This is one of a series of news items from abstracts of studies presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine as complied by Dr. David Meldrum, Scientific Director of Reproductive Partners. We appreciate the enormous amount of work it takes to compile and comment on these abstracts.
In one study, fat intake was examined in infertile men. Men in the highest third of saturated fat intake and monounsaturated fat intake had significantly fewer sperm than men in the lowest third. Higher intake of polyunsaturated fats was associated with greater sperm motility, and higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids was associated with more favorable sperm morphology.
The study reports further evidence that a healthy diet is associated with better sperm numbers and function, with the exception that monounsaturated fats, which are favorable for cardiovascular health, should be replaced by polyunsaturated fats for male infertility. Fish oil supplements should be considered for men with low sperm morphology. Antioxidants and polyunsaturated fats should be stressed for sperm motility. In all infertile men, low saturated fat intake may help to increase sperm density.
For more information see our Lifestyle pages where you can link to Dr. Meldrum's website for detailed information.