13 Foods That Increase Sperm Volume

13 Foods That Increase Sperm Volume

There are a lot of steps that you can take to improve your sperm volume, and diet is definitely one of the most important things that can help increase your sperm count as well as your semen volume. Here is a list of a few foods that can help you in this endeavor.

Dark Chocolate

A powerful aphrodisiac, dark chocolate contains L-Arginine. This is an amino acid which is known to increase semen volume as well as improve the intensity of your orgasms. Just don’t overdo it or else you will end up gaining weight which will only reduce levels of testosterone in your body and your sperm count.

Oysters

Zinc is an essential mineral that plays an important role in improving testosterone levels as well as sperm production. Oysters are rich sources of this mineral. An increase in testosterone levels also helps improve your sexual desire and energy, which means that you are going to derive more pleasure from your sexual encounters besides having higher chances of conceiving.

Eggs

High in protein and vitamin E, eggs are considered to help in the production of healthy and strong sperm in the testicles. They are also believed to prevent sperm cells from the harmful effects of free radicals, which may kill sperm.

Bananas

Bananas contain an enzyme called bromelain which is supposed to increase male libido. They are also rich sources of vitamin B, which can help bring an increase in stamina, making sure that you have more energy available for your sexual encounters.

Spinach

Leafy green vegetables such as spinach are rich sources of folic acid. Low levels of folate can give rise to distorted sperm shapes such as ones with two heads or two tails. The sperm are also at an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities. This means that firstly your sperm will find it difficult to reach an egg and even if it does reach an egg, it will not be able to fertilize it. Furthermore, even if these sperms are able to fertilize an egg, the chances of birth defects are quite high in such cases.

Asparagus

A green vegetable that is high in vitamin C, asparagus is also a good food to increase sperm volume. Vitamin C protects the sperm cells from the damaging effects of free radicals and thus ensures that the sperm store in the male reproductive system does not get depleted.

Garlic

Garlic is a very effective food that has been used for centuries in treating various physical ailments including heart problems and respiratory infections. What most people don’t know is that it is also a potent aphrodisiac and very effective in boosting sperm volume. It contains a compound called allicin which improves blood flow to the male sexual organs, increasing sperm production and semen volume.

Carrots

Vitamin A is an important nutrient for increasing sperm production as well as improving their motility. Carrots are rich in this nutrient. You can also consume vitamin A by eating foods such as oatmeal, red bell peppers and dried apricots.

Goji Berries

These berries are known to improve your overall stamina and mood. But that’s not all, they also keep temperatures in the scrotum at the optimum level. The scrotum contains the testes which produce sperm. Higher temperatures tend to hamper the sperm production and decrease the volume that is released in a man’s ejaculate. They also promote sperm production by improving blood circulation and protecting against free radical damage.

Walnuts

Another key nutrient for sperm volume is omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids are supposed to increase sperm count as well as improve blood flow to the penis.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols which are known to improve testosterone production and reduce the size of an enlarged production. Both these factors help in increasing sperm count as well as semen volume. They also contain essential fatty acids that improve blood flow to the male reproductive organs.

Ginseng

Ginseng is a powerful herb known for its powerful effects on improving virility in men. It increases sex drive and also enhances your sexual performance. It has been found to be quite effective in men with erectile dysfunctions, increasing semen volume and sperm production.

Maca

This one is another herb that is known to increase semen volume. It has been found that men who consume this herb in the form of a supplement can expect higher sperm count per milliliter of semen, higher semen volume per ejaculation and also better sperm motility. It is also known to have a positive effect on the sex drive and arousal of both men and women. This list of foods is definitely not a comprehensive one. Eating a balanced diet which is rich in minerals such as zinc and vitamins such as A, B12, C, and folic acid will ensure that more sperms are produced in your testes and they are healthy enough to fertilize an egg.

Tillage

Tillage

The word tillage is derived from ‘Anglo-Saxon’ words Tilian and Teolian, meaning ‘to plough and 

prepare soil for seed to sow, to cultivate and to raise crops’. Jethrotull, who is considered as father 

of tillage (Jethrotull also coined the term weed and Zero tillage) suggested that thorough 

ploughing is necessary so as to make the soil into fine particles.

Tillage is the mechanical manipulation of soil with tools and implements for obtaining conditions

Ideal for seed germination, seedling establishment and growth of crops.

Tilth is the physical condition of soil obtained out of tillage (or) it is the result of tillage. The tilth

may be a coarse tilth, fine tilth or moderate tilth.

Objectives of tillage:

The main objectives of tillage are,

• To prepare a good seed bed which helps the germination of seeds.

• To create conditions in the soil suited for better growth of crops.

• To control the weeds effectively.

• To make the soil capable for absorbing more rain water.

• To mix up the manure and fertilizers uniformly in the soil.

• To aerate the soil.

• To provide adequate seed-soil contact to permit water flow to seed and seedling roots.

• To remove the hard pan and to increase the soil depth.

To achieve these objectives, the soil is disturbed / opened up and turned over.

Influence of tillage on soil physical properties:

➢ Pore space: Tillage breaks the hard pan and compacted layers of the soil, this turns large 

aggregates of soil particles into finer ones. Finer aggregates are loosely staked in a random 

manner. This results in increase in pore space between the aggregates. 

➢ Soil structure: The primary soil particles viz sand, silt and clay are usually grouped 

together to form aggregates. The arrangement of primary soil particles and their aggregates 

into certain defined pattern is called soil structure. Soil with crumb structure is considered 

best for cultivation of crops since it has more pore space. Soils which do not have 

aggregates with naturally preserved boundaries are called structure less soil. Moisture is 

required for formation of aggregates. When soil is subjected to tillage at optimum moisture, 

crumb structure is developed so that loss of soil by erosion is greatly reduced. Soil structure 

is destroyed when tillage is carried out at inappropriate soil moisture.

➢ Bulk density: Bulk density is the mass of a unit volume of soil(volume include both solid 

and pore space). Bulk density of fine textured soil is less(due to more pore space) than 

coarse textured soil. After tillage soil is loosened, the volume increases without any effect 

on weight. Therefore bulk density of tilled soil is less than untilled soil.

▪ Bulk Density (B.D)= weight of soil/volume of solids and pores.

➢ Soil colour: soil with more organic matter are dark colour of soil. Tillage increases the 

oxidation and decomposition of organic matter resulting in fading of colour.

➢ Soil Water: The amount of water in soil increases with increase pore space, soil depth and 

roughness, all these increases with tillage.

➢ Soil temperature: Tillage loosens the soil surface resulting in decrease in thermal conductivity and 

heat capacity.

Types of tillage: 

 Tillage operations may be grouped into

1. Conventional 

2. Conservation

Conventional tillage

Conventional tillage is again of two type : 

1. On season tillage and 

2. Off season tillage

1. On-season tillage

Tillage operations that are done for raising crops in the same season or at the onset of the crop 

season are known as on-season tillage. 

They may be preparatory cultivation and after

cultivation.

A. Preparatory tillage: This refers to tillage operations that are done to prepare the field for raising

crops. It consists of deep opening and loosening of the soil to bring about a desirable tilth as well as

to incorporate or uproot weeds and crop stubble when the soil is in a workable condition.

Types of preparatory tillage

a. Primary tillage

b. Secondary tillage

a. Primary tillage: The tillage operation that is done after the harvest of crop to bring the 

land under cultivation is known as primary tillage or ploughing. Ploughing is the opening of 

compact soil with the help of different ploughs. Country plough, mould board plough, bose 

plough, tractor and power tiller drawn implements are used for primary tillage.

b. Secondary tillage: The tillage operations that are performed on the soil after primary 

tillage to bring a good soil tilth are known as secondary tillage. Secondary tillage consists of 

lighter or finer operation which is done to clean the soil, break the clods and incorporate the 

manure and fertilizers. Harrowing and planking is done to serve those purposes. Planking is 

done to crush the hard clods, level the soil surface and to compact the soil lightly. Harrows, 

cultivators, Guntakas and spade are used for secondary tillage.

c. Layout of seed bed:This is also one of the components of preparatory tillage. Leveling 

board, buck scrapers etc. are used for leveling and markers are used for layout of seedbed.

B. After cultivation (Inter tillage): The tillage operations that are carried out in the standing crop

after the sowing or planting and prior to the harvesting of the crop plants are called after tillage.

This is also called as inter cultivation or post seeding/ planting cultivation. It includes harrowing,

hoeing, weeding, earthing up, drilling or side dressing of fertilizers etc. Spade, hoe, weeders etc.

are used for inter cultivation.

2. Off-season tillage: 

Tillage operations done for conditioning the soil suitable for the forthcoming main season crop are 

called off-season tillage. Off season tillage may be, post harvest tillage, summer tillage, winter 

tillage and fallow tillage, sub soiling, clean tillage.

Demerits of conventional tillage

➢ Continuous use of heavy ploughs create hard pan in the subsoil, results in poor infiltration. 

➢ It is more susceptible to run-off and erosion. 

➢ It is capital intensive and increase soil degradation. 

➢ It increases the degradation of organic matter in soil which and soil become nutrient 

deficient.

➢ Tillage cause release of CO2 in atmosphere due to rapid increase in life activities in soil 

including microorganisms and faster degradation of organic matter due to better flow of air 

and water in the soil.

Conservation tillage:

Conservation tillage system tries to solve the problems arising due to conventional, tillage without 

much affecting the production. Some agronomists define conservation tillage as a type of tillage 

operation in which we Ploughing the field with lesser number of passes over the entire land or 

ploughing only in the required space of the land and then sowing is called conservation tillage.

Different types of conservation tillage are described below.

1. Minimum tillage: It aims at reducing tillage operations to the minimum necessity for ensuring a 

good seed bed. The advantages of minimum tillage over conventional tillage are,

➢ The cost and time for field preparation is reduced by reducing the number of field

➢ operations.

➢ Soil compaction is comparatively less.

➢ Soil structure is not destroyed.

➢ Water loss through runoff and erosion is minimum.

➢ Water storage in the plough layer is increased.

Tillage can be reduced in 2 ways

1. By omitting operations which do not give much benefit when compared to the cost.

2. By combining agricultural operations like seeding and fertilizer application.

The minimum tillage systems can be grouped into the following categories,

1. Row zone tillage: Primary tillage is done with mould board plough in the entire area of the field; 

secondary tillage operations like discing and harrowing are reduced and done only in row zone.

2. Plough plant tillage: After the primary tillage, a special planter is used for sowing. In one run 

over the field, the row zone is pulverized and seeds are sown by the planter

3. Wheel track tillage : Primary ploughing is done as usual. Tractor is used for sowing; the wheels 

of the tractor pulverize the row zone in which planting is done.

In all these systems, primary tillage is as usual. However, secondary tillage is replaced by direct 

sowing in which sown seed is covered in the row zone with the equipment used for sowing.

2. Zero tillage (No tillage): In this, new crop is planted in the residues of the previous crop without 

any prior soil tillage or seed bed preparation and it is possible when all the weeds are controlled by 

the use of herbicides. Zero tillage is applicable for soils with a coarse textured surface horizon, 

good internal drainage, high biological activity of soil fauna, favourable initial soil structure and an

adequate quantity of crop residue as mulch. These conditions are generally found in Alfisols, 

Oxisols and Ultisols in the humid and sub-humid tropics.

Till planting

Till planting is one method of practicing zero tillage. A wide sweep and trash bar clears a strip over 

the previous crop row and planter opens a narrow strip into which seeds are planted and covered. 

Here, herbicide functions are extended. Before sowing, the vegetation present has to be destroyed 

for which broad spectrum non selective herbicides like glyposate, paraquat and diquat are used.

Advantages

Benefits of drinking warm water: Why You Must Drink Warm Water Even In Summers

Benefits of drinking warm water:

 Why You Must Drink Warm Water Even In Summers

Why you must drink hot/warm water:

Imagine drinking hot water in summers. This might freak you out but it is true. Drinking warm water throughout the year can be great for your health in several ways; Having said that we don’t mean piping hot water, but lukewarm water can be the best dose of health your body needs to beat the harshness of the environment and help stay fit. After all, 75 percent of our body is made up of fluids and for better functioning our body needs to strike the perfect balance of electrolytes. So, here are a few reasons why you must drink warm and what it does to your body and few remedies to make your regular water even more nutritious.

Why is it essential amidst the Covid-19 crisis:

The global Coronavirus pandemic scare has been increasing day-by-day and with no accurate vaccination, to keep such virus attacks at bay. However, as the world prepares to step out after a prolonged lockdown it is essential to build a strong metabolism and immunity.

Drinking warm water early morning helps in maintaining the right electrolyte balance in the body and detoxify toxins present in the body. Apart from that if you are prone to seasonal flu, cold and cough, sipping lukewarm water throughout the day can help in relieving the congestion in the chest as well as nasal cavity.

​Great decongestant:

A prolonged history of congestion in your chest cavity can affect your respiratory system. Congestion happens due to the deposition of mucus, which inflames the air passage of your lungs. Hence, the best way to naturally dilute the mucus and flush them out of the body is by drinking lukewarm water throughout the day. Apart from that, lukewarm water also helps in relieving sore throat and sinus issues. Here’s how you can make your regular lukewarm water a great remedy for treating congestion.

Take 1 litre of lukewarm water

Add 1 lemon

2 teaspoon honey

Mix it well and sip it throughout the day.

Both honey and lemon are loaded with nutrients like Vitamin C, D, E, K and B complex and beta-carotene, which help in boosting immunity as well as treating cold, cough and flu.

​Fortify your water:

Drinking warm water every morning can help in flushing out the toxins from the digestive system. Warm water also helps in the proper functioning of the endocrine system. This happens because lukewarm water raises the body temperature, which in turn increases the metabolic rate, which helps throw out the toxins from the body.

Take 1 litre water

½ a teaspoon lime juice

3-4 basil leaves

3-4 ginger julienne

This blend will help in flushing out toxins from the body and improve the metabolic rate along with improving digestion. However, ginger is warm in nature. So make sure you add a very small portion of it.

Helps in promoting weight loss:

If you are a fitness enthusiast then water should be your best companion. Drinking warm water in the morning helps flushing out the toxins. However, drinking warm water increases the body temperature, which improves the metabolic rate . It helps in breaking the food molecules in your intestine and helps in better digestion as well as absorption of nutrients. This helps in managing the weight effectively. Here’s a simple herbal blend that you can try to accelerate your weight loss process.

Take 1 liter water

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

Boil this blend properly and sip it throughout the day, this drink will not only promote weight loss, but at the same time flush out the toxins from the body. It further helps in releasing the water weight caused due to water retention.

What is biodiversity? Why does it matter to us?

What is biodiversity?

 

Why does it matter to us?

WHAT BIODIVERSITY IS

Biodiversity describes the variety of life on Earth, including the 8 million plant and animal species on the planet, the ecosystems that house them, and the genetic diversity among them. 

Biodiversity is a complex, interdependent web, in which each member plays an important role, drawing and contributing in ways that may not even be visible to the eye. The abundant foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the weather that makes our planet habitable all come from nature.

WHY BIODIVERSITY MATTERS

Biodiversity is the foundation that supports all life on land and below water. It affects every aspect of human health, providing clean air and water, nutritious foods, scientific understanding and medicine sources, natural disease resistance, and climate change mitigation. Changing or removing one element of this web affects the entire life system and can produce negative consequences. Without nature, life on earth would not be possible.

THE IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITY 

Human activities have significantly changed three quarters of land surface and two thirds of ocean area.  Between 2010 and 2015 alone, 32 million hectares of forest disappeared; and in the last 150 years, live coral reef cover has been reduced by half. Glacial ice is melting at astonishing rates while ocean acidification grows, the threatening the oceans productivity. Wildlife species are disappearing tens to hundreds of times faster now than in the past 10 million years; and within the next 10 years, one out of every four known species may have been wiped off the planet. 

We are on the verge of a mass extinction; and if we continue on this path, biodiversity loss will have severe implications for humanity, including the  collapse of food and health systems.

BIODIVERSITY LOSS AND COVID-19

The emergence of COVID-19 has made it clear that, when we destroy biodiversity, we destroy the system that supports human life. By upsetting the delicate balance of nature–encroaching on wildlife, reducing the genetic diversity within animal populations, causing climate change and extreme weather events–we have created ideal conditions for the spread of viruses between animal and human populations.  Nature is sending us a message.  

IT’S TIME FOR NATURE

Reversing biodiversity loss is the only way to restore and sustain a healthy planet.  This will only be possible when we understand the web of life in which we live and appreciate that it functions as a whole system.  It is time to reimagine our relationship with nature and put nature at the heart of our decision-making.

The convention on biological diversity recognizes that biological diversity is critical to a healthy planet.  To this end, UNEP and its partners are helping countries them develop their own National Biodiversity action plans. UNEP also supports important knowledge platforms on ecosystems and biodiversity such as  global forest watch, Global peatlands initiative and the interfaith rainforest initiative.

World Environment Day

World Environment Day is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on 5 June; engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

World Environment Day offers a global platform for inspiring positive change. It recognizes that global change requires a global community.  It pushes for individuals to think about the way they consume; for businesses to develop greener models; for farmers and manufacturers to produce more sustainably; for governments to safeguard wild spaces; for educators to inspire students to live in harmony with the Earth; and for youth to become fierce gatekeepers of a green future.  It requires all of us.

THE THEME

In 2020, the theme is biodiversity–a concern that is both urgent and existential. Recent events, from bushfires in Brazil, the United States and Australia to locust infestations across East Africa–and now, a global disease pandemic–demonstrate the interdependence of humans and the webs of life in which they exist. Nature is sending us a message.

Time for nature

The foods we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable all come from nature. For instance, each year, marine plants produce more than a half of our atmosphere's oxygen, and a mature tree cleans our air, absorbing 22 kilos of carbon dioxide, releasing oxygen in exchange. Despite all the benefits that our nature give us, we still mistreat it.That is why we need to work on that. That is why we need this Observance.

World Environment Day, hosted by Colombia this 2020, is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on 5 June: engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

This year, the theme is biodiversity – a concern that is both urgent and existential. Recent events, from bushfires in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to locust infestations across East Africa – and now, a global disease pandemic – demonstrate the interdependence of humans and the webs of life, in which they exist.

But, do we really know its importance? Maybe our biodiversity trivial will help.

Biodiversity and its connection to humans

Biodiversity is the foundation that supports all life on land and below water. It affects every aspect of human health, providing clean air and water, nutritious foods, scientific understanding and medicine sources, natural disease resistance, and climate change mitigation. Changing, or removing one element of this web affects the entire life system and can produce negative consequences.

Human actions, including deforestation, encroachment on wildlife habitats, intensified agriculture, and acceleration of climate change, have pushed nature beyond its limit. It would take 1.6 Earths to meet the demands that humans make of nature each year. If we continue on this path, biodiversity loss will have severe implications for humanity, including the collapse of food and health systems.

The emergence of COVID-19 has underscored the fact that, when we destroy biodiversity, we destroy the system that supports human life. Today, it is estimated that, globally, about one billion cases of illness and millions of deaths occur every year from diseases caused by coronaviruses; and about 75 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic, meaning that they are transmitted to people by animals.

Nature is sending us a message.

Did you know?

• Biodiversity involves 8 million plant and animal species, the ecosystems that house them, and the genetic diversity among them.
• In the last 150 years, the live coral reef cover has been reduced by half.
• Within the next 10 years, one out of every four known species may have been wiped off the planet.
• It would take 1.6 Earths to meet the demands that humans make on nature each year.

Rice vs roti: What is ideal for weight loss?

WEIGHT LOSS WORRIES:

Rice and chapati have often jeopardized our weight loss plans. Since we have grown up eating both, it is difficult to let either go. Starting a weight loss regime is easy but sticking through is where the issue lies. While not every diet plan would require us to give up foods we love, others may urge us to.

CARBS, OUR ENEMY:

CARBS, OUR ENEMY: This is because leaving carbohydrates majorly leads to massive weight loss for many. And in our Indian diet, the major carb components are rice and chapati. As numerous Indian preparations are wheat-based or rice-based, completely ditching rice and chapati is not right as well.

CHAPATI - THE WINNER:

CHAPATI - THE WINNER: However, when it comes to weight loss, the clear winner is chapati. While the difference between rice and chapati is not drastic, nutrient-value wise, the only major distinction lies in the sodium value. Rice, on one hand, has negligible sodium content. Chapati, on the other, has a drastic 190 mg sodium in 120 grams of wheat.

MAIN DIFFERENCE:

MAIN DIFFERENCE: Therefore, for those wanting to ditch out sodium from their diet due to medical issues, chapati is what you need to be knocking off. But why is it that chapati continues to be better for weight loss? Turns out, rice contains lesser dietary fiber, protein and fat when compared to chapati. Rice also contains higher calories and does not provide the same satiety two chapatis would give.

FOUR CHAPATIS A DAY:

FOUR CHAPATIS A DAY: But at the same, it is important to remember the portion size for either. Just because chapatis are better for weight loss does not mean that you overload your plate with them. Stick to maximum of four chapatis in a day.

DINNER AT 8:

DINNER AT 8: If you wish to consume chapati for dinner, then having dinner before 7:30 pm is advisable. It is necessary to listen to your body and know what suits your body best.

The only difference between the two is the fibre content. Foods with high fibre content make you feel full faster so you end up eating less.

Rice and chappati or roti are an important part of a meal in India, be it lunch, dinner or at times aloo ke paratha for breakfast. But with more awareness, besides diet fads taking over our consciousness, we now view them as carbs, which are often deemed unhealthy. Skipping carbs leads to faster weight loss and so rice and roti are seen as something that will interfere with your path to a fitter body.

What is healthier? 

Weight loss happens when there is an overall reduction in calorie intake, explains Anushka Baindur, senior dietician at Fortis Hospital. Rice and chapati, when taken in the same quantities, provide more or less the same number of calories. “So rather than opting for one over the other, more thought should be given to the quantity eaten, be it rice or roti,” she explains. An excess of either can lead to extra calorie intake, which can lead to weight gain.

Have a balanced meal

The only difference between the two is the fibre content. Foods with high fibre content makes you feel full faster so you would eat less. Among rice and wheat, whole wheat has the highest fibre content, followed by brown rice and then white rice. But even if the rice has a lower fibre content, it can be balanced by combining it with lots of vegetables and whole pulses, so that one also ends up eating a lesser quantity of rice. Hence, the message here is to eat either rice or roti within limits and balance the meal with a protein like dals, pulses or lean meat and lots of vegetables.