Fruits and Veggies May Improve Sperm Quality

Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables plays an important role in semen quality, according to new research from Spain.

The Study

The study included 61 men-30 with reproductive problems and 31 who did not have such issues. It appeared online in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

The study found that "men with good semen quality ate more vegetables and fruit (more vitamins, folic acid and fiber and less protein and fats) than those men with low seminal quality," said the lead author, Jaime Mendiola, PhD, a researcher at the University of Murcia.

Explanation

Antioxidants, found mainly in fruits and vegetables, lower the level of oxidative stress that can affect semen quality, the researchers explained, and also improve sperm concentration and mobility.

Meat And Dairy Lower Semen Quality

An earlier study by the same team "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," Dr. Mendiola said.

But the new study "found that people who consume more fruits and vegetables are ingesting more antioxidants, and this is the important point," Dr. Mendiola said. "A healthy diet is not only a good way of avoiding illness but could also have an impact on improving seminal quality."

Food Versus Supplements

"What we still do not understand is the difference between taking these vitamins naturally and in the form of supplements," the researcher added. "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."