29.03.2024

Man gets his wife pregnant with ‘super sperm’ supplement

A 35-year-old man and his wife are finally expecting their first child after he took a ‘super sperm’ supplement recommended to him by his doctor.

George and Alicia Nicorici, also 35, endured four years of heartache in their quest to have a baby including failed IVF and a miscarriage.

Mr Nicorici was advised by doctors to take an L-Carnitine sachet twice a day when tests showed he was depleted of swimmers. They believed he was to blame for the problems in conceiving.

Within months, the food technician’s sperm count doubled from 16million/ml to 33million/ml and became stronger. His original concentration rendered him on the border of male infertility by World Health Organization standards.

Combining the clinically-proven supplement alongside a second cycle of IVF allowed Mrs Nicorici, a web developer, to become pregnant and start the couple’s dream family. She is due to give birth next week to a boy they have decided to call Epsen.

Speaking for the first time, Mr Nicorici, from Orpington, Kent, told MailOnline: ‘It’s like I developed super sperm.’

The orange-flavoured product has the backing of Professor Allan Pacey, the former chairman of the British Fertility Society and is endorsed by resident GP on Channel 4 show Embarrassing Bodies, Dr Pixie McKenna.

An array of evidence also shows the supplement 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.

George Nicorici, from Orpington, Kent, was advised by doctors to take a L-Carnitine sachet twice a day when tests showed he was depleted of swimmers. They believed he was the reason his wife, Alicia, also 35, was struggling to conceive

The couple are now even contemplating having a second child, following the difficulties they experienced when trying for children.

Mr Nicorici told MailOnline: ‘I have no doubt it was the supplement that made the difference.

‘Not just because Alicia got pregnant 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.

‘We are going to try for a second child next year and we will do the same again.’

HOW DOES THE SUPPLEMENT WORK?

Mr Nicorici chose to buy Superdrug’s Male Fertility Supplement (MFS), which contains 1.5g of L-Carnitine — known to improve sperm motility.

Absorption reaches saturation at 2g, so adding any more speeds up excretion and less is absorbed.

Since L-Carnitine is also present in some food, such as pork, seafood and chicken, the dose in the MFS is 1.5g.

Numerous scientific trials have backed the manufacturer’s claims.

Spanish researchers six years ago revealed that MFS can improve sperm concentration in the International Journal of Andrology.

After half a year, sperm quantity was boosted by 57 per cent, and it increased counts by 9 per cent over three months.

Motility was improved by 30 per cent after six months, and morphology — the size and shape of sperm, by 43 per cent.

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona researchers showed in 2012 that L-Carnitine can reduce DNA fragmentation by 23 per cent.

Their study, published in Andrologia, also showed the nutrient can reduce the presence of of vacuoles (craters in the sperm head), which are thought to be one of the causes of miscarriage.

The supplement, which tastes like orange, comes in a powder form that is dissolved into water to make a flavoured-solution.

It is taken twice a day as this helps to maintain the optimal levels of L-Carnitine in the body to have the best effect on producing sperm.

The product costs £29.99 for 60 sachets — roughly a month’s supply.

Within months, the food technician’s sperm count doubled from 16million/ml — an amount that the World Health Organization states borders on the range of male infertility, to 33 million/ml

Combining the clinically-proven supplement alongside a second cycle of IVF allowed Mrs Nicorici, a web developer, to become pregnant and start the couple's dream family. She is due to give birth next week to a boy called Epsen

Combining the clinically-proven supplement alongside a second cycle of IVF allowed Mrs Nicorici, a web developer, to become pregnant and start the couple’s dream family. She is due to give birth next week to a boy called Epsen

The couple, who married in August 2013 in a service in Lambeth, London, began trying to have children five years ago.

Despite numerous attempts, none worked. Eventually towards the end of 2014 Mr Nicorici sought advice from his doctor.

His GP conducted tests on his sperm to determine if there was any issue, but they were adamant there was nothing wrong.

They advised Mr Nicorici to come back to see them again in a year if the married couple were still struggling to conceive.

This time his GP referred the couple for IVF treatment at Guy’s Hospital, London, as they fell within the strict category for free cycles.

The couple are now even contemplating having a second child, following the difficulties they experienced when trying for children. Speaking for the first time, Mr Nicorici told MailOnline: 'I have no doubt it was the supplement that made the difference'

The couple are now even contemplating having a second child, following the difficulties they experienced when trying for children. Speaking for the first time, Mr Nicorici told MailOnline: ‘I have no doubt it was the supplement that made the difference’

The couple, who married in August 2013 in a service in Lambeth, London, began trying to have children five years ago. Despite numerous attempts, none worked. Eventually towards the end of 2014 Mr Nicorici sought advice from his doctor

The couple, who married in August 2013 in a service in Lambeth, London, began trying to have children five years ago. Despite numerous attempts, none worked. Eventually towards the end of 2014 Mr Nicorici sought advice from his doctor

A second IVF cycle, which boosted Mrs Nicorici's chances of becoming pregnant, worked in January this year. The couple are now set to welcome their child, who they will name Espen. He is due on Monday, October 9

A second IVF cycle, which boosted Mrs Nicorici’s chances of becoming pregnant, worked in January this year. The couple are now set to welcome their child, who they will name Espen. He is due on Monday, October 9

WHAT DO THE EXPERTS SAY?

Professor Allan Pacey, an andrologist based at Sheffield University, has backed the product. Until 2015, he was the chairman of the British Fertility Society.

He said: ‘Poor sperm is one of the contributory factors in about half of the couples who have difficulty in starting a family.

‘Yet faced with this news, couples don’t always get good information about the possible reasons for their diagnosis and what, if anything, can be done about it.

‘There are research papers showing that men with healthier diets generally have better sperm.

‘Therefore, by giving the right amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants it is reasonable to conclude that male fertility can be improved.’

He added: ‘If you have more sperm that can swim better and have the capacity to fertilise the egg, you improve your chance of conceiving a baby.

‘These improvements in sperm quality can also help to reduce the risk of implantation failure and, we think, some forms of miscarriage.’

Tests then revealed that Mr Nicorici’s sperm count was 16 million/ml — slightly above the current fertility standard of 15 million/ml established by World Health Organisation.

He was advised to take the supplement, which has been proven to improve sperm mobility, concentration and morphology.

But the first cycle of IVF, funded by the taxpayer, proved unsuccessful. Figures show one cycle of the fertility treatment works 33 per cent of the time.

Mrs Nicorici became pregnant in April 2016 naturally through sex with her husband, despite being offered a second cycle on the NHS.

The couple credit the supplement for their natural pregnancy, as it was later found to boost his sperm levels.

However, she suffered a miscarriage just two months later. She told MailOnline: ‘We were very heartbroken. We were weeping and had to take time off of work.

‘Miscarriage is the last thing you think about when you see good news on the test, and so we were distraught when we found out.’

A second IVF cycle, which boosted Mrs Nicorici’s chances of becoming pregnant by 15 per cent, worked in January this year.

Tests conducted earlier this year at Guy’s Hospital showed Mr Nicorici’s sperm count had doubled to 33 million/ml. He credits the supplement.

The couple are now set to welcome their child, who they will name Espen. He is due on Monday, October 9.

Mr Nicorici jokingly suggested that he definitely doesn’t want him to be a footballer and hopes he will end up as a doctor.

Tests initially showed that Mr Nicorici's sperm count was 16 million/ml - slightly above the current fertility standard of 15 million/ml established by World Health Organisation. Tests conducted earlier this year showed his sperm count had doubled to 33 million/ml

Tests initially showed that Mr Nicorici’s sperm count was 16 million/ml — slightly above the current fertility standard of 15 million/ml established by World Health Organisation. Tests conducted earlier this year showed his sperm count had doubled to 33 million/ml

Mrs Nicorici became pregnant in April 2016 naturally through sex with her husband, despite being offered a second cycle on the NHS, but she later had a miscarriage

Mrs Nicorici became pregnant in April 2016 naturally through sex with her husband, despite being offered a second cycle on the NHS, but she later had a miscarriage

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