Three months of Mediterranean diet boosted male fertility
A new study by Italian scientists has shown that a diet low in carbohydrates and high in plant foods, which is characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, can measurably improve male fertility.
The Mediterranean diet is based on vegetables, fruits, olive oil, grains, dairy products and nuts. People adhering to this diet also moderately use fish and wine, but try to eat red meat less often. Many studies have been devoted to the benefits of this diet. Its health benefits are generally recognized by the most authoritative representatives of the scientific community.
However, the impact of the Mediterranean diet on male fertility is not sufficiently studied. A group of physicians from Italy decided to elaborate on this topic and consider how such a diet will affect the level of testosterone and the quality of sperm. Their work was published by the journal Current Research in Food Science.
The study involved 50 men with reproductive failure. Their ages ranged from 35 to 45 and their body mass index ranged from 20 to 24. Analysis of dietary habits showed that the men's diets included low-quality proteins, an excess of high glycemic index carbohydrates and refined carbohydrates, and sugary foods. Participants admitted to caring little about food quality, rarely reading labels, and not seeking to buy organic foods. Many drank coffee too often and consumed processed foods, including dairy products.
The test subjects were offered a Mediterranean diet that included 80% organic foods. The diet only included carbohydrates with a low glycemic index. Breakfast, for example, might include whole-grain bread and some kind of protein food like eggs, wild salmon and nuts, as well as red fruit. Alternatively, oatmeal in the form of pancakes or porridge was allowed.
Participants ate red fruit, green leafy vegetables, nuts, yogurt or kefir daily. They also had to eat legumes, seaweed, oily fish, eggs and other foods several times a week. Processed meats were not allowed, and dairy, with the exception of goat's milk cheeses, was to be removed from the diet or limited.
Of the 50 participants, 20 men were additionally instructed to reduce their carbohydrate intake to 35% of their daily calorie allowance. All subjects were asked to follow the diet for three months. The experiment ran from November 2020 through October 2021. The diet and how the participants followed the prescribed diet was assessed using a validated 15-item food frequency questionnaire.
After the specified period of time, the subjects were tested for testosterone levels and sperm DNA fragmentation. It turned out that following a Mediterranean diet rich in foods with antioxidant and detoxifying properties significantly increased testosterone levels and reduced sperm DNA fragmentation.
"The contribution of men to a couple's fertility is very important. The results of the study emphasized how important a varied diet and the presence of organic foods are for this," the authors of the paper summarized.
Recently, another study conducted in Australia, confirmed the beneficial effect of nuts on the reproductive abilities of the strong half of mankind. Scientists found that daily consumption of at least 60 grams of nuts improved the motility, viability and morphology of sperm in the subjects.