Reviewed by Dr Andre Budihardjo, MM and Physician Peh Wei Jie

5 Ways to Improve Sperm Health

Published February 14, 2023| 5 min read

Sperm health plays a big role if you and your partner are hoping to conceive. Here’s what to look for if you want a Rabbit or Dragon baby.

Couple embrace joyfully as they look at a pregnancy test kit in bed.

Did you know that the average male sperm count can range from 15 million to more than 200 million per millilitre of semen? It may seem like a sign of good sperm health and a big chance of conception, but this is far from the truth.

It also doesn’t help the situation that there is a decrease in the fertility rate of Malaysian women. The average number of babies per woman is 1.8, below the replacement level of 2.1 babies.

If you and your partner are trying for a Rabbit baby this year, or for a Dragon baby in 2024, ensuring good sperm health is important to increase your chances. Find out the reasons behind poor sperm health and ways to improve your chances of conceiving.

What are the Causes of Low Sperm Health?

Man walks in a park, holding a water bottle. — Being overweight can impact sperm health, so it’s a good idea to get active.

Sperm quality is affected by various lifestyle factors, including:

Being overweight
Smoking cigarettes

Experiencing a hormonal imbalance
Using anabolic steroids
Using certain types of medication
A high alcohol intake
Being exposed to toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, paints, and solvents

Long-distance cycling, tight-fitting pants and underwear, and spending too much time in a hot environment may also affect fertility, but only in exceptional cases. To add to the list, low sperm health can be caused by the following:

Obstruction: Blockages within the male reproductive tract
Varicoceles: Swollen veins in the scrotum

Immunologic infertility: Production of antibodies that attack a man’s sperm
Retrograde ejaculation: Semen that moves back into the bladder instead of out of the penis
Sperm disorders: Unusual sperm growth, abnormally-shaped sperm, poor sperm mobility, a low sperm count, or absence of sperm

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), poor sperm health links to imbalances in the Kidney system, which control jing (essence) and affect a man’s ability to reproduce.

“Kidney Qi (vital life force) or Yang (active energy) Deficiencies are linked to poor semen quality, fatigue, impotence, and pain in the lower back and legs. Kidney Blood or Yin (passive energy) Deficiencies can cause men to have low sperm count or abnormally-shaped sperm, dizziness, and a ringing sound in the ears.”

Eu Yan Sang Physician Peh Wei Jie

Holistic Ways to Address Sperm Health

Infertility is more common than you think. These lifestyle strategies and alternative remedies may help boost your chances of conceiving.

Eat folate-rich foods

Close-up display of an assortment of pasta and bread on a wooden table. — Eating pasta and bread regularly can supplement the body with enough folate.

You may have heard that folate is necessary for pregnant women, but it’s also vital for men. A University of California study showed that men with low folate levels had more abnormal chromosomes in their sperm. If abnormal sperm fertilises an egg, it may result in a miscarriage, or a child born with birth defects.

Ensure you’re getting enough folate daily by eating more of these foods:

Beans
Citrus fruits

Folate-enriched cereals
Whole grains
Pasta and bread
Leafy green vegetables

Get enough sleep

A lack of sleep can affect sperm quality. A recent study revealed that men who slept early had better sperm quality than those who didn’t. The men who slept before 10.30pm had up to 2.75 times more healthy sperm than those who stayed awake past 11.30pm.

Stop smoking and limit alcohol use

Here are more reasons to quit smoking cigarettes; it’ll result in chronic, life-threatening conditions and it’s also known to affect fertility and decrease sperm count and mobility. Cut it out if you want healthy sperm.

Similarly, excessive alcohol use can reduce sperm production and cause sperm abnormalities. Ideally, you should limit yourself to one or two alcoholic drinks daily.

Use herbal medication

Wu Zi Yan Zong Wan (五子衍宗丸) is a herbal formula that helps increase sperm quality by regulating Kidney qi and yang. It contains ingredients like goji berries (gou qi zi, 枸杞子), dodder seeds (tu si zi, 菟丝子), and plantain seeds (che qian zi, 车前子).

A licensed TCM practitioner would prescribe certain herbs to correct internal imbalances and improve sperm health. Examples of these are:

Lung and Spleen Qi Stagnation: Dried tangerine peel (chen pi, 陈皮)
Liver Dampness-Heat: Plantain seeds and Glabrous Greenbrier Rhizome (tu fu ling, 土茯苓)
Spleen Blood and Qi Deficiencies: Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome (bai zhu, 白术) and Poria (fu ling, 茯苓)

Other herbs can be taken too. Ginseng (ren shen, 人参) and Chinese Angelica (dang gui, 当归) help encourage sperm mobilisation. Cinnamon (rou gui, 肉桂) and Chinese yam (shan yao, 山药) may also be added to soups to promote better sperm health. Morinda root (ba ji tian, 巴戟天) help maintain the health of the male and female reproductive organs.

Undergo acupuncture

guan yuan — Located along the midline of the lower abdomen, 4 fingers-breadth below the navel. It dispels pathogens for improved qi and blood circulation within the lower abdominal cavity and revitalises Kidneys’ yang energy.

Located along the midline of the lower abdomen, 2 fingers-breadth below the navel. It dispels pathogens for improved qi and blood circulation within the lower abdominal cavity and revitalises kidneys' yang energy. — Located along the midline of the lower abdomen, 2 fingers-breadth below the navel. It dispels pathogens for improved qi and blood circulation within the lower abdominal cavity and revitalises kidneys’ yang energy.

shen shu — Located on the back, 1.5 finger-breaths lateral to the lower border of the spinous process of the 2nd lumbar vertebra.

An illustration of zusanli to maintain overall health — Zu san li is located on the front of the lower leg, 4 fingers-breadth below the knee joint.

An acupuncturist will needle points in the lower abdomen – CV4 (guan yuan, 关元) and CV6 (qi hai, 气海) to stimulate sperm production and movement. These acupoints are connected directly to the testes through nerves and arteries. You can also perform acupressure on these points with a thumb or index finger, which is also effective, but to a lesser degree.

Acupuncture on points like BL23 (shen shu, 肾俞) and ST36 (zu san li, 足三里) can also help with sperm health. They reduce stress levels and improve digestion and sleep quality, which promotes the production of fertile sperm.

Sperm health is an important factor if you’re trying to conceive a Rabbit or Dragon baby. Fortunately, herbs and lifestyle changes can increase your chances of getting pregnant this year. Keep in mind that the use of herbal medication and acupuncture should only be considered after speaking to a TCM practitioner.

Let us know if this article was helpful and leave us your thoughts in the comments below.