Is folic acid good for sperm?

Folic acid is a substance that women need to supplement in the early stages of pregnancy. This substance can help women avoid fetal malformations during pregnancy, so women start taking folic acid two months before pregnancy. Some men also take folic acid to improve the quality of their sperm. In fact, taking folic acid is not good for men's health. On the contrary, it will reduce sperm motility. So is taking folic acid good for sperm?

A study conducted by the Human Nutrition Center of the University of California, Berkeley, shows that low levels of folic acid in men can lead to lower semen concentration and reduced sperm motility. In addition, folic acid can be synthesized into folic acid with other substances in the human body. If men lack folic acid in their bodies, it will increase the probability of chromosomal defects in infants, increasing the risk of cancer in infants when they grow up.

So how should men supplement folic acid?

Whole grains to supplement folic acid

The simplest and most direct way to supplement folic acid is to eat more whole grains, because the folic acid content in whole grains is very high.

Eat green vegetables that contain folic acid

Such as lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, greens, asparagus, cauliflower, rapeseed, Chinese cabbage, lentils, bean pods, mushrooms, etc.

Eat fresh fruits rich in folic acid

Such as orange, strawberry, cherry, banana, lemon, peach, plum, apricot, starberry, crabapple, sour date, hawthorn, pomegranate, grape, kiwi, strawberry, pear, walnut, etc.

Animal foods are also rich in folic acid

Animal liver, kidney, poultry and eggs, such as pork liver, chicken, beef and lamb, help supplement folic acid.

Nuts rich in folic acid

Nuts such as walnuts, cashews, chestnuts, almonds, and pine nuts can help replenish folic acid.

How to supplement folic acid

Many pregnant women know that they need to supplement folic acid, but it is generally believed that they only need to supplement when they are pregnant. Experts say that folic acid is very important for pregnant women and fetuses. If folic acid is deficient in the first three months of pregnancy, it can lead to neural tube defects in the fetus and increase the incidence of schizophrenia and anencephaly. Pregnant women who supplement folic acid in time can prevent congenital malformations such as low birth weight, premature birth, and cleft palate (cleft lip) in newborns.

There are many foods that contain folic acid, but because folic acid is unstable and easily loses its activity when exposed to light and heat, the human body can only obtain a small amount of folic acid from food. For example, vegetables lose 50% to 70% of their folic acid after being stored for 2 to 3 days; cooking methods such as boiling soup will cause a 50% to 95% loss of folic acid in food; vegetables soaked in salt water will also lose a lot of folic acid. Therefore, pregnant mothers should change some cooking habits to reduce the loss of folic acid as much as possible, and increase the intake of foods rich in folic acid. If necessary, they can supplement with folic acid preparations, folic acid tablets, and multivitamin tablets.

Foods rich in folic acid include: vegetables include lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, carrots, greens, asparagus, cauliflower, rapeseed, pakchoy, lentils, bean pods, mushrooms, etc.; fresh fruits include oranges, strawberries, cherries, bananas, lemons, peaches, plums, apricots, star apricots, crabapples, sour dates, hawthorns, pomegranates, grapes, kiwis, strawberries, pears, walnuts, etc.; animal foods include animal liver, kidneys, poultry and eggs, such as pork liver, chicken, beef, lamb, etc.; beans and nut foods include soybeans, soy products, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts, almonds, pine nuts, etc.; cereals include barley, rice bran, wheat germ, brown rice, etc.