Can Oysters Make Babies?

Post from http://www.danieluk.net

A tantalizing analysis from New Zealand suggests that some couples who are having trouble conceiving may benefit from the male partner’s taking vitamin E, zinc, or other antioxidants.

Marian Showell, of the University of Auckland, led a team of researchers who reviewed 34 studies covering nearly 3000 couples undergoing artificial insemination because of problems getting pregnant. The scientists discovered that men who took antioxidant supplements were four times more likely to get their partners pregnant.

Antioxidants are thought to help protect sperm cells from damage by free radicals, highly reactive waste products of normal metabolic functions. Too much damage can produce sperm that are few in number or weak swimmers.

The study was small — only 20 births involved men who had taken antioxidants. And it’s possible that something else in the lifestyle of antioxidant takers caused the increase in fertility. But since most antioxidants aren’t harmful unless taken in high doses, a man hoping to increase his odds of producing offspring might give them a try.

Because the New Zealand study didn’t distinguish among various antioxidants, it produced no clues on which might be best to take. The most widely known antioxidants are selenium, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and E. Besides supplements, they are found in many foods:

Selenium: whole-grain cereals, organ meats, seafood, milk, chicken, egg yolks, and garlic.

Zinc: red meat, liver, certain seafoods (especially oysters), poultry, eggs, whole grains, and fortified cereals.

Vitamin A: liver, egg yolks, seafood, and vitamin A-fortified milk.

Vitamin C: citrus fruits, potatoes, peppers, strawberries, melons, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and spinach.

Vitamin E: vegetable oils, margarines, meats, nuts, seeds, legumes, and unprocessed cereal grains.

Dishes that might be especially helpful, then, include oysters Rockefeller, steak-and-eggs, chicken Florentine, and fruit salad with cream.

Zinc is the one antioxidant most easily overindulged The recommended upper limit for adults is 40 milligrams a day — the amount in a quarter-cup of oysters. Chronic oversupply can cause anemia, depressed immune function, abdominal pain, and fever.

Ironically, in women, zinc overdose can also bring about premature birth or stillbirth. So, men, give your lady the peaches-and-cream and eat the oysters yourself. Don’t worry about being a calorie counter.

Fo over a decade I have been contributing content on subjects ranging from careers to weight-loss.

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