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| Sperm Motility: Eating Nuts Regularly Can Improve Sperm Count/Motility. |
Scientists found that Men who consumed about two handfuls of mixed almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts every day for 14 weeks improved their sperm count and had more viable “swimmers”. This research come at time of increase in low sperm count across the western world due to pollution, smoking and diet.
More evidence shows that a healthy diet could greatly increase the odds of conceiving said Researchers. 40-50% of infertility cases are attributed to men as about one in seven couples find it difficult to get a woman pregnant. Scientists randomly divided men of ages 18-35 numbering 119 into two groups. One group added 60 grams of nuts to their normal daily diet while the other made no changes to their diet
Those in the nut increase diet group improved sperm count by 14%, motility by 6%, vitality by 4% and morphology by 1%. These are the standards the World Health Organization gives as measurements of sperm quality and are associated with fertility in men. The study according to experts backed up other researches that showed that an omega-3, fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamin B folate rich diet improved fertility and nuts contain many of these nutrients and more. The study head Dr Albert Salas-Huetos of the Universitat Rovira I virgili in Spain said “Evidence is accumulating in the literature that healthy lifestyle changes such as following a healthy dietary pattern might help conception,” ‘
However, researchers cautioned that the men used in the study were healthy and fertile so it was still not certain that the finding would apply to a larger population and also men with fertility issues. Professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, Allan Pacey who did not partake in the research, said it was also a possibility that men in the nut group made other positive changes to their lives that were not considered in the study.
Former consultant clinical embryologist at Guy’s Hospital in London, Dr Virginia Bolton said that the findings were “interesting academically” but it was not possible to say what effect this would have in terms of increasing the chances of pregnancy.
She also added that “meanwhile, we should all be encouraging our patients to stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, eat healthily, all of the standard things. until the answers to our questions come”. The findings of the research are being presented at the meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology held in Bercelona
