Introduction
Having a child is a big decision to make, and many couples are surprised that the process itself can be even more difficult. If you have been trying for a child for over a year then there may be an issue with your fertility. Luckily there are many solutions to this, one of the first that you should consider is supplementation.
Fairhaven Health are a supplement company that specialize in fertility supplements, and their product CountBoost is aimed at boosting sperm count. It is designed to be taken alongside another male fertility supplement FertilAid for Men.
In this article we will be taking an in-depth look at the ingredients list, assessing the claims made by Fairhaven Health and helping you to decide whether CountBoost is the right supplement for you.
What Is CountBoost?
CountBoost is a dietary supplement that is designed to be taken alongside FertilAid for Men, its purpose is to improve sperm count in men who are infertile. CountBoost is sold by Fairhaven Health, a supplement company based in Washington that specializes in supplements to boost the fertility of couples trying to conceive.
Each pack contains 30 days of capsules with two capsules per serving (60 capsules in total). You can purchase the supplement directly from the Fairhaven Health website or alternatively Amazon.com also sells CountBoost.
A single pack of CountBoost costs $19.95 when purchased from the Fairhaven Health website, which works out at $0.67 per serving. If you purchase two packs the price per pack drops to $18.95 or $0.63 per serving. There is a further discount price of $17.96 per pack if you purchase three or more, which works out at $0.60 per serving.
Fairhaven Health make it very clear that this supplement is not a stand-alone supplement, it is designed to be taken in addition to FertilAid for Men. CountBoost is aimed at men who have a sperm count that is less than 20 million sperm per milliliter of ejaculate.
While FertilAid for Men is designed to improve the quality of sperm, CountBoost is only concerned with boosting sperm count. So, in our review we will focus specifically on this.
Does CountBoost Work?
Annoyingly, CountBoost contains a proprietary blend. This is where instead of giving the individual dosages of each ingredient the supplement company groups a bunch of them together and gives the dosage for that.
It’s very frustrating as you end up having no idea whether any ingredient is effectively dosed or not. We’ll still review the ingredients but bear in mind that due to the use of a proprietary blend we cannot guarantee whether they are effective or not. But enough complaints, let’s take a look at whether CountBoost works or not!
The first major ingredient to take a look at is Maca root. This is the root of a plant that grows in Peru and is traditionally used as an aphrodisiac. There is a lot of evidence pointing to the fact that Maca can increase male libido. A 2009 study on sportsmen found that taking 2g of maca root per day led to a significant increase in libido [1].
A 2008 study by Dording et al found that people suffering SSRI-induced sexual dysfunction (people who take antidepressants may lose libido) saw a significant improvement in libido and was able to alleviate their sexual dysfunction [2].
While Maca root’s ability to increase libido is useful, it’s not why it is present in CountBoost. It’s here to increase sperm count. The evidence that maca root boosts sperm count does exist, but it isn’t great. The gold standard of journal articles would be a double-blind placebo study (where neither the researchers nor the participants know whether they are taking maca root or a placebo).
The only study that we could find on maca root and sperm count is one published in the Asian Journal of Andrology in 2001 [3]. The study used only nine participants and did not use a placebo group at all. This does not invalidate the results, but it does make them less powerful.
Over a period of four months, nine men took 1.5g or 3g of maca root per day. Treatment resulted in an increase in seminal volume, sperm count, and sperm motility. The researchers decided that sperm count was not increased by maca root directly.
The second ingredient that it is worth looking at is Withania Somnifera also known as Ashwagandha. The most well-known function of Ashwagandha is its ability to reduce anxiety, something that any man who is trying for a baby could probably do with! It also appears to increase seminal motility.
A 2013 study by Gupta et al found that taking 5g of Ashwagandha daily for a period of three months led to an increase in sperm motility as well as sperm quality [4]. But remember, that the whole purpose of CountBoost is to increase sperm count!
Luckily, it appears that Ashwagandha is capable of significantly increasing sperm count. A 2009 study by Mahdi et al looked at the effect of ashwagandha on stressed and infertile males [5]. The study found that the men who were most stressed saw the biggest increases in sperm count, sperm motility, and testosterone.
A 2018 study looked at the effect of ashwagandha on 100 infertile men, the study found a significant increase in sperm count as well as sperm motility [6]. Ambiye et al (2013) also studied infertile males [7]. The study saw a significant increase in sperm concentration, volume and motility in men who took 675mg of concentrated ashwagandha.
Next ingredient on the list is Panax Ginseng, which has been shown to increase libido, testosterone, and may also improve erectile function. However, it does not appear to have any influence on sperm count.
Mucuna pruriens is the fourth ingredient within the proprietary blend. A 2009 study on 75 fertile and 75 infertile men looked the effect of Mucuna pruriens on fertility [7]. The study found that Mucuna pruriens was able to increase both sperm count as well as motility. What’s interesting is that even the control group of fertile men saw increases in sperm count, seminal volume, and sperm motility.
Bottom Line: The bottom line is that the ingredients present within CountBoost should be more than capable of boosting sperm count. Provided that they are correctly dosed. In fact, the ingredients are so effective it is a little surprising that CountBoost is recommended as an add-on supplement only. It seems to be an effective supplement all on its own.
The Pros & Cons of CountBoost
In this section we have first listed everything that we like about CountBoost, and then listed everything that we don’t like about CountBoost.
Pros
- Ingredients appear to do exactly what they are supposed to do
- Maca root can boost sperm count, libido, and motility
- Ashwagandha can boost sperm count, libido, motility, and improve erections
- Mucuna pruriens can boost sperm count and motility
Cons
- Uses a proprietary blend
- We have no idea if the ingredients are properly dosed
What are the CountBoost Ingredients?
Thanks to the use of a proprietary blend it is impossible to give you accurate dosages for the majority of ingredients, but we will persevere.
One Serving Contains: Vitamin C 500mg, Riboflavin 15mg, Niacin 25mg, Vitamin B12 500mcg, and Proprietary Blend 850mg (Maca Root, Withania Somnifera Extract, Panax Ginseng, Mucuna Pruriens, CoQ10, L-Glutathione).
Is CountBoost Safe?
Without knowing the exact dosages of each ingredient (thanks to the proprietary blend we may have mentioned a few times) it is not possible to say for certain whether an ingredient is at a toxic dosage or not. However, this would be incredibly unlikely. Usually, companies use proprietary blends to underdose their ingredients rather than the other way around.
Taking a look at the ingredients present within CountBoost we can say that none of them are banned or in any way dangerous. Provided that you are a healthy male with no medical conditions you should be absolutely fine to take this supplement. If you do have a medical condition (or several) then it probably is still safe, but please talk to your doctor beforehand.
Is CountBoost Suitable For Everyone?
For the most part, CountBoost is suitable for the specific target audience of men looking to conceive. However, with so many ingredients contained within, there are of course going to be some exceptions. Due to the vitamin C content, people who have had kidney stones in the past may want to ensure that they are not getting vitamin C from too many other sources. CountBoost contains 500mg, and their daily recommended intake would be less than 1000mg.
Niacin is also contained within CountBoost, this is due to its ability to increase blood flow. Niacin is well known to create a harmless flushed feeling after consumption, this can lead to you feeling hot and “tingly” (a very scientific way to describe it). Niacin may also increase blood sugar so diabetics should ensure that they check their blood sugar after taking CountBoost.
Several of the ingredients (maca, ashwagandha, Mucuna pruriens, and CoQ10) may lower blood pressure, which can be beneficial, however certain populations should pay attention to this. People suffering from cardiovascular disease may want to avoid, or at least check with their doctor before taking.
People with stomach ulcers may also want to avoid CountBoost, as some ingredients may exacerbate symptoms. On the whole though, CountBoost is suitable for almost everyone.
Are There Any CountBoost Reviews From Customers?
There have been 160 customer reviews on Amazon.com and 56% of them have been five-stars, with a further 11% of them four-stars. There have also been 19% one-star reviews, which indicates that not everyone has seen results from use. This is pretty standard though, as there are many causes of infertility for both men and women and it would be unreasonable to expect a single product to solve all of them.
“We were trying to conceive for a few years without any luck, but within two months of taking CountBoost we were pregnant”
“My husband started taking them in August, and by January we did a pregnancy test and it came out positive”
“This stuff really works; I took all three products after being given a 1% chance of conception. Yes, 1%! Now my wife is 15 weeks pregnant”
Our Final Verdict on CountBoost
After analyzing the ingredients list, assessing the claims, and reading countless customer reviews we feel that it is fair to say that CountBoost has surpassed our expectations. This product really does seem to work! However, the use of a proprietary blend still irks. A shameful practice.
The marketing makes it clear that CountBoost is not a standalone supplement and should be taken alongside FertilAid for Men. But we’re not sure why. If your issue is low sperm count, then taking CountBoost alone should definitely help (though taking FertilAid for Men alongside it would still be recommended).
If you are having trouble conceiving and would like to try a fertility-boosting supplement before going down other (more expensive) routes, then this would be a great choice.