P–112 Association between dietary total antioxidant capacity and semen quality parameters in male partners of couples attempting fertility

Abstract

Study question Is there any association between dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and semen quality parameters in male partners of couples attempting fertility? Summary answer Greater adherence to diets high in TAC was significantly associated with higher total sperm count, sperm concentration, and sperm motility. What is known already Among multiple factors that affect the etiology of poor semen quality and male infertility, dietary factors have an important contribution. Also, chronic oxidative stress negatively effects semen quality. Whether adherence to the diet rich in antioxidants is associated with better semen quality remains largely unexplored.The concentration of single antioxidant cannot show the total antioxidant power of the diet, therefore the concept of dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was invented.Dietary scores are useful approach to evaluate the degree of adherence to specific dietary pattern and its benefits in regard to health Study design, size, duration This was a cross-sectional study of 350 men from couples attending a fertility center in Tehran, Iran, recruited between June 2015 and September 2019. Men aged 25–50 years with complete dietary data were analyzed. Participants/materials, setting, methods Diet was assessed via a reproducible and valid 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire to determine the entire antioxidants of the usual diet in order to calculate dietary TAC. Semen quality was assessed according to World Health Organization 2010 guidelines. The association between dietary TAC and semen parameters were assessed adjusting for potential confounders through multiple logistic regression analysis. Main results and the role of chance The average age of study participants was 34.9 ± 7.6 years and their BMI was 28.5 ± 4.3 kg/m2. Participants in the lower tertile of the dietary TAC were lower educated (p < 0.01), more physically active (p < 0.05), and predominantly had abnormal sperm progressive motility (p < 0.01). In the multivariable adjusted models, men in the lowest tertile of the dietary TAC Score had 2.9 times higher likelihood of having abnormal sperm motility, total sperm count and concentration, compared to men in the highest tertile of the TAC score (p < 0.05). Limitations, reasons for caution The main limitation of our study was its cross-sectional design, limiting our ability to derive causal association. Wider implications of the findings: Our study suggests that dietary pattern comprising mainly of antioxidant nutrients may help improve semen quality. Our results are consistent with previous studies showing that plant-based diet contains higher levels of antioxidants are associated with better measures of semen quality. Trial registration number Not applicable