If a man and a woman mutually decide to become parents, then it will be right to take a responsible approach to planning pregnancy, because the health of both spouses determines how healthy the baby will be, and how smoothly the period of its gestation for a woman will proceed.
In this article, we will tell you if future dads need to take any medications, including vitamins, before conceiving.
Why does a man need vitamins?
At the stage of conceiving a baby, two are involved in the process - a man and a woman. The success of the venture depends on the state of health of both. It is clear that a woman needs a larger supply of vitamins, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron and other substances in order to provide the child with everything necessary, because it is she who will bear the baby for nine months.
but the role of the father in this cannot be underestimated... The quality of the sperm depends not only on how quickly it will be possible to conceive a child, but also on what health the heir will be endowed with. That is why fertility specialists recommend taking seriously the preparation for the upcoming conception.
A man's sperm is regularly negatively affected. Its composition and properties are influenced by nicotine, alcohol, lack of sleep, fatigue, stress, medicines, and the environment. Sick and weak spermatozoa can theoretically fertilize an egg, but the result can be disastrous - a big child, genetic pathologies, chromosomal abnormalities.
It takes about 3 months for the stronger sex to heal their sex cells. 90 days - this is the period for the complete renewal of the sperm stock.
It is three months before the intended conception that it is recommended to begin preparation. It is best for a man to refuse alcohol intake, to minimize the number of cigarettes smoked, if he cannot give up the bad habit altogether.
Nutrition for both spouses should be done balanced, saturated with proteins, vitamins. Moderate vigorous physical activity, sports, jogging with your spouse, skiing, visiting an ice rink, cycling are useful.
When asked whether men need vitamins, the answer is unequivocal - they do. Correctly selected multivitamin complexes will help improve the quality of sperm, sperm motility, and increase their ability to fertilize.
The stronger sex should also start taking medications. about six months before conception. The minimum term is 3 months. Vitamins for women and men during pregnancy planning are necessary, but it is not recommended for both husband and wife to take the same drug. They need different complexes.
The spouse should accumulate a supply of vitamins for bearing the baby, create the most favorable conditions for the next nine months.
Her husband needs to achieve a different goal - to provide healthy germ cells at the stage of conception. After that, he can relax and not take any vitamins if this is a burden to him.
Healthy sperm, which are formed while taking vitamins for men, will carry normal genetic material, devoid of mutations. The mobility of the germ cells will allow spouses to become pregnant as soon as possible - already in the first or second cycle after the start of attempts.
Vitamins will have a beneficial effect on the entire state of men's health - the future dad will feel more vigorous, healthy, vitamins help to regulate the production of sex hormones that ensure normal libido and cannot but reflect on the quality of sperm.
Vitamins for future dads
The following vitamins and substances have a positive effect on the condition, sperm composition and the level of sex hormones in men.
Tocopherol
Vitamin E (tocopherol) protects the integrity of cells, including male germ cells. They become more durable, hardy. Spermatozoa under the influence of tocopherol acquire incredible vitality, they retain the ability to fertilize longer waiting for the release of the egg, ready for intercourse.
Sex cells become more mobile. At the same time, the strength of cell membranes makes them less susceptible to any negative external influences. The daily requirement for tocopherol is 100-400 IU per day.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is needed not only during the period of illness with influenza or acute respiratory viral infections, it is necessary so that testosterone, the male sex hormone, is synthesized in a man's body in normal quantities.
If it is not enough, testosterone levels remain unoptimized. The stability of testosterone production is important for the formation of new germ cells. The daily requirement for ascorbic acid for men is 60 to 80 mg per day.
Vitamin D
This vitamin, in sufficient quantities, provides a process during which more calcium is absorbed from food by the body. The mineral is important for men leading an active life, involved in sports, hard physical labor. It affects not only the musculoskeletal system, but also on the amount of the male sex hormone testosterone.
If vitamin D is not enough, calcium will decrease, and testosterone production can be significantly reduced. This will affect both the sex drive, which will begin to decrease, and the quality of sperm, which will become "lazy" and inactive.
With a lack of vitamin D, the mechanisms that retain the effect of the female hormone estrogen on the male body will begin to weaken, as a result of which the man will begin to recover, his sexual functions will begin to suffer. The daily requirement for vitamin D for men is 400 IU per day.
Zinc
This substance is actively involved in the regulation of hormonal levels in the male body. The quantity of sex hormones and the quality and quantity of sperm capable of healthy conception directly depend on the degree of zinc sufficiency in the body.
Selenium
This substance is necessary for a man to experience sexual desire. This is especially true for the stronger sex after 40 years.
If the age of the future dad has passed the 36 mark, it is worth making sure that selenium must be included in the vitamins for taking when planning a pregnancy.
Folic acid
The value of this B vitamin for expectant mothers is beyond doubt - it helps in the correct establishment of the organs and systems of the embryo. For future dads, folic acid is equally important, because it promotes the formation of sperm cells of the correct shape with a healthy genetic content.
Also, the vitamin affects the mobility of male germ cells. The daily requirement of a man for folic acid is 400 mcg.
It is desirable that all of the listed substances be included in the vitamins for men at the stage of pregnancy planning. But if there is no such opportunity for a number of reasons, care should be taken to ensure that the man must have the opportunity to drink folic acid, since it is this B vitamin that is entrusted with the main function in maintaining the reproductive system of male and female organisms.
List of drugs for future dads
We've compiled a list of the best multivitamins for dads-to-be. In order not to measure out the right amount of individual vitamins every day, a man can simply purchase and start taking one of the following drugs.
"Duovit for men"
The drug comes in the form of red and blue tablets. Red tablets contain basic vitamins necessary for the male body, and blue tablets contain basic minerals, macronutrients and chemical elements (calcium, zinc, etc.). A total of 11 vitamins and 7 elements.
In the morning, after breakfast, a man can take a red pill, and in the evening, after dinner, a blue one. The course lasts 21 days, after which you need to take a week break and repeat the course.
"Alphabet for Men"
This preparation contains 13 vitamins and 9 minerals, in addition, it contains Siberian ginseng, which has a beneficial effect on the reproductive system of the stronger sex. The daily dose is three tablets of different colors.
One contains only vitamins, the other contains minerals and vitamin D, and the third contains vegetable auxiliary components and additives. This improves the assimilation of each group of substances. The dosage of the constituents corresponds to the daily requirement for each substance.
"Viardot" or "Viardot Forte"
These drugs are not considered vitamin complexes, they belong to the category of biologically active additives (dietary supplements). Both products are available in capsules, but Viardot Forte is more convenient to take, because one capsule of the drug replaces three capsules of the usual Viardot.
The drug with the prefix "Forte" in the name is taken with meals, 1 capsule up to four times a day. The usual drug "Viardot" is taken in 3 capsules with the same frequency. The course is 3-4 weeks, after a short break, the reception can be resumed.
"Complivit"
The complex contains 11 vitamins and 8 minerals. Each tablet contains the daily volume of all substances necessary for the stronger sex. Therefore, it is recommended to take vitamins only once a day, after meals, with a little water.
"Profertil"
It is a dietary supplement to stimulate fertility in both men and women. The tool was originally created and developed to improve the quality of the sperm of the stronger sex. The male version of the drug contains all the necessary substances, including folic acid, selenium and zinc.
It is recommended to take 2 capsules per day after meals. The course is three months (until the end of the period of spermatogenesis). If necessary, the course can be extended until pregnancy, the capsules will not cause any harm to the man.
Selzink Plus
This drug is an antioxidant. Each tablet contains zinc, vitamins C and E, as well as selenium and beta-carotene.
It is allowed to take 1 tablet per day, 10-15 minutes after meals. If desired, a man can supplement the intake with other vitamins, however, the amount of vitamin C should be calculated, in total from the two drugs, it should not exceed the above daily rate.
"SpermActive"
These tablets are dietary supplements from the well-known German pharmaceutical company Quaiser Pharma-Doppelgerz. In addition to improving the quality of sperm, the product helps to establish the regularity of sexual intercourse, since increases libido. There is also an increase in sperm count.
The drug is recommended for men of any age, but the most pronounced result from taking it can be obtained by men who decide to become dads after 40 years.
"Spermastrong"
This biologically active supplement contains all the substances necessary for the future father - zinc, selenium, manganese and vitamins E, C, B5, B6. Capsules should be taken at the same time as meals twice a day.
Reception should not exceed 20 days, after which a week break is made, and the reception of "Spermastrong" can be repeated.
General recommendations
Men who decide to become dads should be careful about their diet. Beer with fish is best set aside until better times. On a man's table, there should be products that are sources of substances necessary for his reproductive health.
For example, folic acid is found in large quantities in spinach, cereals and green vegetables. Vitamin B12 is found in meat and fish, milk and dairy products.
Products with a high content of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) will help to diversify the meager male diet. These are oranges and tangerines, pure black currants, sea buckthorn, lemons and rose hips.
Vegetable oil, nuts, and cod liver will help fill the vitamin E deficiency. Zinc can be found in mushrooms, seafood, liver and cocoa.
Selenium is rich in eggs and pistachios, as well as oysters and other sea molluscs. Seafood and cod liver will also provide a man with a certain amount of iodine, which is important for the thyroid gland and the normalization of hormonal levels.
Reviews
Most of the reviews about male vitamins when planning pregnancy on the Internet are left not by men themselves, but by their wives and girlfriends. Therefore, it is difficult to understand how exactly the representatives of the stronger sex underwent a course of preventive treatment, but most women argue that their husbands still had to be forced to take drugs. Without a reminder, future dads simply forgot to take a capsule or did not consider it necessary to do so.
In some cases, when both spouses were undergoing infertility treatment, within the framework of which a spermogram was made, a positive effect of the action of dietary supplements such as "Spermaktiv" is noted. The spermogram was improved within 2-2.5 months after the start of treatment, the viscosity of the sperm decreased, and its amount increased. The sperm motility was assessed by doctors as positive.
In rare cases, women and men indicate the onset of negative side effects - manifestations of an allergic reaction to multivitamins and dietary supplements.
There is always such an opportunity, therefore it is important to carefully monitor your well-being and any changes. It is best if a vitamin preparation is prescribed by a fertility specialist.
If symptoms of hypervitaminosis (overdose) appear, a man should definitely consult a doctor. If you believe the reviews, more than 90% of men are not enthusiastic about the idea of visiting a fertility specialist if the family already has a child, and we are talking about planning a second or third, as well as if a man has children from previous marriages.
Tracking the effectiveness of taking vitamins for men can only be done with a spermogram taken before and after treatment.
In more detail about how to prepare a man for conceiving a child, the urologist-andrologist will tell you in the next video.
