How to Increase Men’s Fertility: Simple Lifestyle Changes + Why They Matter

When we talk about fertility, it’s often the woman’s hormones that get time in the spotlight. But what if I told you men’s fertility is just as important? Yes, sperm quality can have a dramatic impact on the growth and development of your baby.

In fact, research shows that DNA damage in sperm can dramatically increase the risk of miscarriage. Sperm also plays a role in implantation and the development of the placenta.

If your preconception goal is to prepare for a healthy baby, you need to spend equal time optimizing men’s fertility. This conversation is even more relevant today, since men’s fertility is decreasing at about 1% per year globally. Currently, it’s estimated that about half of infertility cases are due to male infertility.

As a holistic nutritionist, I work with both men and women to optimize their fertility. There is some crossover for healthy food, lifestyle, and supplement choices — but here are my recommendations specifically for men…

How to Increase Male Fertility (7 Easy Ways)

During the preconception phase, I recommend both men and women put the same amount of effort into their fertility. While women’s hormone health is typically more obvious, men’s hormones and sperm quality can have just as much impact on your pregnancy outcome.

Support the 24-Hour Cycle (Circadian Rhythm)

Men’s bodies run on a twenty-four hour cycle (unlike women who experience a twenty-eight day cycle). Sperm counts tend to be higher in the morning, slightly dipping at night. This is why I find it so helpful to focus on the circadian rhythm. This is your body’s internal clock that tells you when to sleep, wake, and eat. But without safeguards to protect your circadian rhythm, it’s easy for disruption to happen.

Things like blue light, poor sleep quality, stress, and an inconsistent eating schedule can all throw off your circadian rhythm. I recommend you go to bed at the same time each night, find a consistent eating schedule that works for you, and perform activities to de-stress throughout the day (watching TV and scrolling social media don’t count!).

Consider Labs

Something like the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can be helpful if you want to pinpoint exact nutrient deficiencies and create an action plan. It may also help to get a semen analysis to see your sperm levels and quality. Take this test at the beginning of your preconception journey — then apply some of these methods to increase male fertility and see if they improve your results.

Reduce Toxin Overload

Hormone disruptors may impact men less obviously (and less rapidly) than they impact women. But this isn’t an excuse to allow them in your environment. Long-term use of chemical products can have adverse effects on sperm quality and motility.

In recent research, scientists found microplastics in every sperm sample they tested. While we don’t yet know all the effects of these microplastics, we can deduce that they impact not only fertility but also implantation and your baby’s health.

When you’re trying to get pregnant, I always recommend reducing environmental toxins. Use glass dishes, choose nontoxic personal care products, and switch to Branch Basics or another trustworthy brand for household cleaners. Try to move toward home-cooked meals, quality ingredients, and natural detox maintenance.

Maintain a Diet of Nutrient-Dense Foods

Yes, you can have more burgers, but only if they’re 100% grass-fed (and preferably mixed with organ meats). Men typically eat more meat and protein than women do, which is helpful for fertility health. But with these foods, it’s so important to make sure they come from a quality source.

Spend more time at your local farmer’s market or source meat from local producers who are transparent about feed quality. You’ll also want to include more antioxidants in your diet, meaning vegetables and plant foods.

Actively Reduce Stress

Stress can be a huge factor in men’s fertility and sperm quality. Although stress is likely not the only reason a couple could struggle to conceive, it is often a contributing factor. Both men’s and women’s bodies need to feel safe, comfortable, and well-fed for optimal conception.

I recommend building daily habits that help you decompress your body, mind, and spirit. Work with your partner on this and add fun activities to your calendar. You can also intentionally rewire your nervous system by taking a yoga class or starting a new hobby.

Limit Sauna Use

Saunas are extremely beneficial for heart health, natural detox, and mitochondria function. But what most people don’t know is that they can temporarily weaken men’s fertility. If you’re trying to get pregnant, I always recommend taking a break from prolonged heat exposure, especially saunas. In general, you want to avoid any extremes. During the preconception phase, do your best to avoid severe heat, cold, and stress.

Try Red Light Therapy

If you have a red light device at home (or if you’re considering buying one), you can use this to support healthy fertility. Studies have shown that frequent red light use can boost sperm quality and motility.

Men’s Fertility Supplements

Did you know? Some of my favorite brands sell men’s preconception vitamins. These vitamins focus on boosting sperm quality with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Here are some other men’s fertility supplements I recommend:

• Phospholipids. These are great for promoting gentle detox, mitochondria health, and strong cell membranes. They’re a good resource to help reduce toxin overload and microplastics in the body.

• Antioxidants. Since antioxidants are so important for cell health (and DNA health), I always recommend adding them to your list of men’s fertility supplements.

• Probiotics. Shockingly, some microbiome in semen has been linked to infertility. The microbiome is still incredibly new to the scientific world, but evidence suggests that men’s microbiome health can impact the placenta’s development.

• Shilajit mushroom. This is a supplement I love for women’s fertility, too. It’s packed full of nutrients and is an ancient Ayurvedic remedy. Shilajit may help with brain health, fatigue, and anemia. In the fertility community, it’s known to boost testosterone levels and increase sperm count.

Men’s Fertility Is Drastically Decreasing — But You Can Do Something About It

Yes, the recent science on men’s fertility is concerning. We’ve never seen fertility decline this rapidly at a global rate. But we’re not in the dark about how to reverse men’s infertility.

We know that microplastics, environmental toxins, and pollution all play a role in sperm quality and motility. And by fixing these issues, we can almost always support better male fertility.

As a holistic nutritionist focused on pregnancy and motherhood, I often work with both women and men to support preconception. Regularly, I see how the simple diet, lifestyle, and environmental changes I outlined here make a significant impact on sperm counts and fertility in general.

If you’d like to learn more about my method, I’ve recently opened my group coaching program, Reclaim Your Fertility. This program is for women looking to support their hormones in preparation for a healthy pregnancy. It also supports men with professional lab readings, dedicated sessions, and weekly recommendations.