Antioxidants and Semen

Byron's Comments:

Antioxidants are vital for reproductive vitality. In this study their importance for men is documented. From press release: A possible relationship between men's diets and the quality of their semen has long been a discussion point. Spanish researchers have now confirmed that antioxidants, molecules which are found mainly in fruit and vegetables and can delay and prevent the oxidation of other molecules, play a key role. Low antioxidant intake is associated with low reproductive capacity in semen. This is the finding of a new study carried out in two infertility centres in Spain (in Alicante and Murcia) and which has been published online in the journal Fertility and Sterility. "Our previous research study, published in March, showed that men who eat large amounts of meat and full fat dairy products have lower seminal quality than those who eat more fruit, vegetables and reduced fat dairy products. In this study, we have found that people who consume more fruits and vegetables are ingesting more antioxidants, and this is the important point", Jaime Mendiola, lead author of the article and a researcher at the University of Murcia, tells SINC. The experts have spent the past four years analysing the link between dietary habits or workplace exposure to contaminants and the quality of semen among men attending fertility clinics. The objective was to find out whether a higher or lower intake of vitamins, which act as antioxidants, could affect semen quality. These molecules, which are present in foods such as citrus fruits, peppers and spinach, work by lowering the level of oxidative stress that can affect semen quality, and improve sperm concentration parameters as well as sperm mobility and morphology. The study was carried out among 61 men, 30 of whom had reproductive problems, while the remaining 31 acted as controls. "We saw that, among the couples with fertility problems coming to the clinic, the men with good semen quality ate more vegetables and fruit (more vitamins, folic acid and fibre and less proteins and fats) than those men with low seminal quality", explains Mendiola. "A healthy diet is not only a good way of avoiding illness, but could also have an impact on improving seminal quality. What we still do not understand is the difference between taking these vitamins naturally and in the form of supplements. In the studies we are going to carry out in the United States (where the consumption of vitamins in tablet form is very common) we will be looking at the role of supplements", the Spanish scientist continues. More and more scientific studies show that human seminal quality and male fertility have declined over recent decades. The results of the European study Differences in seminal quality and reproductive results, carried out between 2000 and 2008 by the Valencian Infertility Institute show that Spanish semen is at the bottom of the league table in terms of volume (9th position), mobility (10th position) and concentration. However, after analysing the quality of sperm, the research team evaluated its functioning, in other words its capacity to successfully lead to pregnancy. In this analysis, the Spanish sperm came second, only behind Portugal. In the countries of northern Europe, such as Denmark, 40% of young men have seminal quality that is below recommended levels for fertility. "The Danish experts are studying the issue, because it is very worrying. Lifestyle habits could be closely related to seminal quality and human fertility parameters. In addition, emphasis has been placed in recent years on the significance of babies being exposed to toxins and pollutants (pesticides, xenoestrogens, etc.) while in the womb, which could also compromise their future reproductive capacity when they grow to be adults".

Study Title:

A low intake of antioxidant nutrients is associated with poor semen quality in patients attending fertility clinics.

Study Abstract:

Objective
To compare specific nutrient intake between normospermic and oligoasthenoteratospermic patients attending infertility clinics in two Mediterranean provinces of Spain.

Design
Case-control study.

Setting
Private fertility clinics in southeastern Spain.

Patient(s)
Thirty men with poor semen quality (case subjects) and 31 normospermic control subjects of couples attending our fertility clinics.

Intervention(s)
We recorded dietary habits and nutrient consumption using a food frequency questionnaire adapted to meet specific study objectives.

Main Outcome Measure(s)
We calculated nutrient intakes by multiplying the frequency of use for each food by the nutrient composition of the portion size specified on the food frequency questionnaire and by addition across all foods to obtain a total nutrient intake for each individual. Semen quality was assessed by measuring volume, concentration, motility, and morphology. Hormones levels were also analyzed in case and control subjects.

Result(s)
In the logistic regression, control subjects had a significantly higher intake of carbohydrates, fiber, folate, vitamin C, and lycopene and lower intakes of proteins and total fat.

Conclusion(s)
A low intake of antioxidant nutrients was associated with a poor semen quality in this case-control study of Spanish men attending infertility clinics.

Study Information:

Jaime Mendiola, Alberto M. Torres-Cantero, Jesús Vioque, José M. Moreno-Grau, Jorge Ten, Manuela Roca, Stella Moreno-Grau and Rafael Bernabeu. A low intake of antioxidant nutrients is associated with poor semen quality in patients attending fertility clinics. Science Direct 2009 January
Department of Reproductive Biology and Medicine, Instituto Bernabeu, Alicante, Spain.