Male Infertility and Glutathione Written by: Priya Shah Are You Half The Man Your Father Was?It is a well-known fact that sperm counts have dropped by half in the last 50 years, and that modern men have 20 percent less semen volume than their fathers (BMJ, 1992, volume 305).A recent report from researchers in Aberdeen presented preliminary data that suggests the sperm concentration of the men seen in their clinic had declined by 29% over the past 14 years. (British Fertility Society; 5 January 2004)Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and endocrine-disrupting chemicals from normal, everyday plastics are known to cause reproductive damage, as documented in Theo Colborn's book "Our Stolen Future."Damage to sperm caused by exposure to common chemicals like alcohol, pesticides in food, has been linked to lowered intelligence and behavioral disorders in children.Lifestyle risk factors known to decrease sperm quality include> Cigarette smoking> Alcohol consumption> Chronic stress> Nutritional deficiencies.Other reasons for infertility include congenital factors, and health conditions like prostatitis and diabetes that can affect sperm production.Pollution is stealing our future, and there's little anyone can do to avoid it. There may not be a lot you can do to reduce your exposure to persistent environmental toxins.But there are definite measures you can take to reduce the impact of the environmental pollutants and toxins on your body.You can prevent and, to a certain extent, repair the damage they cause to your body, through a better lifestyle and nutrition.Some nutritional therapies and antioxidants that have proven beneficial in treating male infertility and improving sperm counts, sperm morphology and motility include:> Carnitine> Arginine> Zinc> Selenium> Vitamin B-12> Vitamin C> Vitamin E> Glutathione> Coenzyme Q10Studies show that anti-oxidant supplementation - glutathione in particular - can improve sperm quality, and possibly increase your chances of conceiving.If you smoke, drink, are exposed to stress, chemicals, radiation, pesticides or take medication or drugs (like sulfasalazine, ketoconazole, azulfidine, anabolic steroids, marijuana) that affect fertility, you should consider taking an antioxidant supplement to reverse some of the damage.Why are Antioxidants Important for Sperm Quality?Mammalian spermatozoa are coated by a membrane rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids are extremely susceptible to oxidative damage by free radicals or Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) by a process called lipid peroxidation (LPO).Lipid peroxidation damages the sperm cell membrane. It is considered to be the key mechanism of ROS-induced sperm damage and leads to> Loss of sperm motility> Abnormal sperm morphology> Reduced capacity for oocyte penetration> InfertilityTo protect sperm from damage, the body depends on powerful antioxidant enzymes in the body such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase/reductase (GPX/GRD).Seminal plasma and spermatozoa have several antioxidant enzymes - glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase.Some amount of all the antioxidant enzymes, which may protect spermatozoa from oxidative attack, are also made by the epididymis during storage.The glutathione peroxidase/reductase enzymes play a central role in the defense against oxidative damage in human sperm.Why is Glutathione important for Sperm Quality and Fertility?A decrease in levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) during sperm production is known to disrupt the membrane integrity of spermatozoa due to increased oxidative stress.Intracellular glutathione levels of spermatozoa are known to be decreased in certain populations of infertile men. Compared with a control group, the infertile men in all groups had significantly higher levels of ROS and lower levels of total antioxidants.There is strong clinical evidence to show that men diagnosed with infertility have high levels of oxidative stress that may impair the quality of their sperm.In some groups, higher levels of ROS were associated with lower sperm counts and defective sperm structure, while lower antioxidant levels correlated with reduced sperm movement.  read more » Male Infertility and Glutathione Tired of Vet Bills Glutathione Your Brains Master Antioxidant Defense The Tibetan and Chinese health Secret If you read one health report a year this should be it Improve Your Dogs Health With a Natural Diet Identifying and Treating Health Problems in Your Dog Are You Hooked to the Power Source From Cell to Super Cell with Glutathione Glutathione for a Healthier Pregnancy