Arginine and fertility

Anecdotal reports suggest that L-arginine supplements can improve fertility in men who have low sperm counts or poor sperm motility (activity). Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw contend that L-arginine supplements can double sperm count in 2 weeks [Keller, 1975; Salvadorini, 1974]. In support, they tell the story of two male friends to whom they recommended L-arginine because sperm problems had prevented their wives from becoming pregnant.

"They were about to spend a lot of money on an attempt at in vitro fertilization. One month after starting on the arginine, the wives had both become pregnant! One of the men's doctors, surprised at the pregnancy, had asked for a sample of the man's sperm and, after examining it, accused our friend of giving him bull sperm, because, he said, the sample had too high a percentage of well-formed, motile sperm to be human sperm!" [Pearson, 1991].

These conclusions are supported by research dating back to the late 1970s that show reduced levels of arginine in low quality human sperm [Papp, 1979]. Large animal breeders have known for decades that giving dietary arginine supplements to prize bulls and stallions enhances the animals' breeding potential. Arginine is also an important element of the diet in roosters used for breeding [Wilson, 1984].

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