What foods, supplements, and prescription medications can be used to increase seminal fluid volume in a healthy adult male?

Increasing Seminal Fluid Volume

There is insufficient evidence to recommend any specific medications, supplements, or foods for increasing seminal fluid volume in healthy men, as current guidelines emphasize that the benefits of supplements are of questionable clinical utility for male fertility parameters. 1, 2

Evidence on Supplements and Medications

Antioxidants and Supplements

• The American Urological Association and American Society for Reproductive Medicine state that existing data are inadequate to provide recommendations for specific agents to improve semen parameters, including volume 2
• The European Association of Urology acknowledges that while oxidative stress contributes to male infertility, a Cochrane meta-analysis of 61 studies (6,264 men) showed that when studies with high risk of bias were removed, the apparent benefits of antioxidant therapy disappeared 2
• There are insufficient data to recommend the use of supplemental antioxidant therapies or herbal therapies for the treatment of men with abnormal semen parameters 1

Specific Nutrients with Limited Evidence

Research studies (not guidelines) have suggested potential associations with overall sperm quality, though not specifically volume:

• Selenium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, and carnitine supplements have been positively related to sperm quality parameters in observational studies 3
• One small study of Eurycoma longifolia Jack showed improvement in semen volumes, but this was a single trial of 75 patients without rigorous controls 4

Probiotics

• One randomized controlled trial of 56 men showed prebiotic/probiotic supplementation significantly increased sperm concentration, motility, normal morphology, and DNA integrity compared to placebo, though volume was not specifically reported 5, 2

Lifestyle Modifications (Stronger Evidence)

Lifestyle modifications have more robust evidence than supplements for improving overall sperm parameters 2:

• Weight loss for overweight or obese men (BMI >25) can enhance sperm parameters 5, 2
• Regular physical exercise improves sperm quality and overall health 5, 2
• Smoking cessation should be encouraged as it can improve sperm quality 5, 2

Foods and Dietary Patterns

While no specific foods increase seminal fluid volume, observational research suggests these dietary patterns may improve overall sperm quality 3:

• Vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole cereals (rich in fiber and antioxidants) 3
• Fish, seafood, shellfish, and poultry 3
• Low-fat dairy products 3
• Adherence to healthy dietary patterns is positively associated with sperm concentration and motility 3

Critical Medications to AVOID

Testosterone therapy is absolutely contraindicated in men seeking fertility or concerned about semen parameters, as it suppresses spermatogenesis through negative feedback and can cause azoospermia that takes months to years to recover 5, 2

Understanding Low Semen Volume

Normal semen volume ranges from 1.5-5.0 mL per the standard reference values 1. Low semen volume (<1.5 mL) may indicate:

• Retrograde ejaculation 1
• Ejaculatory duct obstruction 1
• Hypogonadism 1
• Congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens 1

If you have low semen volume, evaluation by a urologist or male reproductive specialist is warranted to identify treatable causes rather than pursuing unproven supplements 1, 6

Important Caveats

• Spermatogenesis takes approximately 74 days, so any intervention requires at least this timeframe to show effects 5
• High or low semen volumes are associated with higher incidence of subfertile characteristics, while normal volume alone does not guarantee quality 7
• The quality of evidence for most supplements is low, with many studies having methodological limitations 5
• Prioritize lifestyle modifications over supplements, and if supplements are used, they should be viewed as adjunctive therapy with realistic expectations about limited evidence 2