When exploring the realms of male fertility, diet plays a crucial role in sperm mobility. A study highlighted at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) focused on two specific types of diets as they relate to better sperm.
The first diet was the Western diet which includes whole grains, vegetables, fish and red meat. The result was increased sperm mobility. In comparison, a diet with high levels of trans fats reduced sperm mobility. Although the research is ongoing, Dr Edward Kim, President of the Society for Male Reproduction and Urology linked a healthy diet with a healthy reproductive system among men.
The study included men aged 18-22. The survey asked about each man’s diet and tested their sperm. The sperm test looked at the morphology, motility, concentration and overall quality. The results from outside influences such as BMI, smoking and race were adjusted accordingly.
The results were then broken down into two categories of diet, the Western Diet consisting of a high intake of whole grains and red meat and the Prudent Diet consisting of a high intake of whole grains, vegetables and fish. The findings concluded men following the Prudent Diet had an increased mobility of their sperm. Sperm morphology and concentrations did not increase with diet.
The second study presented at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) focused on the recruitment of the men for the study. Within this presentation, a portion of the subjects were tested to see if their sperm contained high levels of trans fat.
The results concluded that men in the test groups with a diet consisting of high levels of trans fat had shown signs of lowered sperm concentration. The results of the second study also concluded that men with a diet filled with trans fat also had high levels of trans fat in their fluid and seminal plasma.
AJ Gaskins, et al and JE Chavarro, et al. 67th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). 17 October, 2011.