Alpha Lipoic Acid Can Help Improve Male Fertility
Disease and toxins are known to increase the risk of infertility in both men and women. These factors can damage reproductive organs (testes and ovaries) and areas of the brain that control sex hormones. In turn, eggs and sperm are also not as healthy. Research suggests that alpha lipoic acid may help protect against infertility and actually increase the chances of having children. (ii.17, 155)
| Toxin or Disease | Impact on Fertility | Alpha Lipoic Acid Effect |
|---|---|---|
|
4-octylphenol An industrial chemical used in detergent, herbicides, and paints. (ii.17) |
Disrupts both the endocrine and reproductive systems. Similar to estrogen, it binds to receptors for this hormone and has the following effects: (ii.17)
|
Alpha lipoic acid counteracted all toxic effects of 4-octylphenol on sperm and hormone levels when administered in animals prior to exposure. Its antioxidant benefits were seen in both the hypothalamus and in the testes. (ii.17) |
|
Acrylamide Toxic chemical that can form from cooking starchy foods at high temperatures. (ii.156) |
Significantly reduces testosterone and natural antioxidant levels in animal studies. (ii.156) |
Alpha lipoic acid improved hormone and antioxidant levels in rats exposed to dietary acrylamide. (ii.156) |
|
Agricultural chemicals Such as zineb, a fungicidal compound, lindane, a pesticide, and the herbicide glyphosate. (ii.157-160) |
In addition to negative effects on organs and carcinogenic properties, zineb and glyphosate also block testosterone production. (ii.157-158) Lindane was used to control for malaria and for insects destructive to crops. It's been linked to poor sperm quality and damaged mitochondria in men with fertility problems. (ii.159-160) |
Animal studies show alpha lipoic acid: (ii.159, 161)
|
|
Bisphenol A (BPA) Chemical widely used in plastics, including food packaging. (ii.162) |
Studies show that environmental levels of BPA (leached into food and water sources) affect testosterone levels in men. BPA levels in urine of male patients at an infertility clinic were also linked to levels of hormones associated with poor semen quality. (ii.163-164) Higher occupational levels have been linked to significantly higher rates of sexual dysfunction in men. (ii.165) |
Alpha lipoic acid's antioxidant properties can help counteract changes to testicular cell mitochondria caused by BPA in animal studies. (ii.162) |
|
Chemotherapy agents Drugs used to treat cancerous tumors (such as Adriamycin®). (ii.166-167) |
A potential adverse side effect of these cancer drugs is damage to the testis, which can severely impact sperm count and male fertility. (ii.166-167) |
Pre-treatment with alpha lipoic acid may help prevent chemotherapy damage to testis and protect fertility. In a study using an animal model for the effects of toxins on testis, alpha lipoic acid reversed abnormalities caused by Adriamycin®. (ii.167) |
|
Low sperm count and/or impaired sperm motility 
|
Reduces fertility. (ii.155, 166) 
|
In a placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial, alpha lipoic acid significantly improved both sperm count and motility. The dosage was 600 mg/day of alpha lipoic acid for 3 months, and positive changes began after the 2nd month of treatment. (ii.155) Results published in the acclaimed journal Fertility and Sterility further corroborates that alpha lipoic acid could help treat male infertility. In another clinical trial, alpha lipoic acid increased total sperm count, sperm concentration, and sperm motility. The study was randomized, triple-blinded, and placebo controlled. Patients at the infertility clinic took either 600 mg/day of alpha lipoic acid for 12 weeks or placebo. (ii.168) |
|
Testicular torsion |
A common, very painful injury to adolescent boys that occurs when a testicle rotates and twists, cutting off blood supply to the testicle. Testicular torsion can result in loss of fertility. (ii.169-170) |
Pretreatment with alpha lipoic acid reduced damage to testicular cells caused by the loss of blood flow. (ii.15) |
