Dietary Therapy to Improve Sperm Quality and Quantity
Traditional Chinese medicine considers low sperm count a condition of deficiency labor, mostly due to congenital insufficiency, excessive sexual activity damaging kidney essence, or prolonged serious illness causing depletion of qi and blood, ultimately leading to insufficient kidney essence and this condition. Thus, kidney deficiency is the direct cause of low sperm count.
However, kidney deficiency includes deficiencies in kidney qi, kidney yang, and kidney yin. Which deficiency leads to low sperm count? In a clinical study of over 80 patients with abnormal semen analysis, we found: low semen volume is mainly related to kidney yin deficiency, while low sperm count relates to deficiencies in kidney qi, yang, and yin, with no clear difference among the three in terms of sperm quantity. Practical findings also show that yang-tonifying herbs primarily enhance sperm motility, while yin-nourishing herbs significantly increase sperm count. As Zhang Jingyue said: "Those skilled in tonifying yang must seek yang within yin, so yang receives assistance from yin and generates endlessly; those skilled in tonifying yin must seek yin within yang, so yin receives support from yang and flows continuously." Therefore, regardless of sperm quantity, any case caused by kidney deficiency can be assisted by yang-strengthening foods. Here are recommended dietary therapies:
(1) 150 grams each of leeks and fresh shrimp, 1 pound of eggs, 50 milliliters of wine (preferably glutinous rice wine). Stir-fry leeks with shrimp and eggs, serve with wine, once daily, 10 days as one course. Suitable for those with kidney yang deficiency.
(2) Appropriate amount of sea cucumber, 100 grams of glutinous rice. First soak sea cucumber until soft, clean and slice, then cook until soft, add glutinous rice, and simmer into porridge, season and consume. Suitable for those with kidney essence deficiency.
Additionally, regularly eating seafood like eel, eel, shrimp, and frog meat, and plant seed kernels such as pine nuts, walnuts, and sesame seeds—warm-nourishing foods—also aid sperm production.
For men with yang-deficient constitution suffering from oligospermia, consuming animal testicles such as lamb testicles is beneficial. Natural supplements like deer antler or edible ants can also be taken to warm yang, nourish the kidneys, and increase zinc content in seminal fluid, enhancing both sperm quality and quantity.