Fertility of woman and man Nutrition Sperm quality

Varicocele treatment – look at the current state-of-the-art

Did your doctor diagnose a varicocele and you are wondering what this means for you?

First of all, you should know that this is actually quite common: On average, ten to 15 out of 100 men have a varicocele.
It basically means that veins inside your scrotum have become enlarged. Varicoceles form during puberty, and can grow larger over time. Often, varicoceles cause no problems and are harmless. However, they may also cause pain and importantly, they may impair your semen quality.
So particularly if you know that one day you would like to be a father, it is important to consider treatment:
This will usually mean surgical removal of the varicocele, and for many men, this will be sufficient to regain their normal semen quality. For a big proportion of patients, however, the result in terms of semen quality might be below their expectations.
A novel article published by the scientists Harshit Garg and Rajeev Kumar in the Asian Journal of Andrology in spring 2016 now confirms that for those patients, antioxidant therapy after surgery presents as a safe and promising option. This is due to the fact that varicocele seems to increase oxidative stress, which damages spermatozoa significantly. Therefore, counteracting this varicocele-associated effect, is very effective.

According to studies, a suitable supplement should include at least the components N-acetyl cysteine, zinc, folic acid and coenzyme Q10. For best results, patients should take the supplement for at least 3 months (because that is how long it takes for sperms to develop).
Ideal for this indication is the patent-protected formula of Fertilovit® Mplus. For best results, take two vegetarian capsules daily, one in the morning and one in the evening. This, together with specific coating and use of precursors, will ensure protection from oxidative stress 24/7.

Reference:

Harshit Garg and Rajeev Kumar. An update on the role of medical treatment including antioxidant therapy in varicocele. Asian J Androl. 2016 Mar-Apr; 18(2): 222–228.

About the author

Dr. rer. nat. Birgit Wogatzky

For many years now, biologist and nutritionist Dr Birgit Wogatzky, has been focusing on the special needs of fertility patients. For the readers of this blog, she sums up interesting novel information and developments from current research projects regarding lifestyle and nutrition of fertility patients.

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