George and Alicia Nicorici, both 35 years old, have been trying to have a baby for five years. The couple, which lives in Orpington, Kent (near London, England), married in August 2013, and have been unlucky in their pursuit to conceive a child, despite IVF attempts. Sadly, Alicia even suffered a miscarriage.
Doctors informed the couple that George’s sperm count was low, at 16 million/ml — only slightly above what the World Health Organization considers infertile. As a result, he was told by doctors to begin taking an L-Carnitine sachet twice a day. The compound L-Carnitine can be found naturally in foods such as pork, seafood, and chicken. But research studies published by the International Journal of Andrology have shown that ingesting 1.5 g of the supplement L-Carnitine, which is sold in the form of an orange-flavored powder, can improve sperm concentration.
According to the Daily Mail, “Within months, [George’s] sperm count doubled from 16 million/ml to 33 million/ml and became stronger.” George went on to say, “‘It’s like I developed super sperm.’ ”
The supplement that was recommended “can improve sperm concentration, motility and the shape and size of sperm — all known factors which may detract in sperm’s ability to penetrate a female’s eggs.”
After George took L-Carnitine for a few months, Alicia tried IVF again and got the great news that she was pregnant! Their little boy is due on October 9.
George told the Daily Mail, “I have no doubt it was the supplement that made the difference.”
“Not just because Alicia got pregnant,” he said, “but because I was tested again after taking the supplement for four months and my sperm was stronger and healthier. They were better formed and the count was up.”
“After a few years of failure we eventually tried IVF but when that didn’t work, mainly because of sperm quality, we needed to try something else,” he added. “We are going to try for a second child next year and we will do the same again.”
Can the couple thank L-Carnitine for giving George “super sperm”? Or were they just lucky in the end?
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