Diet and Nutritional Factors in Male (In)fertility—Underestimated Factors

Abstract

In up to 50% of cases, infertility issues stem solely from the male. According to some data, the quality of human semen has deteriorated by 50%–60% over the last 40 years. A high-fat diet and obesity, resulting from an unhealthy lifestyle, affects the structure of spermatozoa, but also the development of offspring and their health in later stages of life. In obese individuals, disorders on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis are observed, as well as elevated oestrogen levels with a simultaneous decrease in testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Healthy dietary models clearly correlate with better sperm quality and a smaller risk of abnormalities in parameters such as sperm count, sperm concentration and motility, and lower sperm DNA fragmentation. Apart from mineral components such as zinc and selenium, the role of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins should be emphasized, since their action will be primarily based on the minimization of oxidative stress and the inflammation process. Additionally, the incorporation of carnitine supplements and coenzyme Q10 in therapeutic interventions also seems promising. Therefore, it is advisable to have a varied and balanced diet based on vegetables and fruit, fish and seafood, nuts, seeds, whole-grain products, poultry, and low-fat dairy products.

Microplastics: A Threat for Male Fertility

“…In fact, reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction is responsible for spermatogenesis failure, the apoptotic loss of both germ and somatic cells, oxidative DNA damage, failure in gene expression and post-transcriptional gene regulation, or APT depletion. As a consequence, the functional impairment of SPZ occurs, with SPZ exhibiting insufficient axonemal phosphorylation in sperm tail, lipid peroxidation, loss of sperm motility and viability, among others [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. Hydrogen peroxide, but also superoxide anion, are the main ROS detected in the sperm of infertile patients [ 47 ].…”

“…Lifestyle and environmental factors like smoking, alcohol consumption, stress, diet composition, sedentary life, environmental pollutants, EDCs, heavy metals, or abuse of illicit substances, interfere with spermatogenesis leading to poor sperm quality and infertility with possible consequences on the offspring [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 42 , 45 , 51 ]. Interestingly, the potential to change the epigenetic signature of gametes (i.e., altered global DNA methylation or aberrant DNA methylation status at specific gene loci, changes in chromatin architecture and the deregulated production of non-coding RNA) emerged with adverse effect on fertilization and early embryo development and possible trans-generational effects and disease load susceptibility in the offspring [4,40, and references therein].…”

“…Diet is also associated to gametogenesis and semen quality in animal models and humans, with centrally mediated and direct mechanisms that primarily affect the suitable hormonal milieu capable of sustaining spermatogenesis [ 41 , 67 ]. The high intake of sweet drinks and snack, processed or red meat, trans and ω6-polyunsaturated fatty acids, low consumption of fish, fruit and vegetable, a low intake of fibers vitamins and minerals negatively affects health and fertility [ 45 ]. Obesity and metabolic disorders, hyper caloric or high fat diets are risk factors for male infertility and several trials investigated the possible relation between nutrition and male fertility [ 68 ].…”

Dietary Antioxidants in the Treatment of Male Infertility: Counteracting Oxidative Stress

“…The relationship between antioxidant use and sperm quality parameters has been vastly studied: there is strong evidence regarding its use in male infertility, particularly in basic semen parameters [ 9 , 10 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 ]. Some antioxidants (sodium, potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium, and manganese [ 108 , 109 ]) have insufficient evidence to support their ROS-related infertility role. Inositol is also a promising antioxidant, with in-vitro supplementation studies showing improvement of sperm parameters [ 22 , 110 ].…”

Obesity and Male Reproduction; Placing the Western Diet in Context

“…Beyond the macronutrients which provide dietary energy, Nutritional Geometry has also proven useful for studying the effects of dietary vitamins and minerals ( 79 , 94 ). Many micronutrients, including calcium, sodium, zinc, potassium, and magnesium, have important roles in male reproduction, impacting testicular development, semen quality, and sperm biochemical processes ( 95 ). Micronutrient imbalances have also been suggested as a causal factor in unexplained female infertility ( 96 ).…”