#129 | How One Nutrient Could Be the Secret to Stronger, Faster, Healthier Sperm To Transform Your Fertility and Chances of Getting Pregnant

Sperm count “normal”? Motility or morphology still low? There may be one tiny nutrient standing in the way of conception—and most couples overlook it.

In this bite-sized Get Pregnant Now Quickie, Dr. Katie reveals the powerful role of selenium, a trace mineral that supports sperm movement, shape, and DNA integrity. From antioxidant protection to boosting motility and morphology, this nutrient could be the missing piece in your fertility puzzle—especially if you’ve been told “everything looks fine.”

In this episode, you'll...

-Learn how selenium protects sperm from oxidative stress and DNA fragmentation

-Discover foods that naturally support optimal selenium levels

-Understand why most men are unknowingly depleted—and how to fix it

Tune in now to explore how a small mineral can make a massive impact on sperm quality—and your chances of getting pregnant naturally.

🌟Follow and connect with me on Instagram @the_wellness_pharmacist to fast-track your fertility so you can finally get and stay pregnant naturally!⁠

Finally Get Pregnant Naturally is your go-to TTC podcast for holistic fertility support to help you get pregnant naturally by addressing the root cause of unexplained infertility, secondary infertility, and recurrent miscarriage. Hosted by Dr. Katie Wood, a pharmacist and holistic fertility practitioner, this show offers natural fertility solutions for those on a fertility journey struggling to conceive, navigating miscarriage, or dealing with endometriosis, PCOS, low sperm count, or failed IUI or failed IVF. Whether you're trying to conceive, increase egg quality, optimizing sperm health, or healing after a miscarriage, each episode delivers practical guidance to support your fertility journey. Learn how to improve fertility, balance hormones, regulate your fertile window, and conceive naturally through root cause healing, emotional wellness, and mind-body tools—because true fertility starts from within.

DISCLAIMER: By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use it as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. This podcast offers information to help the listener cooperate with physicians, mental health professionals or other healthcare providers in a mutual quest for optimal well-being. We advise listeners to carefully review and understand the ideas presented, and to consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. Under no circumstances shall Pharm to Wellness LLC, any guests or contributors to the Rising into Mindful Motherhood podcast, or any employees, associates, or affiliates of Pharm to Wellness LLC be responsible for damages arising from the use of the podcast. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome to our Weekly Get Pregnant Now.
Quickie.
This is your bite sized fertilityreset, and in this episode you'll learn
about one small but mighty fertilitynutrient that can make a huge impact
on sperm motility and morphology.
Plus reasons why your guy may bedeficient in how they can shift

(00:25):
towards optimal fertility in less timethan it takes to scroll Instagram.
Let's go.
Welcome to the finally GetPregnant Naturally Podcast.
The podcast helping women identifythe real reasons you haven't
conceived or stayed pregnant, soyou and your partner can finally
grow the family of your dreams.
I'm your host, Dr.

(00:46):
Katie Wood.
Let's dive in, shall we?
Hello.
And today we're talking about atrace mineral that makes a major
difference in male fertility.
Can you take a guess at what it is?
Selenium.
So selenium might not be the flashiestfertility nutrient that we hear

(01:08):
about, like coq 10, for example,but when it comes to sperm quality,
it is actually a game changer.
So this essential mineral playsa major role in sperm motility.
So this is how well the sperm can swim.
Sperm morphology, sohow well they're shaped.

(01:28):
And for DNA protection, basicallykeeping the genetic material strong and
intact, it is a powerful antioxidant,meaning it helps protect the sperm
from oxidative damage, which is one ofthe most common underlying issues for
poor sperm health, which can lead to.

(01:49):
Mal factor infertility.
When selenium is low, what you may see ona semen analysis is reduced sperm count,
poor sperm motility, abnormal shape.
Or low morphology and sometimeseven DNA fragmentation that can

(02:09):
affect overall embryo quality.
And as the research backs it up, menwith optimal selenium levels have been
shown to have significantly betterfertility outcomes, especially when
trying to conceive naturally, however.
Low selenium levels can resultfrom a number of lifestyle,

(02:30):
dietary and health related factors.
So I'm gonna go over some of themost common reasons for low selenium,
especially relevant for consideringwhen you're trying to actively conceive.
So number one is some areashave lower selenium in the soil.
So selenium content in foods depends onthe selenium concentration in the soil

(02:53):
where plants are grown or animals graze.
So certain regions, including theUnited States, can have selenium
deficient soil, which can affect.
Food, selenium levels, even if you'reeating quote unquote healthy and
organic, the overall nutrient contentof selenium, but also other nutrients

(03:14):
can actually be much lower than whatour ancestors had back in the day.
Number two is poor dietary intake.
If you have a diet that is not balancedwith Whole Foods, including animal
proteins, or if you follow a diet thatis high in processed foods, this can

(03:34):
lead to overall inadequate seleniumIntake number three is if you have any.
Health conditions that can contributeto malabsorption or digestive issues,
so conditions like celiac disease,Crohn's disease IBS, or sibo, which

(03:55):
is a bacterial imbalance in the gut.
All of this can impair the nutrientsthat we're able to absorb, which can
lead to overall lower selenium levels,even if your diet contains enough.
Number four is heavy metal exposure.
So if you have exposure tomercury, cadmium, or arsenic.

(04:16):
Possibly from fish, theenvironment, or old fillings, right?
Old like cavity fillings.
This can deplete selenium because thebody uses it to neutralize these toxins.
Number five is chronic stress or illness.
So if you're suffering from long-terminflammation, infections, or

(04:36):
autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto's.
This can increase oxidativestress and burn through our
antioxidant stores like Selenium.
Faster.
Number six is alcoholism or liver disease.
So chronic alcohol use and liverdysfunction can interfere with
selenium metabolism and storage.

(04:58):
And number seven is overuse of certainmedications can certainly have an
impact on selenium levels, but the good.
News is you can find, selenium ina lot of different food sources.
Okay?
I know that we just talked about oursoils being depleted in selenium,

(05:20):
but if you are having a very balancedWhole Foods diet, including animal
foods, you are gonna get a wide enough.
Array of foods that contain selenium.
Okay, so some top sourcesinclude Brazil nuts.
All right, let me know ifyou've heard of that one.
I feel like in my mind that's a prettycommon one to know, but some people

(05:44):
might not be as familiar with that.
So Brazil nuts.
You can have just one or twoBrazil nuts a day, and that would
give you your full daily dose.
You could also do wildcaught tuna or sardines.
Pasture raised eggs, organicsunflower seeds, pasture raised Turkey

(06:04):
and chicken, shiitake mushrooms,brown rice, and organic oats.
And lentils.
And while you can certainly supplementwith selenium, especially if sperm
testing is showing that the sperm coulduse a little TLC, I always recommend

(06:24):
that you start with food first.
Food is medicine because it reallyis easy to overdo this nutrient.
Selenium is a trace mineral.
Meaning that we only need a tiny amount,and actually having too high of a dose
over time could be harmful to our body.
So unless you're working with apractitioner and you're actually testing

(06:48):
your selenium levels, I would aim tofocus on selenium rich foods on a daily
basis and consider a very foundationalpart of your fertility friendly diet
so just a quick recap of today's episode.
We learned that Seleniumis a powerful antioxidant.
Nutrient powerhouse that can helpprotect sperm from oxidative stress,

(07:12):
improve motility and support spermstructure and DNA, integrity.
And we talked about some reasons whyyou could be deficient in Selenium, some
top food sources to source selenium,and what to do if you feel like you may
need to supplement with Selenium, ifyou feel like your levels could be low.

(07:34):
So just a final reminder.
Selenium is small but mighty.
It supports healthy, strong,and fast moving sperm.
While protecting the DNA thatwill one day become your baby.
So if you're trying to conceiveand you haven't looked at male
fertility nutrition yet, let this bea reminder that it absolutely matters

(07:57):
and it can make a huge difference.
And this is one simple stepthat you can start today.
And I'll also say the majority ofthe time, you're not just gonna be
getting selenium from these foods.
You're gonna be getting so many otherfertility boosting nutrients that,
that are going to have a beautifulimpact on your partner's sperm health.

(08:21):
So thank you so much for listening.
I hope you have a great rest of your dayand I'll see you on Tuesday's episode.
Just a quick disclaimer.
This podcast is for educational purposesonly and does not replace medical advice.
Please speak with your licensedprovider before beginning any new
health routines or supplements.