“Testicular Atrophy ” is one of those words that delivers with it an instant wince, especially if infertility is another topic on the table.
Even though it’s not terribly painful, just reading or hearing it makes you bend over slightly to protect the boys.
I’m not going to lie here. It’s bad… But it’s not the worst thing ever and not a permanent situation.
Testicular Atrophy and Infertility
Well, what is it then?
Testicular atrophy is a condition in which your testicles shrink and function poorly.
It’s usually caused by something going very wrong, like a serious disease, an injury to the testicles, environmental contamination, or the serious use of a handful of drugs.
This function loss causes a lot of havoc with your sexual health, up to and including total infertility.
That’s the bad news about testicular atrophy.
The good news is you can fight the atrophy just like you fight any other kind of atrophy in your body.
Physical therapy for a leg injury includes exercises and diet to fight the atrophy in the muscles from lack of work while healing.
In the case of testicular atrophy, you can’t start doing a bunch of highly-specialized workouts and expect results.
Instead you’ll be making a few changes to your diet. With luck and consistent application, you’ll see results.
Eat Goji Berries for Testicular Atrophy and Infertility
The connection between goji berries (lycium barbarum) and male fertility is pretty solidly documented (source).
Most recently, a study in China of 42 men found increased sperm counts in 33 men after two months of taking a daily serving of ½ ounce of goji berry daily.
These men began the study diagnosed with low sperm counts resulting in infertility, and left the study with average to above average sperm count.
The author of the study noted that all 33 successful subjects fathered children after the study.
A variety of animal trials found that substances in goji berries increase sex hormone production, and thus both the quality and health of sperm.
Goji berries are rich in antioxidants, which can reduce free radical damage throughout the body.
This includes damage to the testicles from many environmental and health factors.
A handful of studies with women have found similar benefits for the ovaries, increasing female fertility via the same mechanic.
While they’re at it, goji berries also benefit your general health in a variety of ways:
- Improved immunity, including resistance to cancer
- Healthy, more attractive skin
- Improved eye health, including reduced risk of macular degeneration and glaucoma
- Stabilizing blood sugar
- Detoxifying the liver
- Improved energy and mood
All of these things aren’t just good for your body overall, but have been specifically linked to better sexual health (if not directly tied to testicular atrophy).
You may also have heard goji berries called wolfberries or matrimony vine.
2. Eat Oysters for Testicular Atrophy and Infertility
Oysters: they aren’t just for “that special night” anymore.
Many aphrodisiacs were so labelled back when scientists thought the physical shape of a plant suggested its usefulness.
Oysters look a lot like a vagina, from a certain point of view, so the connection seemed obvious.
Almost every aphrodisiac identified via this method has later been found to be nothing of the sort, but study after study has found oysters to actually work.
A team of researchers based in Italy and the USA analyzed the chemical makeup of various kinds of shellfish.
They found oysters were extremely rich in amino acids that directly stimulate the human body to produce sex hormones.
The hormones produced include those that immediately increase arousal, sex drive, and sexual pleasure…
But also the basic “building block” hormones like testosterone responsible for production and health of sperm.
Bottom line: eating oysters is good for your short-term sexual opportunity and your long-term fertility and sexual health.
The only bad news here is you have to eat them raw.
If that thought gives you pause, it’s time to take one for the team.
Just think what your partner sometimes swallows in the name of love.
If it really grosses you out, you can take oyster in supplement form to get all the nutrients with none of the yuck (but also less of the fun).
3. Eat Pumpkin Seeds for Testicular Atrophy
Okay, pumpkin seeds aren’t just a male fertility thing.
They carry a wide range of strong health benefits for men and women alike.
Just a few of the most-frequently-proven health impacts of pumpkin seeds include:
• Anti-inflammatory impacts
• Improved heart and liver health
• Better sleep
• Improved immunity
• Better digestion
• More resistance to some forms of cancer
Add into that list a dose of amino acids and nutrients that directly improve sperm production and health, and you have a real winner.
Most directly, the zinc in pumpkin seeds blocks the enzyme that converts testosterone to estrogen.
That means more testosterone in your body, meaning more sperm production regardless of testicular atrophy.
Other nutrients (especially vitamins B,C,D and E) are conclusively linked with increased libido and improved fertility.
Testicular Atrophy and Infertility – Conclusion:
It should be obvious by now that I recommend putting all three of these testicular health powerhouses into your regular diet.
Specifically, I suggest at least one of the following doses every day:
• ½ ounce of Goji berry juice
• ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds
• 2 raw oysters
Mix and match over the course of a week to get a good balance.
Although no research has been done on what happens if you double-dose by taking more than one each day, no research suggests it’s bad for you either.
Also, it’s worth noting that you can get the same benefit from extracts and other supplements.