Infertility is one of the major problems for couples who seek medical attention. Sometimes the cause of this problem is genetic and they need to be treated for a long time. Sometimes a simple diet change solves this problem altogether. In this article, we will talk about foods that increase fertility.
Men with genetic, physical, and hormonal abnormalities were excluded from the study. Each volunteer provided at least two semen samples for testing, and each provided information on 96 food intakes during the previous year. The researchers also measured the levels of sex hormones in the men and gathered information about other factors that affect sperm quality, such as smoking, body weight, alcohol consumption and exposure to contaminants.
The scientists applied the World Health Organization criteria to divide these people into two groups: one group of 30 men with low semen quality and the other group of 31 men with better semen quality. The two groups were not different in terms of smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, exposure to environmental pollutants, or levels of hormones, but they were different in terms of diet. Men with lower sperm quality ate more red meat, potatoes and high-fat yogurt than men with better sperm quality.
Conversely, men with better sperm quality consumed more low-fat milk, oysters, vegetables, fruits, and sweets. But what does this apparent relationship between diet and sperm quality have to do with it?
The study looked at foods rather than nutrients, but men with higher carbohydrates (starches), plant fiber, vitamins (including antioxidants) and lower protein and fat intake appeared to have better sperm quality. have.
Red meat and high-fat dairy are especially important in terms of their effect on sperm. Because chemicals such as PCBs (polycrystalline biphenyls), organic insecticides, and sex hormones are fat-soluble, these contaminants may enter high-fat foods such as red meat and high-fat dairy.
Although this study in Spain did not directly evaluate these chemicals, previous research has linked them to reduced male fertility. One of these studies showed that consuming large amounts of beef by the mother during pregnancy may have adverse effects on the growth of her son’s testicles during fetal life. If the results of this Spanish study are confirmed, the effects of a person’s nutrition may continue in the next generation.
The effect of dietary fats on sperm quality
Another study from Harvard University found that eating foods high in saturated fat, such as hamburgers and French fries, and unsaturated fats found in red meat, high-fat dairy, and nuts, could impair sperm quality.
The study found that the more men ate these saturated fats, the more likely they were to have low sperm count and activity levels. Conversely, men who ate healthier foods high in saturated fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (found in fish and whole grains, for example) had higher levels of healthier and more active sperm.
In this study, men with the highest intake of saturated fats had 41% less sperm than men with the lowest intake of unsaturated fats, and men with the highest intake of unsaturated fatty acids had 46% less sperm than men with the lowest intake of monounsaturated fats. They had less sperm.
According to the researchers, these findings show that there is a relationship between variables in lifestyle, in this case, nutrition and male fertility. It is not yet known what causes this relationship between fats and sperm quality, but different types of fats are metabolized in different ways in the body. Unsaturated fats form an important part of the sperm cell membrane and may affect the sperm’s ability to fertilize an egg. These types of fats may also stimulate the production of sex hormones.
Scientists say that changing the type of diet can help a certain man’s fertility depends on the man’s condition. Although there is a large difference of 40% in sperm count, this difference may be important in some men and not in others.
If a man has a borderline sperm count, such as 25 million sperm per milliliter of semen, a 40 percent reduction in his sperm count to 15 million per milliliter, which is considered abnormal.
But in the case of a man whose sperm count is 100 million per milliliter, 40 percent brings the sperm count to 60 million per milliliter, which is still normal. Saturated fats, which are the main dietary source of high cholesterol, They are mainly found in animal foods and some plant foods such as beef and mutton, milk and cheese..
Unsaturated fats are found in vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil. They also contain peanut butter, avocados and many nuts and seeds.
