Walnuts improve the health of sperm, research suggests
Eating a couple of handfuls of walnuts a day can improve the health of sperm, according to new research just published in the medical journal Biology of Reproduction.
According to the study, sperm shape, movement and overall vitality improved in men who added walnuts to their diets over the course of 12 weeks, the BBC said in detailing the study's findings.
Fatty acids found in walnuts are believed to have aided in sperm development, the study said, though it wasn't clear if they contributed to improving male fertility. About one in six couples are infertile, according to separate research, with 40 percent of those due to a male deficiency.
"It would be relatively easy to poke fun at studies like this, but there is increasing evidence to show that aspects of a man's diet can affect the number and quality of sperm produced by his testicles," said Dr. Allan Pacey, senior lecturer in andrology at the University of Sheffield in England, told the BBC.
Scientists said the next step in researching the findings would be to work with couples who are currently attending fertility clinics, to see if placing men with fertility issues or those with poor semen qualities, into a walnut-enriched diet would result in high conception rates.
No fooling - Walnuts
The study by UCLA's Fielding School of Public Heath involved 117 men between the ages of 21 and 35 who were divided into two groups. One of the groups added 2.6 ounces of whole-shelled walnuts to their daily diets, while members of the second group continued their same diet but avoided tree nuts.
Both groups ate typical Western-style fare.
"We found a significant improvement in sperm parameters in the group that consumed the walnuts," said Prof. Wendie Robbins, lead author on the study. "The men who ate no tree nuts saw no change."
Robbins added that sperm quality improved overall, in terms of concentration, shape, vitality and chromosome abnormalities. Read more
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