Certain dietary, nutritional supplements may improve sperm quality

According to a new research, certain nutrients and dietary supplements can benefit sperm quality and male fertility.

The study was published in the Journal of Advances in Nutrition. Infertility affects 15 percent of the world population and is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a global health problem.

In recent years, studies of sperm quality in different countries have shown a decrease that could have consequences for the survival of the human species. The decrease in sperm quality has been related to unhealthy lifestyles. Stress, consumption of drugs, tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy diets seem to be some of the main factors.

Despite the current lack of scientific evidence regarding the effect of dietary and nutritional supplements on sperm quality, many fertility clinics offer dietary recommendations and supplements before providing their patients with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).

Recently, researchers at the Human Nutrition Unit of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and the Pere i Virgili Health Research Institute and researchers at the Clinical Department of Human Reproduction and Infant Growth at the Universidad de Guadalajara (Mexico) carried out the most extensive review of randomised clinical studies into the effects of different nutrients and dietary supplements on sperm quality and male fertility.

After qualitatively analysing the results of 28 nutritional studies involving 2900 participants, researchers have concluded that supplementing the diet with omega 3 and coenzyme Q10 (in either liquid or tablet form) can have a beneficial effect on the number of spermatozoids in semen. Supplementing the diet with selenium, zinc, fatty acids, omega-3 and coenzyme-Q10 is associated with an increase in spermatozoid concentration, supplementing the diet with selenium, zinc, omega-3, coenzyme-Q10 and carnitines have been associated with an improvement in sperm mobility.

The study suggests that dietary supplements have a modulating effect on sperm quality and provides an extensive and up-to-date review of the existing scientific evidence.

The results state that certain dietary supplements can have a beneficial effect on sperm quality, although it remains to be demonstrated whether this increases the likelihood of conceiving a child naturally or through assisted reproduction techniques.