Eat Well for Stronger Sperm

Good nutrition is a cornerstone of good health - and may also be the underpinning of healthy sperm. Researchers say a healthy diet seems to improve both the number of sperm and their motility, a measure of how well sperm move around.

Two studies conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health compared the sperm of men who ate either a diet rich in red meat, processed grains, and trans fat or a meal plan that included more fish, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Impact of diet

For the first study, researchers asked 188 men ages 18 to 22 questions about their diet and then did a semen analysis on each participant. Although diet seemed to have no impact on either sperm shape or number, motility was affected. "Western" diets were linked to reduced sperm movement, even after accounting for factors such as race, smoking history and body-mass index.

"The main overall finding of our work is that a healthy diet seems to be beneficial for semen quality," says Audrey J. Gaskins, lead author of the first study.

Trans fat's effect

The second study included nearly 100 men and focused on trans fat consumption. Researchers found that men who ate relatively high amounts of trans fat had lower sperm concentration levels than other men. This was true even after adjusting for a wide array of factors such as age, drinking and smoking histories, BMI, caffeine intake, and total calories consumed.

Both studies were presented at a recent meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Intriguing results

Edward Kim, M.D., at the University of Tennessee, said that although the studies' results were interesting, they didn't prove a link between diet and male infertility.

"The studies point us in a direction that suggest that a healthy lifestyle may correlate with better quality sperm," Dr. Kim says. "But clearly further research in this area is needed to come up with definitive conclusions."

Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.