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Saturated fat intake has been associated with both
cardiovascular disease and cancer risk, and a newly
published study found an association between
saturated fat intake and a lower sperm concentration
in infertile men.
Researchers at Harvard had already found a
relationship between fat consumption and semen
quality: the more fat you consume, the lower your
sperm concentration. This holds true for consumption
of both saturated fats and monounsaturated fats.
The objective of the new study was to examine the
association between dietary fat intake and semen
quality among 701 young Danish men from the general
population.
In this cross-sectional study, men were recruited
when they were examined to determine their fitness
for military service from 2008 to 2010. They
delivered a semen sample, underwent a physical
examination, and answered a questionnaire comprising
a quantitative food-frequency questionnaire to
assess food and nutrient intakes. Multiple linear
regression analyses were performed with semen
variables as outcomes and dietary fat intakes as
exposure variables, adjusted for confounders.
A lower sperm concentration and total sperm count in
men with a high intake of saturated fat was found. A
significant dose-response association was found, and
men in the highest quartile of saturated fat intake
had a 38% (95% CI: 0.1%, 61%) lower sperm
concentration and a 41% (95% CI: 4%, 64%) lower
total sperm count than did men in the lowest
quartile. No association between semen quality and
intake of other types of fat was found.
The findings are of potentially great public
interest, because changes in diet over the past
decades may be part of the explanation for the
recently reported high frequency of subnormal human
sperm counts. A reduction in saturated fat intake
may be beneficial for both general and reproductive
health.
For more information
Dietary Fats and Fatty Acids Affect Sperm Quality
High dietary intake of saturated fat is associated
with reduced semen quality among 701 young Danish
men from the general population
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition®
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2012/12/23/ajcn.112.042432
(MDN)
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