If you’re grappling with low sperm count issues, know that you’re not the only one. Sperm counts of men in America and Europe, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, have plummeted by over 50 percent in the past 40 years.1 Across geographies, there is a 59.3 percent dip in total sperm count and 52.4 percent fall in sperm concentration of men.2
So what qualifies as “low sperm count”? To put things in perspective, a healthy sperm count clocks in at between 40 and 300 million per milliliter. Anything below 20 million is considered low, though men with this level may not always experience fertility issues if the motility and structure of the sperm are good. If your count is below 10 million, you may need to seek treatment.3 Alternative remedies and lifestyle changes can also go a long way in helping with your problem. But none is simpler than the milk and honey solution which is readily available and easy to consume.
Yes, Milk With Honey Is A Traditional Remedy For Low Sperm Count
A drink of milk and honey has been touted as a means to increase sperm count for generations. Individually, both have plenty to offer, aiding sperm production, battling oxidative stress, and protecting your reproductive organs and sperm from damage. They also help overall sexual health. Together, they give you the benefits of both foods, upping your chances of good results from this natural remedy. Plus, with a remedy this easy to put together and with no dire side effects, there’s little reason not to try it. A drink of milk and honey is also a wonderful way to calm your body down, washing away the day’s stress. Here’s the lowdown on the components that make this remedy a winner.
Honey finds mention in folk medicine and traditional medicine like ayurveda as an infertility remedy. Anecdotal evidence is also plenty, with people vouching for its effect on their sexual stamina. It even enhances pleasure when consumed along with ground garlic, another natural aphrodisiac. Paired with cinnamon, honey is again considered an infertility treatment. Then, of course, we have the age-old remedy of milk and honey for men with fertility issues.
Honey Improves Sperm Count, Motility, And Morphology
Milk and honey is a traditional remedy recommended for sub-fertile or infertile men to bring a considerable increase in sperm count.4 In animal studies, honey has been seen to help improve sperm count, morphology, and motility.5
Honey Protects Reproductive Organs And Reduces Testicular Damage
Honey itself is also an antioxidant that can counter oxidative stress in the body – including in your reproductive organs. It might even improve the condition if you have testicular damage, one of the causes of low sperm count.6
Zinc In Honey Improves Sperm Quality
Honey also contains zinc, which has been linked to fertility in men. If your seminal plasma zinc concentration is low, it could result in fertility issues like low count of viable sperm which has normal structure and motility. On the other hand, increasing intake of zinc via foods like honey or supplements could help your fertility issues and improve semen volume, sperm motility, and concentration of normal sperm in the semen.7
B Vitamins In Honey Boost Testosterone And Help With Erections
Honey is rich in B vitamins, needed for testosterone production. It also has nitric oxide, which aids vasodilation and could, therefore, help those with erectile dysfunction.8
Vitamin A In Low-Fat Milk Helps In Normal Sperm Production
Milk brings its own benefits to this equation, working as the perfect foil to honey. When you’re making your drink, be careful to use only non-fat or low-fat milk. Higher saturated fat intake has been linked to lower sperm count in men, so your glass of full-fat milk could do you in!9
Your body needs adequate levels of vitamin A to keep up normal sperm production.10 A cup of non-fat milk with added vitamin A and D has around 500 IU of vitamin A, which is 10 percent of your daily values.11 Non-vitamin A-fortified reduced-fat milk also has about 184 IU in a cup.12
Vitamin B12 In Milk Fights Oxidative Damage And Improves Semen Quality
Milk also contains vitamin B12, which can help semen quality and increase sperm count and motility. It is also believed to reduce sperm DNA damage, help reproductive organ function, and fight oxidative damage to sperm. While B12 supplementation cannot be recommended until further studies are done – especially on any adverse effects – you can increase dietary intake of the vitamin with low- or non-fat dairy intake.13 Just one cup of low-fat milk helps you get about 18 percent of your daily values of vitamin B12.14
Milk Improves Sleep And Sperm Production Impaired By Stress
If you are stressed, it could impair your sexual life, affecting sperm production as well as quality.15 If you struggle to sleep at night due to stress, a glass of warm milk and honey may actually help.16 Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that can improve duration and quality of sleep. If you have milk about half an hour before bedtime, it should help you calm down and sleep well, waking up well-rested and less stressed.17
Diabetics Should Avoid The Milk And Honey Remedy
If you need to monitor your sugar intake because you’re diabetic, regular intake of honey might not be a very good idea. Honey can cause your blood glucose levels to rise because it is a low glycemic index food. Your body burns through it quickly, exposing you to the risk of sudden spikes and then dips in blood sugar. If you have a dairy allergy or are lactose intolerant, you may need to pass up on the milk. In these cases, you could consider other alternative remedies to boost your sperm count.
More Foods And Herbal Remedies That Increase Sperm Count
Besides milk and honey, other foods are also known to help with male sexual and reproductive health – and low sperm count, in particular. Here are some foods you could try and incorporate into your diet:
- Almonds: These nuts contain monounsaturated fats that the body needs to produce testosterone. They also have vitamins that aid sperm production. Animal studies show an increase in sperm count and testosterone levels rising after subjects were treated with a herbal formulation containing almonds.18
- Tomatoes: Protect your sperm from free radical damage with an increase in tomato intake. The lycopene in the juicy tomato and the antioxidant action of its other vitamins help boost sperm count, concentration, and motility. One study found that consuming just a can of tomato juice daily (where each can had 30 mg of lycopene) helped infertile patients by boosting sperm motility.19
- Maca Root: Peruvian remedy maca could boost your libido and improve sperm count and motility. The root is rich in nutrients like iron, magnesium, iodine, and amino acids that can help your reproductive health.20
- Ashwagandha: If you’d like to try something from ayurveda, wonder remedy ashwagandha is recommended to help improve sperm concentration, morphology, and motility in men with fertility issues. In one instance, consuming the herb for just 90 days brought about a whopping 167 percent rise in sperm concentration!21
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