MEN
The booming popularity--and dangers--of fertility drugs for women have been hot in the news lately, while men seeking the same treatments have largely been ignored. Now, they can boost their virility with a less potent pill: selenium.
Scientists at Scotland's Glasgow Royal Infirmary gave either the supplement selenium or a placebo to 69 men seeking help for low fertility at a medical clinic. All had low sperm motility, which is one main reason that some men are unable to sire children. Subjects taking the metal for three months displayed an increase in sperm motility and fertility: 11% of men taking selenium soon reported that they were fathers-to-be, while no pregnancies were reported from the control group.
Selenium seems to modify the structure of sperm, thereby increasing their swim speed. Scotsmen tend to consume lower levels of selenium than men in other regions of the world, and replenishing these stores seemed to bring their fertility back, as well. Although other populations tend to consume higher levels of the metal, the researchers surmise in the British Journal of Urology that it may aid infertile men around the world.
