Saturated Fat May Contribute To Infertility

March 20, 2012 | In Health, News

If you’re hoping to become a father anytime soon now is the time to start turning down those full Irish breakfasts in favour of a nice kipper or two! Despite saturated fat making a recovery lately from it’s long term status as ‘very bad for health’ it appears that we can’t all go face first into the nearest cream cake just yet as researchers demonstrate that quantity certainly plays a role in how saturated fat affects health.

In a recent study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, researchers from Harvard Medical School, studied 99 men attending a fertility clinic. They questioned them about their diet, analysed semen samples and measured the fatty acid levels of 23 of the participants. The results showed that the men with the most saturated fat in their diets had a 43% lower total sperm count (the number of sperm in a sample) and a 38% lower sperm concentration (the number of sperm per unit volume of semen) than those eating the least saturated fat.
The researchers also found that men consuming the most omega 3 fatty acids had 1.9% more correctly-formed sperm than men with the lowest intake. This last figure may not be earth shattering but these men were just your average bloke off the street so it is likely that even those with higher omega 3 levels were still lacking the daily diet and supplementation required to get them to optimum levels.

Even though this study links eating a diet high in saturated fat with a lower sperm count and concentration, it does not clearly demonstrate that one causes the other. It is a very small study for starters but also focuses solely on saturated fat. We have no idea if those high fat foods also contain other compounds that may affect sperm health e.g. hydrogenated fats, or may be lacking in nutrients essential to keeping sperm levels optimum and those little swimmers as active as they need to be! So while this latest research remains inconclusive at present, there are many other ways for sub-infertile men to improve sperm quality and increase their chances of conception. This includes being as healthy as possible by eating sensibly, stopping smoking and losing any excess weight. Here are our top tips for improving male fertility – some may seem hard but keep in mind the reward at the end!

Avoid or reduce the following:

  • Alcohol: Drinking any alcohol at all can reduce fertility by half - and the more you drink, the less likely you are to conceive. Research has also shown that drinking alcohol causes a decrease in sperm count, an increase in abnormal sperm and a lower proportion of motile sperm. Alcohol also inhibits the body’s absorption of nutrients such as zinc, which is one of the most important minerals for male fertility.
  • Caffeine: There is plenty of evidence to show that caffeine, particularly in the form of coffee, decreases fertility. Drinking as little as one cup of coffee a day can halve your chances of conceiving. One study showed that problems with sperm: sperm count, motility and abnormalities, increase with the number of cups of coffee consumed each day
  • Smoking: Smoking can decrease sperm count in men, making the sperm more sluggish, and it can increase the number of abnormal sperm. With men, the effects on fertility are increased with the number of cigarettes.

Nutrients to include:

  • Vitamin B12: Research has shown that vitamin B12 has been found to improve low sperm counts
  • Zinc: Zinc is the most widely studied nutrient in terms of fertility for both men and women. It is an essential component of genetic material and a zinc deficiency can cause chromosome changes in either you or our partner, leading to reduced fertility and an increased risk of miscarriage. Zinc is found in high concentrations in the sperm. Zinc is needed to make the outer layer and tail of the sperm and is, therefore, essential for the health of sperm and, subsequently, your baby.
  • Selenium: Good levels of selenium are also essential to maximise sperm formation. Blood selenium levels have been found to be lower in men with low sperm counts.
  • Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs): Semen is rich in prostaglandins which are produced from these fats. Men with poor sperm quality, abnormal sperm, poor motility or low count, have inadequate levels of these beneficial prostaglandins.
  • Vitamin E: Vitamin E is another powerful antioxidant and has been shown to increase fertility when given to both men and women. Men going for IVF treatment with their partners have been given vitamin E, and fertilisation rates have, as a result, increased from 19 to 29 percent. It has been suggested that the antioxidant activity of vitamin E might make the sperm more fertile.
  • Vitamin C: Vitamin C is also an antioxidant, and studies show that vitamin C enhances sperm quality, protecting sperm and the DNA within it from damage. Some research has indicated that certain types of DNA damage in the sperm can make it difficult to conceive in the first place, or it can cause an increased risk of miscarriage if conception does take place. If DNA is damaged, there may be a chromosomal problem in the baby, should the pregnancy proceed. Vitamin C also appears to keep the sperm from clumping together, making them more motile.
  • L-Arginine: This is an amino acid found in many foods and the head of the sperm contains an exceptional amount of this nutrient, which is essential for sperm production. Supplementing with L-arginine can help to increase both the sperm count and quality.
  • L-Carnitine: This amino acid is essential for normal functioning of sperm cells. According to research, it appears that the higher the levels of L-Carnitine in the sperm cells, the better the sperm count and motility.

Saturated Fat May Contribute To Infertility, by Suzanne Laurie





One Response to “Saturated Fat May Contribute To Infertility”

  1. David Brown says:
    March 25, 2012 at 3:15 pm

    Whenever scientists link high fat intake to a health issue they blame saturated fats and ignore omega-6s(1). Why? Because they’re programmed by their training to do so(2).

    Note that higher consumption of omega-3s is associated with better sperm quality. As far as I can tell, any therapeutic benefits associated with increased omega-3 intake can be had by simply reducing omega-6 intake(3). But who thinks to do that(4)?

    References
    1. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201103/your-brain-omega-3
    2. http://www.nutritionjrnl.com/article/S0899-9007%2811%2900314-5/abstract
    3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgU3cNppzO0
    4. http://www.prweb.com/releases/david_brown/omega-6/prweb8933501.htm

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