REUS, Spain —Â If you are what you eat, then perhaps it should be no surprise that men who enjoy a daily dose of nuts have, of course, stronger sperm, according to a new study.
Researchers from the Human Nutrition Unit of the Universitat Rovira i Virgil in Spain say the addition of nuts to the regular diets of a contingent of men over a 14-week period improved the quality and function of sperm in participants. Scientists say research has pointed to a general decline in the quantity and quality of human sperm around the world thanks to “pollution, smoking, and trends toward a western-style diet.”
For the study, 119 healthy men aged 18 to 35 who consumed western-style diets were split into two groups. Some had their diets supplemented with 60 grams of mixed almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts, and others continued enjoying their normal diets without the nuts.
The group that ate the additional nuts saw a 16% increase in sperm count, 4% increase in sperm vitality, and a 6% increase in sperm motility. Researchers found the group also showed a dramatic reduction in sperm DNA fragmentation, a telltale warning sign of male infertility.
Still, despite the promising figures, study co-author Dr. Albert Salas-Huetos cautions that adding nuts to your diet won't necessarily better one's odds of conceiving a baby. “But evidence is accumulating in the literature that healthy lifestyle changes such as following a healthy dietary pattern might help conception - and of course, nuts are a key component of a Mediterranean healthy diet,” he says in a statement.
Salas-Huetos presented the study on July 4, 2018 at the 34th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
