men who took supplements for less than 60 days.

Every man can include fish oil in their diet for better health, but men with poor sperm quality are the ones who will have the greatest impact. According to an expert, “the composition of the sperm cell membrane with rich fatty acid content is critical for proper sperm function. The cell membrane plays a critical role in the key fertilization processes, and omega-3 in the sperm membrane increases as the sperm matures, and it cannot be synthesized in humans and must come from their diet.”.

Conclusion

If you do not eat non-vegetarian foods or fish, particularly omega-3, omega-3 can also be found in some plants. But they are rich in another type of omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, which the body can convert to DHA and EPA. Good sources of these are flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and canola oil.

It must be clear that fish oil can improve fertility in both men and women, and vegetarians too can benefit from consuming veggies rich in omega 3. Although the optimal dosage depends on a person’s age, body weight, genetics, lifestyle, and overall health condition, it is suggested that women should get at least 200 mg of daily DHA plus 250 mg of combined DHA and EPA. Before picking an omega-3 supplement, make sure to check the amount of EPA and DHA it provides per serving. Infertility can also be treated through homeopathy.