Carrots and lettuce linked to better sperm quality

Conclusion This study shows an association between higher dietary consumption of food that contains more carotenoids and slightly better sperm motility and greater number of sperm with normal shape. However, these associations were small. For example, the World Health Organization defines sperm samples as adequate if the average number of sperm with a normal shape is 4% or more. In this group of young men, the average was 9% (5–12%), and was only 1.7% higher in men eating more food containing lycopene. There are other important limitations, including the following. As all assessments of dietary intake were self-reported, it is possible that estimations of carotenoid intake may have been inaccurate. The study has a cross-sectional design, which means it cannot prove cause and effect. As the researchers acknowledge, the observed relationship between sperm quality and dietary factors is likely to be influenced by confounding from other factors such as another substance in the food that is improving sperm quality, or other healthy lifestyle behaviours. The study was conducted in a sample of only 189 young men from one US region, who had an average age of 19 and none of whom had reported fertility problems. It is not known whether similar associations between carotenoid intake and sperm quality would be obtained from other samples of men, for example those of different ages, or those with fertility problems. In this sample of young men it is not known whether...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Food/diet Lifestyle/exercise Source Type: news