Part of our guide: Male fertility

Your partner takes folic acid, the pack “for him” sits next to it on the shelf, and you wonder whether you should take something too. Male fertility supplements are advertised with zinc, selenium, L-carnitine, or coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), sometimes as a partner pack together with the supplement for women.

The evidence is more sobering than the labels. In two large randomized trials of couples trying to conceive, folic acid plus zinc, or a combination supplement, taken by the man did not lead to more births or pregnancies than a placebo (FAZST, JAMA 2020; SUMMER, JAMA Netw Open 2025). The guideline of the European Association of Urology (EAU) advises against routinely treating men with unexplained infertility with antioxidants (EAU 2026).

Two other things carry more weight: a semen analysis, so you know where you stand, and lifestyle changes, which the same guideline strongly recommends. Here you will find out what the claims on the packaging mean, what the studies show, where the maximum levels are, and what is in supplements for men according to the manufacturers.

Supplements for men at a glance, according to manufacturers

We recorded fertility supplements for men and compared their amounts with the maximum levels proposed by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).

  • 16 of 17contain more zinc than the 6.5 mg that the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) proposes for dietary supplements.
  • 17 of 17are above the BfR proposal of 40 µg for selenium.
  • 15 of 17contain more than 200 µg of folate, the BfR proposal for men.
  • 12 of 17contain coenzyme Q10, and 15 contain L-carnitine.

17 combination supplements for men are counted, excluding supplements with myo-inositol as the main ingredient. Amount per daily dose as stated by the manufacturer, as of October 4, 2026.

For zinc and selenium, most combination supplements for men are above the BfR proposals. Some supplements contain more zinc in a single daily dose than the 25 mg that is set as the upper limit for total daily intake from all sources (SCF 2003). The tiles do not count supplements with myo-inositol as their main ingredient. They are listed in the table as well and also contain vitamins and minerals, in some cases above the BfR proposals.

How we did it: Included are supplements that are explicitly marketed for fertility in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland. The amounts per daily dose come from the nutrition facts table on the manufacturer, pharmacy, or drugstore website. We recorded every figure with a verbatim quote and independently checked it against the source in a second pass. Products with contradictory manufacturer information, or with nutrient values shown only in an image, are not included. The data are current as of October 4, 2026.

How to read the table: It shows amounts according to the manufacturer, not a laboratory analysis. Amounts above the BfR’s proposed maximum level are marked in red. That is a proposal, not a ban. The supplements are listed alphabetically, which is not a ranking or a purchase recommendation. According to the manufacturer, some products are offered as a “supplementary balanced diet,” as stated under the product name. These foods for special medical purposes are a separate product category and are intended for use under medical supervision (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/128). The BfR’s proposed maximum levels refer to dietary supplements and formally do not apply to these products. For orientation, we compare them against the proposals anyway.

19 fertility supplements for men: amount per daily dose as stated by the manufacturer

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Red: above the maximum amounts proposed by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) for dietary supplements (6.5 mg zinc, 40 µg selenium, 200 µg folic acid, 30 mg vitamin E, 250 mg vitamin C). 0: not contained, according to the label. “View product” leads to the page the information comes from.

Whether a specific supplement changes the chance of having a baby is something the table cannot answer. Results from studies of one formulation cannot be transferred to other products. We evaluated the supplements for women in the fertility supplements comparison.

What the approved claims mean

The EU regulates what a food may promise about fertility. Health claims are only permitted if they appear on the list in Regulation (EU) 432/2012. We reviewed the consolidated version of August 20, 2025. Exactly three claims relate to fertility, sperm, or testosterone:

Nutrient Approved wording What the wording does not cover
Zinc “Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction” an effect beyond what is normal
Zinc “Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood” an increase in testosterone, as the wording speaks of maintenance
Selenium “Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis” better sperm quality

Only products that are at least a “source” of the nutrient, meaning they contain a meaningful amount, may carry any of these three claims. For L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, and lycopene, there is no approved claim at all. The list contains nothing else on fertility, sperm, or testosterone either (Regulation (EU) 432/2012).

Many supplements for men also state that vitamin E, vitamin C, zinc, or selenium “contribute to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.” This claim is approved as well. It does not demonstrate a benefit for sperm or for the chance of pregnancy.

Terms such as “fertility formula” or “for male fertility” are only allowed under EU law if an approved claim of this kind appears alongside (Regulation (EC) 1924/2006, Article 10(3)). So the zinc or selenium statement on a package describes what your body needs the nutrient for. It does not say that a product improves fertility beyond normal.

Vitamins for men trying to conceive: what large studies show

Whether a supplement leads to a baby can only be shown by studies that count pregnancies or births, not just sperm parameters. The most important ones at a glance:

Study Who took part What was taken Result
FAZST (JAMA 2020) 2,370 couples undergoing fertility treatment, 4 US centers 5 mg folic acid and 30 mg zinc daily, 6 months Live birth 34% versus 35% with placebo, no difference
MOXI (Fertil Steril 2020) 171 couples with male factor infertility, 9 US centers Antioxidant combination, including 400 mg vitamin E, 1,000 µg folic acid, and 2,000 IU vitamin D Live birth 15% versus 24%, not significant, study ended early
SUMMER (JAMA Netw Open 2025) 1,171 men receiving fertility care, 21 clinics in the Netherlands Combination supplement with zinc, folic acid, B vitamins, betaine, and L-cystine, 6 months Ongoing pregnancy 33.8% versus 37.5%, no benefit, supported by the manufacturer
Cochrane review 2022 90 studies, 10,303 men Various antioxidants Possibly more live births, with very low certainty of evidence; no effect without studies at high risk of bias
Meta-analysis 2025 (Nutrients) 50 placebo-controlled studies Various dietary supplements, at least 12 weeks No effect on pregnancy or live birth

FAZST: high-dose folic acid and zinc

In the FAZST trial, the men in 2,370 couples undergoing fertility treatment took 5 mg of folic acid and 30 mg of zinc daily, or a placebo, for six months. 34% of couples with the supplement and 35% with placebo had a baby (difference minus 0.9 percentage points; 95% confidence interval (CI) minus 4.7 to 2.8). Sperm concentration, motility, morphology, and volume did not differ.

One value even got worse. DNA fragmentation, a measure of breaks in the genetic material of sperm, averaged 29.7% with the supplement and 27.2% with placebo (difference 2.4 percentage points; 95% CI 0.5 to 4.4). Across all sperm parameters combined, semen quality was significantly worse in the supplement group, mainly because of DNA fragmentation, according to the authors. Abdominal pain (6% versus 3%), nausea (4% versus 2%), and vomiting (3% versus 1%) were more common.

The authors write that their results do not support the use of folic acid and zinc by the male partner to treat infertility (Schisterman, JAMA 2020). To put the dose in context: 30 mg of zinc alone is already above the upper limit of 25 mg per day from all sources, and 5 mg of folic acid is five times the upper limit for folic acid from supplements (BfR 2021, BfR 2024).

MOXI: antioxidants for male factor infertility

MOXI studied couples at 9 US centers in which the cause was thought to lie with the man. The men took an antioxidant combination, including 400 mg of vitamin E, 1,000 µg of folic acid, and 2,000 IU of vitamin D, or a placebo.

After an internal pilot phase, neither sperm motility nor DNA fragmentation had improved. On the recommendation of the data safety monitoring board, recruitment was stopped, which is why the trial stayed at 171 couples. Live births occurred in 13 of 85 couples with the supplement (15%) and 21 of 86 with placebo (24%), and the difference was not significant (p = 0.14; Steiner, Fertil Steril 2020).

The 400 mg of vitamin E was above the upper limit of 300 mg per day (EFSA 2024), and the 1,000 µg of folic acid was exactly at the upper limit (BfR 2024).

SUMMER: a combination supplement in Dutch clinics

The SUMMER trial was double-blind and ran in 21 clinics in the Netherlands with 1,171 men receiving fertility care. For six months, they took a daily combination supplement with betaine (200 mg), L-cystine (200 mg), niacin (16 mg), zinc (10 mg), vitamins B6 and B2 (1.4 mg each), folic acid (400 µg), and vitamin B12 (2.5 µg), or a placebo.

An ongoing pregnancy within six months occurred in 33.8% of couples with the supplement and 37.5% with placebo (adjusted odds ratio 0.85; 95% CI 0.66 to 1.09), which is not a significant difference. Sperm parameters and DNA fragmentation did not differ. The study received a research grant and the investigational products from the manufacturer.

Data box: the time window in which an effect was most likely to appear

The SUMMER researchers assumed a sperm production cycle of 72 days. They therefore also analyzed months 4 to 6 after the start of the study. That was exactly where the rate of ongoing pregnancies was significantly lower with the supplement: 15.5% versus 21.5% with placebo (adjusted odds ratio 0.66; 95% CI 0.47 to 0.94). The authors recommend against using the tested supplement in men receiving fertility care. Live births had not yet been analyzed at the time of publication (de Ligny, JAMA Netw Open 2025).

The result applies to this one formulation. It cannot be transferred to other supplements, whether for better or for worse.

Cochrane review 2022: many small studies

The Cochrane review “Antioxidants for male subfertility” summarizes 90 randomized trials with 10,303 men, with literature through February 2021 (de Ligny, Cochrane 2022). It is the current version. The results:

  • Live birth: Antioxidants may increase the rate (odds ratio 1.43; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.91; 12 studies, 1,283 men). With a 16% live birth rate under placebo, that would correspond to 17% to 27%. The certainty of this evidence is very low.
  • Without the less reliable studies: When the authors left out the studies at high risk of bias, an effect on live birth could no longer be shown (Peto odds ratio 1.22; 95% CI 0.85 to 1.75; 8 studies, 827 men).
  • Clinical pregnancy: odds ratio 1.89 (95% CI 1.45 to 2.47; 20 studies, 1,706 men), low certainty. With a baseline rate of 15%, that would correspond to 20% to 30%.
  • Miscarriage: no difference (odds ratio 1.46; 95% CI 0.75 to 2.83; 6 studies, very low certainty).
  • Side effects: Mild gastrointestinal symptoms were more common (odds ratio 2.70; 95% CI 1.46 to 4.99; 16 studies, 1,355 men; low certainty), in absolute terms about 2% with placebo versus 2% to 7%.

Overall, the authors rate the evidence as inconclusive: many studies are small, poorly reported, and have high dropout rates. SUMMER was published only after the search period and is not included.

Meta-analysis 2025: sperm parameters are not the same as babies

A 2025 meta-analysis evaluated 50 placebo-controlled studies lasting at least 12 weeks, with a search through May 2024. No dietary supplement showed an effect on pregnancy or live birth. Individual sperm parameters improved in some cases: concentration with zinc plus folic acid, motility with selenium, carnitine, and CoQ10, and morphology with alpha-lipoic acid. The certainty of the evidence was mostly low to very low (Michaelsen, Nutrients 2025).

A better value on a semen analysis is therefore not the same as a higher chance of having a baby.

What the guidelines say

None of the three guidelines we reviewed recommends a specific supplement or a specific active ingredient for men trying to conceive.

Guideline Statement on vitamins and antioxidants
EAU 2026 (European Association of Urology) Do not routinely treat men with unexplained (idiopathic) infertility with antioxidants, weak recommendation. Conclusive data on benefit are lacking, and sperm parameters may improve.
AUA/ASRM 2024 (US professional societies) Patients should be told that the benefit of supplements is clinically uncertain. For individual active ingredients, the data are not sufficient for a recommendation. Strength of recommendation moderate, evidence level B.
WHO 2025 For men with at least one sperm parameter outside the WHO reference ranges, no recommendation for or against. The effect for specific causes is unknown.

The EAU is clear on lifestyle. It strongly recommends informing men about the harmful effects of excess weight, lack of exercise, smoking, and heavy alcohol use on sperm quality and testosterone, and advising them to make lifestyle changes (EAU 2026). Concrete steps are covered in the article How to improve sperm quality.

Individual nutrients: zinc, selenium, and others in brief

Nutrient Approved claim related to fertility Evidence in brief
Zinc yes (fertility and reproduction, testosterone level) with folic acid, higher concentration in some cases, no effect on births (FAZST, Michaelsen 2025)
Selenium yes (spermatogenesis) better motility in some cases, no effect on pregnancies shown (Michaelsen 2025, Sharma 2022)
Folic acid no together with zinc, no advantage for births (FAZST)
Coenzyme Q10 no contradictory: one meta-analysis found a benefit with a very wide confidence interval, two found no effect on pregnancies (Bakri 2025, Sharma 2022, Michaelsen 2025)
L-carnitine no small effects on sperm parameters with weak study quality, no difference in pregnancies (Sharma 2022)
Omega-3 fatty acids no no better sperm parameters (Michaelsen 2025)
Vitamin C and E no, only protection of cells from oxidative stress Vitamin E: no better sperm parameters, higher prostate cancer risk at high doses (Michaelsen 2025, SELECT 2011)
Lycopene no one small study in healthy men, primary outcome not met (Williams 2020)

Zinc and fertility: what zinc means for sperm

For zinc, there are two approved claims that relate to men: “Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction” and “Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal testosterone levels in the blood” (Regulation (EU) 432/2012). Both describe what your body needs zinc for.

In FAZST, 30 mg of zinc together with 5 mg of folic acid produced no additional births, and DNA fragmentation even increased (FAZST 2020). The study cannot show which of the two substances was responsible, because only the combination was tested. In the 2025 meta-analysis, sperm concentration rose with zinc plus folic acid, with mostly low certainty and no effect on pregnancies (Michaelsen 2025).

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) is cautious about the amount. It proposes at most 6.5 mg of zinc per daily dose of a dietary supplement. For more than 3.5 mg per daily dose, it recommends a notice on the package not to take other zinc-containing supplements (BfR 2021). The reason is the upper limit for total intake of 25 mg per day (SCF 2003). According to the BfR, men who already take in a lot of zinc through food can exceed it with a single supplement at the maximum level.

Selenium and fertility

“Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis” is the only approved claim that refers directly to sperm (Regulation (EU) 432/2012). In studies, motility improved in some cases with selenium, with low certainty (Michaelsen 2025). A meta-analysis on selenium, carnitine, and CoQ10 in men with unexplained infertility found no difference in pregnancies (Sharma, Urology 2022).

In 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) lowered the upper limit for adults from 300 to 255 µg per day. The decisive factor was hair loss, derived from the large SELECT trial. According to EFSA, you can exceed it mainly through regularly taking high-dose selenium supplements or by regularly eating Brazil nuts (EFSA 2023). The BfR then updated its proposal: at most 40 µg of selenium per daily dose of a dietary supplement for everyone aged 15 and older (BfR 2024).

Folic acid: for men too?

There is no approved claim for folic acid regarding fertility or sperm, only more general claims, for example on cell division (Regulation (EU) 432/2012). For women of childbearing age and pregnant women in the first trimester, the BfR provides an exception of 400 µg per day, to protect the baby from neural tube defects. This exception applies only to women. For men, the general proposal of at most 200 µg of folic acid per daily dose remains (BfR 2024). Why women should take folic acid is explained in the article Fertility vitamins.

For folic acid from supplements and fortified foods, an upper limit of 1 mg per day applies to adults, and EFSA kept it in 2023 (BfR 2024). In FAZST, folic acid taken by men gave no advantage for births, though there it was combined with zinc and given in a very high dose.

Coenzyme Q10

There is no approved claim for CoQ10. The evidence is contradictory. A 2025 meta-analysis evaluated 9 studies with 781 men with unexplained infertility. With CoQ10, sperm concentration was higher by 10.2 million per ml, and total motility by 4.95 percentage points. The chance of a clinical pregnancy was also higher (odds ratio 6.02; 95% CI 1.97 to 18.41; Bakri, World J Mens Health 2025).

The very wide confidence interval shows how uncertain this estimate is. The abstract does not report live births. Two other meta-analyses found no effect on pregnancies (Sharma 2022, Michaelsen 2025).

L-carnitine

There is no approved claim for L-carnitine either. In a meta-analysis of 20 studies on carnitine, CoQ10, and selenium in men with unexplained infertility, the pregnancy rate was 16.2% versus 11.2% with placebo. At p = 0.05, the difference was right at the usual threshold for significance, and the authors interpret this as no difference. Motility, concentration, and volume improved only slightly, and the studies were of poor quality (Sharma, Urology 2022). In the 2025 meta-analysis, carnitine was associated with better motility, with no effect on pregnancies (Michaelsen 2025).

Omega-3 fatty acids

There is no approved claim on fertility or sperm for omega-3 fatty acids. In the 2025 meta-analysis, they did not improve any sperm parameters, and neither did vitamin D or vitamin E (Michaelsen 2025).

Vitamin C and vitamin E

For both, there is only the general claim on protecting cells from oxidative stress. In the 2025 meta-analysis, vitamin E did not improve any sperm parameters (Michaelsen 2025).

High-dose vitamin E carries a documented risk. In the SELECT trial, which analyzed 34,887 healthy men aged 50 and older or 55 and older, 400 IU of vitamin E daily significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer, by about 17% (hazard ratio 1.17; 99% CI 1.004 to 1.36). In absolute terms, that was 1.6 additional cases per 1,000 person-years. 200 µg of selenium alone did not significantly increase the risk (hazard ratio 1.09; Klein, JAMA 2011).

The BfR proposes at most 30 mg of vitamin E and 250 mg of vitamin C per daily dose and recommends advising men aged 55 and older that uncontrolled intake of vitamin E may increase the risk of prostate cancer (BfR 2021). EFSA confirmed the upper limit of 300 mg of vitamin E per day in 2024. The critical effect is impaired blood clotting. The limit does not apply to people who take anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) (EFSA 2024).

Lycopene

There is no approved claim for lycopene. The placebo-controlled study we reviewed was conducted in 60 healthy young men with no known fertility problems. Taking 14 mg of lactolycopene daily for 12 weeks did not significantly change the primary outcome, the concentration of motile sperm (p = 0.058). The share of fast, forward-moving sperm and of normally shaped sperm rose. The study provides no data on pregnancies, and the manufacturer covered half of the study costs (Williams, Eur J Nutr 2020).

Maximum levels and risks

More is not automatically better with micronutrients. The BfR proposes maximum levels per daily dose for dietary supplements. They are not binding, and there are no EU-wide maximum levels yet.

Nutrient BfR proposal per daily dose What you should know
Zinc 6.5 mg Upper limit from all sources is 25 mg per day (SCF 2003). For more than 3.5 mg per daily dose, the BfR recommends a notice not to take other zinc supplements.
Selenium 40 µg Upper limit 255 µg per day (EFSA 2023). Exceeded mainly through high-dose supplements or regular consumption of Brazil nuts.
Folic acid 200 µg The exception of 400 µg applies only to women. Upper limit for folic acid from supplements and fortified foods is 1 mg per day.
Vitamin E 30 mg Upper limit 300 mg per day (EFSA 2024), does not apply with blood thinners. For men aged 55 and older, the BfR recommends a notice about the prostate cancer risk.
Vitamin C 250 mg Proposal from 2021, unchanged according to the 2024 BfR overview.

The proposals apply per product. If you take a fertility supplement, plus a multivitamin, and maybe zinc tablets on top, the amounts add up. Because of this possible multiple use, the BfR recommends that zinc supplements carry a notice about other supplements (BfR 2021).

Testosterone and anabolic steroids: not an option when trying to conceive

The approved zinc claim speaks of maintaining a normal testosterone level. Advertising such as “boosts testosterone” or “testosterone booster” goes beyond this wording (Regulation (EU) 432/2012).

Testosterone itself is not a solution when you are trying to conceive. The EAU strongly recommends against using it to treat male infertility or in men who want to have a child. Testosterone supplied from outside the body suppresses the pituitary gland’s controlling hormones, the body’s own testosterone production, and sperm production (EAU 2026). Depending on the extent, the sperm count drops as far as oligozoospermia or azoospermia, meaning very few sperm or none at all in the semen. After stopping, recovery takes months, rarely years. Some men never recover fully, remain infertile or have reduced fertility, and may later need fertility treatment (AUA/ASRM 2024).

In cases of anabolic steroid abuse, stopping is the first step, according to the EAU. Sperm count and sperm quality usually recover within 6 to 12 months. If the problem persists, hCG, possibly with FSH, or clomiphene may be options. These recommendations are based on case reports and clinical experience (EAU 2026). Talk openly about past or current use at an andrology consultation.

How long it takes: sperm production and timeline

New sperm do not appear overnight. The WHO guideline from 2025 gives about 74 days for sperm production, with a variation of about 2 days. It was originally assumed to be 64 days, and the estimate is based on a few old studies (WHO 2025). The SUMMER trial assumed 72 days.

What you change today therefore shows up in your semen after about three months at the earliest. If your first semen analysis was abnormal, the WHO suggests repeating it after 11 weeks at the earliest, in line with the length of sperm production. If all values are within the reference range, it considers a repeat unnecessary (WHO 2025).

So if you take a supplement, do not judge it by how you feel or after four weeks. If your semen analysis was abnormal, the repeat shows whether your values have changed. It cannot prove on its own whether a change is due to the supplement.

When a semen analysis and an andrology work-up make more sense

Capsules taken on a hunch do not answer the real question: Are your sperm parameters abnormal at all? A semen analysis shows that. Where you can have one done and what it costs is covered in the article Male fertility test. How to read the values is explained in Normal sperm count and semen analysis values.

If the semen analysis is abnormal, the question becomes the cause. For men with at least one value outside the WHO reference ranges, the WHO makes no recommendation for or against antioxidants, and their effect for specific causes is unknown (WHO 2025). An andrology exam looks for a treatable cause. This applies especially if you have taken or are still taking testosterone or anabolic steroids (EAU 2026, AUA/ASRM 2024).

Which medical treatment options exist, depending on the cause, is covered in the article How to improve male fertility. The male fertility guide gives an overview of causes, tests, and treatments. You can find andrology practices near you in the andrology directory.

If you still want to take a supplement

The decision is yours. If you take a supplement, these points help you avoid unnecessary risks:

  • Check the amounts: Compare zinc, selenium, folic acid, vitamin E, and vitamin C with the BfR proposals in the table above.
  • Do not stack: If a supplement contains more than 3.5 mg of zinc, the BfR recommends not taking other zinc-containing supplements (BfR 2021). Multivitamins count too.
  • Talk to a doctor about vitamin E: if you take blood thinners or aspirin (EFSA 2024), and from age 55 because of the prostate cancer risk (BfR 2021).
  • Do not borrow your partner’s supplement: The exception of 400 µg of folic acid applies only to women (BfR 2024).
  • No testosterone, no anabolic steroids: Both suppress sperm production (EAU 2026).
  • Do not retest too early: If your semen analysis was abnormal, repeat it after 11 weeks at the earliest, and not based on how you feel (WHO 2025).
  • Put advertising in context: On fertility, a food may only make the three approved claims about zinc and selenium (Regulation (EU) 432/2012).

Frequently asked questions

Which vitamins does a man need when trying to conceive?

None of the three guidelines reviewed recommends a specific supplement for men trying to conceive. The EAU advises against routinely treating men with unexplained infertility with antioxidants, the AUA/ASRM considers the benefit clinically uncertain, and the WHO makes no recommendation for or against (EAU 2026, AUA/ASRM 2024, WHO 2025). Only three claims are approved, including “Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction” and “Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis” (Regulation (EU) 432/2012).

Is zinc good for sperm?

For zinc, the claim “Zinc contributes to normal fertility and reproduction” is approved. In the FAZST trial, however, high-dose zinc together with folic acid did not produce additional births: with 30 mg of zinc plus 5 mg of folic acid daily, the live birth rate was 34% versus 35% with placebo, and sperm DNA fragmentation increased (FAZST 2020). For dietary supplements, the BfR proposes at most 6.5 mg of zinc per daily dose (BfR 2021).

How much selenium is too much when trying to conceive?

The BfR proposes at most 40 µg of selenium per daily dose of a dietary supplement (BfR 2024). EFSA gives 255 µg per day as the upper limit from all sources, with hair loss as the decisive factor. It is exceeded mainly with high-dose selenium supplements or if you regularly eat Brazil nuts (EFSA 2023).

Should men take folic acid too when trying to conceive?

None of the guidelines reviewed here (EAU, AUA/ASRM, WHO) recommends it. In FAZST, folic acid together with zinc gave no advantage for births (FAZST 2020). For men, the BfR proposes at most 200 µg of folic acid per daily dose. The exception of 400 µg serves to protect the baby from neural tube defects and applies only to women (BfR 2024).

What is in Orthomol Fertil plus, Profertil, and Proxeed?

According to the product information, Orthomol Fertil plus combines zinc, selenium, folic acid, vitamins C and E, L-carnitine, coenzyme Q10, lycopene, and the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, among other ingredients. PROFERTIL male contains L-carnitine, L-arginine, CoQ10, vitamin E, zinc, folic acid, glutathione, and selenium and is offered as a supplementary balanced diet. The BfR proposals for dietary supplements formally do not apply to this product category. Proxeed Plus contains L-carnitine and acetyl-L-carnitine, CoQ10, vitamin C, vitamin B12, folic acid, zinc, and selenium. The table shows the amounts per daily dose and which of them are above the BfR proposals. We do not rate individual products, and studies on other formulations cannot be transferred to a specific product.

How long does it take for sperm parameters to change?

According to the WHO, sperm production takes about 74 days, a good ten weeks. Changes from lifestyle or supplements can therefore be expected in the semen after about three months at the earliest. According to the WHO, an abnormal semen analysis should be repeated after 11 weeks at the earliest, and no repeat is needed if the result is normal (WHO 2025).

Can I take testosterone when trying to conceive?

No. The EAU strongly recommends against using testosterone to treat male infertility or when trying to conceive, because it suppresses your own sperm production (EAU 2026). Recovery after stopping can take months, rarely years, and some men never recover fully (AUA/ASRM 2024). The approved zinc claim only speaks of maintaining a normal testosterone level.

Can vitamins for sperm health also be harmful?

Some individual studies showed disadvantages. With 5 mg of folic acid and 30 mg of zinc, DNA fragmentation increased (FAZST 2020). With a combination supplement, the rate of ongoing pregnancies was lower in months 4 to 6 (SUMMER 2025). Taking 400 IU of vitamin E daily increased the prostate cancer risk in healthy men aged 50 and older or 55 and older (SELECT 2011). Mild gastrointestinal symptoms are more common with antioxidants (Cochrane 2022).

Sources

Law and maximum levels

Guidelines

Studies and reviews

Supplement data

  • Fertility supplements for men: amounts per daily dose according to the nutrition facts table on manufacturer, pharmacy, or drugstore websites, source for each product in the table, our own survey with verification in two passes, as of October 4, 2026.
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About this article

Fertilio Editorial Team

The Fertilio Editorial Team researches fertility topics using specialist sources such as the German IVF Registry (Deutsches IVF-Register, D.I.R.), medical guidelines, and statutes. The sources are listed at the end of each article. The content does not replace medical advice.