Editor's Choice Main Category: Fertility Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet Article Date: 15 Mar 2012 - 1:00 PDT
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A study in 99 American men demonstrated that a high total fat intake is linked to lower total sperm count and concentration. It also showed that men, who consumed more omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, i.e. fats found in fish and plant oils, had better formed sperm compared with those who ate less of these fats. The researchers warn however, that the findings need to be supported by further research to validate the impact of fats on men's fertility given that this study was only performed in a small number participants.
Professor Jill Attaman, Clinical and Research Fellow in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School declared:
Even though numerous earlier studies of the association between body mass index (BMI) and sperm quality have produced mixed outcomes, little knowledge exists regarding the potential impact of dietary fats on sperm quality.
Prof Attaman and her team decided to evaluate whether dietary fats affect sperm quality in 99 men attending a fertility clinic, between December 2006 and August 2010. The team first surveyed the participants about their diet after which they analyzed the men's sperm samples, including measuring the levels of fatty acids within the sperm. They also measured seminal plasma in 23 of the 99 participants.
The participants were then split into three groups based on their consumed fat intake. The researchers found that the sperm count was 43% lower, with a 38% lower sperm concentration in the highest fat-intake group than the group with the lowest fat intake. The team defined the 'total sperm count' as the overall number of ejaculated sperm and the 'sperm concentration' as the concentration of sperm in number per unit volume.
According to the World Health Organization, a "normal" total sperm count should contain at least 39 million sperm in the ejaculate, whilst the concentration of spermatozoa should contain a minimum of 15 million per ml. The study showed that the link between dietary fats and sperm quality was largely affected by the consumption of saturated fats, i.e. participants who consumed the most saturated fats had a 35% lower total sperm count and a 38% lower concentration of sperm compared to men who ate the least fat.
Prof Attaman declared:
Original post:
Fat Intake Affects Sperm Quality
