Beli Prenatals are HSA/FSA eligible!

What Happens if a Man Takes Prenatal Vitamins?

If you’ve been paying attention, you may have heard the buzz around prenatal vitamins—for men. Just like they do for women, prenatal vitamins formulated for men include ingredients that support his preconception health. Here at Beli, we’re staunch advocates of supporting male fertility in anticipation of fatherhood. In fact, our men’s prenatal vitamin, Beli Vitality for Men, is actually our flagship product. Today, we’re diving into the obvious and unexpected benefits of prenatal vitamins for men, starting with what actually happens when you start taking them.

Key Takeaways

  • Beli Vitality for Men prenatal vitamins are made with nutrients designed to nourish and support sperm health, making them an important addition to a healthy lifestyle when a baby is the goal.
  • Key nutrients have been shown to support specific parameters of sperm health, which is reflected in a man’s overall health.
  • When a man takes prenatal vitamins, the steady supply of specific nutrients helps promote healthy sperm.
  • Unexpected benefits of taking a men’s prenatal vitamins are just as important. Men can benefit from a natural increase in testosterone, immunity and energy. Plus, it’s a significant show of support for your partner. 

What are Men’s Prenatal Vitamins?

Most people are completely on board with the idea of prenatal vitamins before, during and after pregnancy. After all, it’s hard work growing an entire mini person, and specific nutrients in specific amounts are essential to support both mama and that growing baby. What’s less understood among the general public is how important it is for men to nourish and support their sperm when the plan is to become a father. To do that, men need to fuel their fertility with a prenatal vitamin that’s been specifically formulated for their specific needs—and they can’t do that with one designed to support female fertility. 

Research confirms that a man’s health and nutrition before conception not only affects pregnancy outcomes, but also the lifelong health of their child and even the next generation (1). That’s why experts recommend that couples hoping to conceive embrace healthy habits, from regular exercise to adequate sleep to stress management, especially during the three to six-month preconception window. Take it from Dr. Darren Bryk, andrology/male fertility fellow at the University of Virginia:  “Anything a man can do to improve his overall health–eating healthy, staying active, avoiding cigarette smoking–can improve a man's fertility potential.” Eating a nutritious diet is also a big one, and supplementing with a prenatal vitamin will ensure nutritional gaps are filled. For men, the key is finding a prenatal vitamin formulated to support sperm health, which means specialized nutrients like:

  • CoQ10, an antioxidant that helps support sperm motility and boost fertilization rates (2)
  • Methylated folate, a form of vitamin B9 associated with improved sperm concentration and quality (3)
  • Vitamins C, E, B6, and B12, antioxidants that boost sperm quantity, motility, and morphology (4)
  • Vitamin D, a hormone that supports sperm quality (5)
  • L-Carnitine, a compound associated with higher fertilization rates and improved quality sperm (6)
  • Selenium, an antioxidant that can increase testosterone and improve sperm across multiple parameters (7)
  • N-Acetyl-L-Cysteine, an antioxidant that may improve sperm count, motility, and morphology
  • Zinc, a nutrient that supports sperm motility, morphology, and volume (8)
  • L-Arginine, an amino acid necessary for quality sperm production (9)
  • L-Taurine, an antioxidant that has been linked to male factor infertility when present at low levels
  • Shilajit, an Ayurvedic adaptogen that promotes sperm count, motility, and serum testosterone 

What Happens When Men Take Prenatal Vitamins?

We’re so glad you asked! The life cycle of sperm is actually pretty darn fascinating, and the right nutrients during this roughly three-month maturation process may support overall sperm health. Remember, the healthi of the sperm is an important part of preconception health. The process itself is known as spermatogenesis, and every single one of the millions of sperm a man produces each day will go through it. During spermatogenesis, sperm cells divide, mature and become mobile. A nutrient shortage during this critical time period is directly associated with sperm deficiencies (10), which is why it’s so important to prioritize a healthy diet and supplement with a high-quality men’s prenatal vitamin.

A daily prenatal vitamin ensures that a man is getting a steady supply of all the necessary nutrients for healthy sperm, which includes a healthy concentration or count, functional shape, appropriate ability to move, and minimal DNA fragmentation.

Unexpected Benefits of Men’s Prenatal Vitamins

Healthier sperm aside, there are a number of unexpected benefits of men’s prenatal vitamins, particularly when you’re taking Beli Vitality for Men:

  • A natural increase in testosterone. Shilajit, a powerful Ayurvedic compound that’s high in antioxidants, has been shown to increase testosterone and both sperm count and motility (11). Guess what else happens with a boost in testosterone? Combined with a reduction in stress and anxiety—another benefit of shilajit—it can improve sexual arousal and enhance virility. Hey, there’s a reason shilajit has been used for centuries! 
  • Boosted energy and immunity. Some research suggests that shilajit may also improve longevity and actually slow down the aging process (12). 
  • Support preconception health. We really can’t emphasize the preconception health of fathers enough. Remember, sperm carries the blueprint of the placenta, the organ that will nourish your developing baby. Damaged sperm is more likely to present a number of issues that will interfere with a healthy conception and pregnancy. 
  • Long-term health for your baby. Dad’s preconception health doesn’t just impact a successful conception and pregnancy. It’s also directly linked to the health of his future offspring, both at birth, over the course of that child’s life, and into the next generation. That’s because the right nutrients at the right time not only support sperm health parameters, they actually affect the quality of the DNA in sperm. It’s no small thing.
  • A show of solidarity. In terms of effort, taking a prenatal vitamin is such a small thing. But it’s a daily act that signifies so much. It’s a simple way to show your partner that you’re really showing up for her and that she’s not alone on this path to parenthood. So often, the burden to conceive, carry, and birth a baby feels entirely on the woman in the relationship. When a man takes a prenatal vitamin, it’s truly an enormous show of support that lets his partner know they’re in this together.

Why Should Men Take Prenatal Vitamins?

When you take Beli Vitality for Men specifically, you benefit from our science-aligned formula. Not only does it help support and nourish sperm quality, our ingredients also support vitality, energy, even cognition. In fact, the author of a recent Forbes article described her husband’s surprise at this unexpected benefits of taking Beli:As for immediate results, he noticed a burst of energy within a few days of starting to take Beli Men Vitality Multivitamins—and he certainly can’t complain about that (nor can I, since someone needs to run after our 3-year-old).”

Really, the benefit of a great men’s prenatal vitamin comes down to simple science. We know that a man’s health roughly three to six months before conception plays heavily into his partner’s future pregnancy.  And we know that sperm need sufficient amounts of specific nutrients to function optimally. Over 40% of couples who are unable to conceive experience issues with the man’s sperm. Meanwhile, an infamous 2012 study found that only one in four men has optimal sperm health (13). A high-quality men’s prenatal vitamin, paired with healthy lifestyle habits, is a simple way to support his preconception health. It’s as simple as that. 

Sources
  1. Preconception Health. (2018). https://www.thelancet.com/series/preconception-health
  1. Vishvkarma R et al. (2020). Coenzyme Q10 effect on sperm parameters: profound or meagre? https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/and.13570
  1. Boxmeer J et al. (2009). Low folate in seminal plasma is associated with increased sperm DNA damage. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18722602/
  1. Colagar, A et al. (2009). Ascorbic acid in human seminal plasma: determination and its relationship to sperm quality. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2735625
  1. Ahmadi S et al. (2016). Antioxidant supplements and semen parameters: an evidence-based review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28066832/
  1. Wu, Z et al. (2012). Short-term medication of L-carnitine before intracytoplasmic sperm injection for infertile men with oligoasthenozoospermia. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22474993/
  1. Moslemi M et al. (2011). Selenium–vitamin E supplementation in infertile men: effects on semen parameters and pregnancy rate. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3048346/
  1. Wong W et al. (2002). Effects of folic acid and zinc sulfate on male factor subfertility: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11872201/
  1. Stanislavov R et al. (2014). Sperm quality in men is improved by supplementation with a combination of L-arginine, L-citrullin, roburins and Pycnogenol®. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25531191/
  1. Skoracka, K et al. (2020). Diet and nutritional factors in male (in)fertility—underestimated factors. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7291266/
  1. Pandit S et al. (2015). Clinical evaluation of purified Shilajit on testosterone levels in healthy volunteers. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/and.12482
  1. Carrasco-Gallardo C. et al. (2012). Shilajit: A Natural Phytocomplex with Potential Procognitive Activity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3296184/
  1. Niels, J et al. (2012). Human semen quality in the new millennium: a prospective cross-sectional population-based study of 4,867 men. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22761286/

Additional Resources

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

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Read More

Knowing all the facts about sperm doesn’t just make you positively lethal on trivia night, it actually puts you in prime position to optimize your chances of a healthy conception, pregnancy and baby. So let’s get to it, with these 10 facts about sperm that will (probably) blow your mind.

Read More

Shilajit is finally getting the credit it’s due, and we’re proud to point out that our proprietary formula was the very first to include this powerful Ayurvedic compound. Here’s why shilajit is rapidly becoming the darling of the male fertility world–and what you’re missing if you’re skipping it.

Read More