By Dr Conor Kerley, PhD, nutrition researcher and member of the European Fertility Society (EFS) and the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).
Sperm are made fresh every few months, which means what you do now can impact the health of your sperm in just 90 days! This article is about one nutrient that has been tested properly for exactly that: nanocurcumin is a form of curcumin from the dietary spice turmeric.
Nanocurcumin is about 285 times better absorbed than standard curcumin and has actually been studied in a research trial in men with sperm issues!
Quick answer
- A high quality trialtested nanocurcumin in men with poor semen quality. Over 10 weeks, there was multiple improvements including:
- increased sperm count,
- increased sperm concentration
- increased sperm motility
- Reduced oxidative stress
- Reduced inflammation [1]
- The dose was 80 mg of nanocurcumin daily. Ordinary curcumin capsules and turmeric powder are poorly absorbed and have not been tested for sperm quality in the same way.
- Sperm take around three months to mature, so any change needs three months before a repeat test will show it.
What the trial found
The study was run in the urology unit of an infertility clinic and published in 2018 [1]. It was randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled, which is the gold standard study design.
Who took part. 60 men with abnormal semen analysis results.
What they took. 80 mg of nanocurcumin day, or an identical placebo, for 10 weeks.
What changed in the curcumin group compared with placebo:
- Total sperm count went up.
- Sperm concentration went up.
- Sperm motility went up.
- Total antioxidant capacity in the body went up.
- Markers of oxidative stress went down.
- Markers of inflammation went down.
The authors' own summary was that "nanocurcumin supplement can improve quality of semen parameters" [1].
Notice that the improvements were not just in the semen numbers. The blood markers moved in the same direction, which is what you would expect if the mechanism is the one described above: less oxidative stress, less inflammation, healthier sperm.
Where curcumin fits with the other nutrients
Male fertility has several moving parts, and the research on each is different. Sperm count, motility, morphology, DNA fragmentation and varicocele each have their own evidence base, and I have written a guide to each:
- Low sperm count (oligospermia): the best evidence-based supplements
- Sperm motility: the best evidence-based supplements
- Sperm morphology: nutrients, supplements and the science
- Reducing sperm DNA fragmentation: the best evidence-based supplements
- Varicocele and male fertility: the best evidence-based supplements
Curcumin's closest relative in that list is alpha lipoic acid, another antioxidant that supports the mitochondria driving sperm movement and has been studied for count, motility and morphology. The two work on the same problem from slightly different angles, which is why they sit together in the Phytaphix Sperm Health Bundle.
Why the form of curcumin matters
Turmeric is roughly 3% curcumin, and curcumin itself is absorbed very poorly. Most of an ordinary curcumin capsule passes through the body without being absorbed. That matters for sperm in particular, because the testes are not the gut lining: curcumin has to reach the bloodstream to get to the testes and affect sperm quality.
Nanocurcumin, the form used in the trial, packages curcumin into particles small enough to be absorbed in useful amounts. A dose of 80 mg of nanocurcumin has been shown to be well sb=robed nave have multiple beneficial effects, including regarding sperm quality. When trials of standard curcumin in other conditions have needed 1 to 3 grams a day [3]. A turmeric latte, a dash of turmeric in cooking or even a standard curcumin supplement is not delivering the dose the trial delivered.
Dose and safety when trying to conceive
The trial dose was 80 mg of nanocurcumin daily for 10 weeks, and no safety problems were reported [1]. Curcumin has been used alongside prescribed treatment in trials for many conditions with a safety profile similar to placebo [3]. It can interact with blood thinners and some chemotherapy drugs, so if either applies, ask your doctor first.
For a couple trying to conceive, the practical rule is the same as for any antioxidant: start at least three months before you are hoping to conceive or before sperm collection for IVF or ICSI, take it daily with food, and repeat the semen analysis at the three-month mark rather than sooner.
Frequently asked questions
How long before a semen analysis would show a change?
Sperm take roughly 64 to 74 days to develop, plus a couple of weeks to mature [4]. That is why fertility clinics retest at three months. Anything sooner is measuring sperm that were already in production when you started.
Is turmeric in food enough?
No. A teaspoon of turmeric contains under 100 mg of poorly absorbed curcumin. The trial used a nano-formulation specifically because ordinary curcumin does not reach the bloodstream in meaningful amounts.
Does curcumin help with DNA fragmentation?
The 2018 trial did not measure DNA fragmentation, so there is no direct evidence yet. It did reduce oxidative stress, which is the main cause of DNA damage in sperm, so it is a reasonable hope rather than an established result. The DNA fragmentation guide covers the nutrients with direct evidence.
Can my partner take it too?
Curcumin has been studied in women's reproductive health as well, particularly for inflammatory and immune-related conditions. That evidence is covered separately in the curcumin overview.
Where Fertility Phix and Gold Standard Curcumin fit
Fertility Phix is the all-in-one preconception formula for both partners: 27 nutrients in a daily raspberry-flavoured sachet, including the antioxidants coenzyme Q10, alpha lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine, plus carnitine, zinc, selenium, methylfolate and the rest of the list on the product page. If you are looking for ultimate support and are happy to take a delicious, raspberry powered daily, Fertility Phix is for you,.
Not every man wants a powder, and not every man likes raspberry, so the capsule route is Gold Standard Curcumin alongside Lipoic Acid Phix - our Phytaphix Sperm Health Bundle.
Whichever you choose, give it three months, then retest, keep us updated and best of luck - hopefully you will be another Phytaphix success story!
Related reading:
Curcumin supplements: what the research shows ·
Alpha lipoic acid and male fertility ·
Male fertility and sperm quality: the full guide series
References
- Alizadeh F, et al. Curcumin nanomicelle improves semen parameters, oxidative stress, inflammatory biomarkers, and antioxidant enzymes in men with infertility: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2018;32(3):514-521. PMID 29193350.
- Oxidative stress and sperm: the general mechanism described in Conor's lipoic-acid article (ROS damage to sperm DNA, motility, count and morphology; sperm's limited antioxidant capacity). [full citation from Dr Kerley's files]
- Standard-curcumin trial doses (1–3 g/day) and safety profile alongside prescribed treatment: see the reference list of the Crohn's and ulcerative colitis article.
- Duration of spermatogenesis, approximately 64–74 days: standard reproductive physiology; the lipoic-acid article states the same figure. [full citation from Dr Kerley's files]
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