Diet Linked to Sperm Abnormalities
Reported March 20, 2008
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Eating green leafy vegetables, fruit and beans may be beneficial for men conscious of their reproductive health.
Researchers have found an association between folate (a water soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in some vegetables, fruits and lentils) and levels of chromosomal sperm abnormalities — called sperm aneuploidy.
In the first ever study investigating the relationship between sperm aneuploidy and parental diet, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, analyzed sperm samples from 89 healthy, non-smoking men and questioned them about their daily intake of zinc, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene. They found men with the highest intake of folate or folic acid (the synthetic form of the vitamin) had 20 percent to 30 percent lower frequencies of aneuploidy compared to men with a lower intake. There was no correlation between any of the other vitamins and sperm aneuploidy.
Sperm aneuploidy can have several serious consequences including failure to conceive, miscarriages and children born with Downs syndrome, Turners syndrome or Kilnefelters syndrome.
The current recommended daily intake of folate for men over the age of 19 is 400 micrograms. Study authors say if other studies confirm their findings of the link between folate intake and aneuploidy, the recommended daily intake for men trying to conceive may increase.
SOURCE: Human Reproduction, published online March 20, 2008