Monday, November 1, 2010

What the Sperm Banks Discovered About Resveratrol


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In previous articles, we've reported on how Resveratrol was helpful in the fertility process. Today's news is about what's going on behind closed doors at the sperm banks in the Institute of Biotechnology at the University of Caxias do Sul, located in Brazil's second largest city, Caxias do Sul.

Before you find out what's happening, it's important to realize what is involved in the sperm donation process. First of all, not everyone can be a sperm donor. You have to be accepted in the program. To determine if your sperm is good enough, you must abstain from ejaculation for 2 to 7 days before submitting your first sample. That already weeds out the men who aren't too disciplined... or are just too passionate, whichever way you want to look at it.

After you're accepted, you provide samples on a regular basis. This could be as frequent as once every few days. And if you're not accepted... well, better look for another way to make some extra money!

What a great subject this is for comedians who can discuss all the reasons why men could be rejected, and the self-esteem problems that could result when their sperm "isn't good enough."

Sperm donors get their own private room so they can provide the sample. The specimen is then overnighted to sperm banks that freeze the sperm after screening it for genetic disorders Anyway, let's get back to what was happening at that sperm bank in Brazil.

Freezing the semen in liquid nitrogen to a temperature of -320 degrees Fahrenheit always decreases the ability of sperm to move around as well as causes the fats in the semen to go rancid, a process called lipoperoxidation. When this happens, a lot of free radicals are produced. Sperm are susceptible to damage from freezing and thawing. The amount of susceptibility to this damage depends on the donor and the sample.

The researchers were trying to find a way to decrease free radical production and oxidative stress in semen that was thawing from the frozen state. They had heard all about the buzz about Resveratrol and decided to add it to the semen. Many discoveries in science are found by a fleeting thought.

The researchers found that Resveratrol's antioxidant capability was able to prevent the oxidation of the fats in the semen with thawing. However, it couldn't restore the motility in the sperm. The Feb. 26th journal of Fertility & Sterility reported these findings.

Maybe the only answer to restore the motility of the sperm is to just get the men so healthy in the first place that their sperm counts are so high that it won't matter. Perhaps Resveratrol could be part of that solution!




For more information on Resveratrol please visit Vinomis.com

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