7th September 2012 | by MFC Team
Want to improve your sperm quality?: Eating walnuts may help
Approximately one third of fertility problems can be attributed to men’s fertility – such as low numbers of live sperm (sperm count), low percentage of moving sperm (motility), or a percentage of abnormally shaped sperm (morphology). The results of a study conducted at the University of California Los Angeles, recently published in Biology of Reproduction, suggest that eating walnuts on a daily basis may help men improve their sperm quality. Over 100 healthy men between the ages of 21 and 35 either ate 75 grams of whole-shelled walnuts per day, or eliminated tree nuts from their usual diet. Those men who ate walnuts on a daily basis were found to have better sperm vitality, motility, and morphology (size, shape, and appearance of sperm) at the end of the study.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids – highly concentrated in foods such as tree nuts, fish, and flax seed – are believed to be involved in sperm maturation and membrane function. In this study, walnut consumption was found to increase levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in male participants’ sperm. Increased amounts of alpha-linoleic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, was associated with improved sperm quality.
The authors of this study note that the degree to which walnut consumption may improve birth outcomes for men and their partners isn’t currently known – so like most things in life, eating walnuts in moderation is recommended.
Read an article outlining the study here:
Walnuts may boost semen quality [MedPage Today]
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