Why men who are trying to conceive benefit from folic acid as well

Folic acid is very well-known as a prenatal and preconception supplement for women. Why do you need to take folic acid? Well, this B vitamin is necessary for a lot of complicated processes inside the body, including repairing DNA and creating red blood cells. Sufficient levels of folic acid help women conceive more easily, and it's the only prenatal supplement that has been shown to actually prevent birth defects in this case neural tube defects like spina bifida. But did you know that men who are trying to conceive benefit from folic acid as well? This supplement is not female-only!

Research has shown that men who take daily folic acid supplements have higher number of healthy sperm. Normally, sperm should have two chromosomes; X and Y. All men have some abnormal sperm, where there is a chromosomal problem. For instance, some sperm can have two X chromosomes (leading to triple X syndrome if an egg is fertilized). It is perfectly expected for a man to have around one to four percent of unhealthy sperm in his ejaculate. But studies found that men who are taking folic acid have fewer abnormal sperm. Furthermore, folic acid supplementation could actually boost a man's sperm count, meaning the number of sperm in his seminal fluid.

These are some very good reasons for men to take folic acid as well as their partners. when they are trying to have a baby. And remember, folic acid is in fact the synthetic form of folate. This means that you can get folate through foods like leafy green vegetables, cauliflower, and broccoli in addition to, or instead of, taking a folic acid supplement. Sometimes, we have a tendency to place all the reproductive responsibility on the female partner if you're a man, you can certainly take proactive steps to have a baby too!