Conceiving a baby is difficult for one in six Australian couples [i], however lifestyle changes can have a huge influence on both you and your partner’s ability to conceive. Up to one third of fertility issues are due to male infertility, and even if your partner is seemingly in good health, he may still be producing poor quality semen.

CoQ10/Ubiquinol for male fertility

Ubiquinol is the active (more readily absorbed) form of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a potent antioxidant which is naturally produced in our body. Research has shown that Ubiquinol helps protect sperm cells from oxidative stress, which is a potential cause of male infertility. However, our natural Ubiquinol and CoQ10 levels decline as we age, peaking at around the age of twenty and even earlier if you are physically active or stressed. A study in the Journal of Urology [i] found that supplementing with Ubiquinol improved both sperm quality and sperm motility. The study involved 228 men with unexplained sperm problems contributing to infertility, who were treated in a double blind, placebo controlled, randomised study using Ubiquinol.

You can find Ubiquinol in foods like sardines and red meat, but you’d need to eat 50 cans of sardines or 3kg of red meat per day to reach your recommended daily intake!

[i] http://www.fertilitysociety.com.au/

[i] Safarinejad, M et al, 2012, Journal of Urology, ‘Effects of the reduced form of coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinol) on semen parameters in men with idiopathic infertility: a double-blind, placebo controlled, randomized study’, 188(2):526-31 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22704112