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Sperm Boosting Party Foods (& Drinks!)

Sperm Boosting Party Foods
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We use Advanced AI to translate our blog content. If the translation isn’t perfect, or if you have any queries about the content, our medical team is readily available to answer. Simply email [email protected]

Want to party without messing up your preconception plan? We get it. With New Year’s just around the corner, we thought we’d round up a few ideas for healthy drinks and snacks that will impress your guests – and improve your fertility. 

The Drinks

So, it’s likely that you’re going to want to have a few drinks to mark the end of (another) strange and stressful year. Can you drink whilst trying to conceive? Scientists say yes – kind of. Whilst there is evidence that regular or intense alcohol consumption could have a negative impact on your sperm – one glass of champagne at midnight isn’t going to ruin the quality of your sperm. 

However, if you’re trying to cut back on booze as part of a fertility health kick, there are some amazing alcohol-free beers on the market nowadays. Even better, why don’t you mix up some mocktails that are bursting with sperm superfoods? Here are some of our favourites. 

Lemon Pineapple Kiwi Sparkling Mocktail

Lemon Pineapple Kiwi Sparkling Mocktail

Citrus fruits are great for male fertility – and this drink is a triple threat. Pineapple is both an aphrodisiac and an antioxidant which is great news for baby-making and reducing oxidative stress that can harm sperm. Lemon is high in vitamin C, as is the kiwi, which is also a great natural source of folate – which can help support healthy pregnancies. 

Ingredients

  • 1 kiwi
  • 3 teaspoons pineapple juice
  • 1 teaspoon (or more if you like it sweet) raw honey
  • 1 can La Croix sparkling lemon water
  • Ice cubes with fresh mint leaves

Instructions

  • Peel and slice the kiwi and place into a small food processor or blender
  • Add the pineapple juice and raw honey (warm the honey up in the microwave for a little bit first, so it turns to liquid)
  • Pulse or blend to make a thin, well-blended puree
  • Pour 3/4 cup sparkling water into each glass. Divide the puree and pour in each glass
  • Serve with mint ice cubes if desired

 

Pomegranate Mojito Mocktail

Pomegranate Mojito Mocktail

Pomegranate has to be our go-to sperm superfood. Not only does it taste great, but it’s loaded with Vitamin C – and other great minerals are known to support male fertility. It also has a really high content of phytochemicals called punicalagin, which have shown very strong antioxidant properties – making this mojito a must drink for male fertility. 

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • Big bunch mint
  • 2 limes, quartered, plus slices to garnish
  • 1 litre of pomegranate juice
  • 500ml lemonade

Instructions

  • A day ahead, divide the pomegranate seeds between the holes in an ice cube tray, top up with water and freeze.
  • Reserve half the mint for serving, and tear the rest into a large jug with the lime quarters. 
  • Using a rolling pin, bash the mint and lime to release the flavours. 
  • Add the pomegranate juice and lemonade. 
  • Put ice cubes in each glass, then strain over the pomegranate mix through a small sieve.
  • Garnish with lime slices and more mint.

 

Mint Berry Smash Mocktail

Mint Berry Smash Mocktail

 

All berries are a rich source of antioxidants, vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, magnesium, iron and potassium so the combination of raspberries and blueberries in this mocktail make it a real sperm health winner. 

Ingredients

  • 1 handful raspberry
  • 1 handful blueberry
  • 1 sprig of fresh mint
  • 1 oz lime juice(30 mL)
  • 1 tablespoon agave nectar, or honey
  • ice
  • 1 splash soda water, or seltzer water

Instructions

  • In a cocktail shaker, or tall glass, muddle raspberries, blueberries, and mint.
  • Add lime juice, sweetener, and ice, and shake until well combined. If you do not have a cocktail shaker, simply pour back and forth between two glasses until combined.
  • Strain mixture over ice and top with a splash of soda water.
  • Garnish with berries and mint.
  • Enjoy!

 

The Snacks

 

Oysters

Oysters

Oysters have a reputation for being natural aphrodisiacs – but they could improve your baby-making chances in more ways than one. They are brilliant for boosting male fertility as they are exceptionally high in zinc and selenium and are also loaded with vitamin B12, iron, and copper. The taste might not be for everyone, but this spicy recipe will definitely tantalise the tastebuds – and make your party feel 1000 times more classy. 

Ingredients

  • 12 oysters, shucked (see method for tips on preparing your oysters)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • bunch chives, finely chopped, to serve

Instructions

  • Shuck your oysters if not already prepared. Here’s a handy video guide from BBC Good Food.
  • To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Drizzle the sauce over the oysters, then sprinkle with chopped chives and serve straight away.

 

Avocado & Shrimp Canapes

Avocado & Shrimp Canapes

We love this simple recipe – and your swimmers will too. Avocados are full of healthy fatty acids, vitamin K, B6, B9, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium and potassium whilst shrimp are high in protein and important micronutrients such as vitamin B12, B6 and B3, vitamin E, vitamin D and selenium. Considering this party snack contains not one but two sperm superfoods, it’s seriously easy to make! 


Ingredients 

  • 16 whole-wheat crackers
  • 1 avocado, cut into 16 slices
  • 16 cooked shrimp
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

  • Top each cracker with 1 slice of avocado, 1 shrimp and a squeeze of lime juice – you’re done!.

 

Spiced Nuts 

Spiced Nuts

We haven’t quite got the dream of having a bar installed in our house yet, but these spicy nuts can at least bring a real bar snack vibe to your evening. Nuts are amazing for your nuts – they’re packed with protein, fibre, vitamin B6, folate, and minerals including copper, zinc, and magnesium – making them the ideal thing to nibble on if you’re trying to get pregnant. 

Ingredients

  • 500 g mixed nuts (unsalted – a mix of cashews, brazils, peanuts, hazelnuts, walnuts or unpeeled almonds)
  • 25 g butter
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika (or ordinary paprika will do)
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
  • 3 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 350ºF / Gas Mark 4. Place the nuts on a baking tray, and toast in the oven for 8-10 minutes until turning golden (but watch carefully – they burn quickly!)
  • Meanwhile, melt the butter, then stir in the spices, sugar and salt.
  • Place the hot toasted nuts into a large bowl, add the spiced butter and continue to mix until they are all evenly coated. When they are cool enough to handle, taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.
  • Serve and enjoy your fertility-friendly bar snack! 

 

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More to explore

Wearing tight pants and underwear

Studies show that men who wear looser underwear have higher sperm concentration and total sperm count compared to men who wear tighter underwear. So, lose the tight clothes and wear something loose to give your testicles some air.

CONCLUSION: learn more about how heat can affect sperm quality here.

Stress

Besides higher mortality rate and various diseases, stress is associated with low sperm quality. Stress is known to be associated with lower testosterone levels and oxidative stress with both playing an essential role in producing and maintaining healthy sperm cells.

CONCLUSION: If you feel stressed, we recommend you get some help so you can have a balanced mental health. For a stress management guide, download the ExSeed app for free and start your personalized action plan today.

Physical activity

Scientific studies show that men who are physically active have better semen parameters than men who are inactive. Fertility specialists also state that regular physical activity has beneficial impact on sperm fertility parameters and such a lifestyle can enhance the fertility status of men.

Prioritizing exercise can help improve your overall health and result in healthy, fast swimming sperm cells that have good chances of fertilizing an egg.

CONCLUSION: Try incorporating exercise in your weekly schedule to you ensure exercising at least twice weekly. We recommend a combination of cardio training and strength exercise. Read more about exercise and male fertility on our blog.

Nutrition

Fast Food
Processed foods damage the health of sperm-producing cells and cause oxidative stress, which lead to poorer sperm quality. Heavy consumption of junk food (every week) can increase the likelihood of infertility since men who consume vast amounts of unhealthy food are at risk of having poor sperm quality. Besides harming your fertility, junk food enlarges your waistline, harms your cardiovascular system, kidneys, and more.

Vegetables
Eating more fruit and vegetables can increase your sperm concentration and motility. It’s important that you consume a healthy diet filled with antioxidants and that you eat vegetables every day. Foods such as apricots and red bell peppers are high in vitamin A, which improves male fertility by nurturing healthier sperm. Men who are deficient in this vitamin tend to have slow and sluggish sperm.

Sugary snacks/beverages: several times a week Excessive consumption of high sugar items can lead to oxidative stress, which negatively impacts testosterone levels and sperm motility. Sugary snacks and beverages are also highly associated with obesity and low fertility.
CONCLUSION: To boost sperm quality, stay away from fast food, processed food, and sugary snacks or beverages. You need to implement a healthy prudent diet filled with necessary superfoods needed for good sperm production. Check out our guide to Male Fertility Superfoods. For personalized guidance and support on how you can start improving your sperm health, check out the Bootcamp.

Heat

Direct heat can inhibit optimal sperm production and cause Sperm DNA damage. Sperm cells like environments that are a couple of degrees lower than body temperature. Avoid overheating from warm blankets, seat warmers, heat from your laptop, hot showers, and saunas.

Cigarette smoking

The exposure to tobacco smoke has significant negative effects on semen quality. The damage of cigarettes and nicotine of course depends on how many cigarettes you smoke per day and for how long, but even low usage (up to 10 cigarettes / day) can inhibit healthy sperm production.  

CONCLUSION: Stay as far away from cigarette smoking as possible if you care about your general health and your fertility. Read more here.

Cell phone

When you have your cell phone in your front pocket, your testicles are exposed to electromagnetic radiation, which studies have shown to damage the sperm cells. Put your phone in the back pocket of your pants or in your jacket pocket.

BMI

There is a clear association between obesity and reduced sperm quality. At least part of the reason for this is that obese men may have abnormal reproductive hormonal profiles, which can impair sperm production and lead to infertility. 

A BMI higher than 30 can lead to several processes in the body (overheating, increase in oxidative stress in the testes, sperm DNA damage, erectile dysfunction) that can have a negative impact on male fertility. This can result in problems when trying to conceive.  

CONCLUSION: BMI is one of the risk factors that influence semen quality and, for example, sperm motility.  

Alcohol

A beer or glass of wine now and then do not really harm sperm quality. But excess alcohol drinking (more than 20 units per week) can reduce the production of normally formed sperm needed for a successful pregnancy.

CONCLUSION: If you want to stay safe, stay under 14 units of alcohol per week. For more information on how alcohol can affect male fertility, take a look at our blog: “Alcohol and Sperm Quality”.

Age

Studies show that women younger than 35 and men younger than 40 have a better chance of getting pregnant. Men can produce sperm cells almost through their entire life, but the sperm cell DNA is more fragile and prone to damage after the age of 40.

As men age, their testes tend to get smaller and softer resulting in a decline in sperm quality and production. These changes are partly because of an age-related decrease in testosterone level, which plays a very important role in sperm

production. Higher male age (>40 years) is not only associated with a decline in sperm production but also with increased sperm DNA fragmentation and worsened morphology (shape) and motility (movement). These negative effects make the sperm cells less qualified for egg fertilization.

CONCLUSION: with an age under 40, you shouldn’t have to worry much about age as a factor in itself. However, studies have shown a slow decline after the age of 30-35 years

and if you are above 40 years of age, your sperm quality can be affected due to increased sperm DNA damage resulting in a decrease of sperm motility and concentration. Remember that you cannot evaluate the quality of a sperm sample by just looking at it – this requires a sperm analysis.