Can high fat diets cause poor sperm quality?
 

You may have seen this recent study reported in the newspapers making the argument that a high fat diet can lead to poorer sperm quality. In particular, saturated fats have taken a bashing. Let’s examine this study more closely.



Objective: To assess the relationship between dietary fat intake and sperm quality.



Methods: The researchers took data from 99 subjects who provided comprehensive dietary data and whose semen quality was analysed. Fatty acid levels in sperm and seminal plasma were measured. The men were primarily Caucasian (89%) and had a mean age of 36 years with an incidence of overweight or obesity of 71%.







Results: Higher fat intake was correlated to lower sperm count and concentration. The third consuming the most fats had 43% lower total sperm count and 38% lower sperm concentration than men in the lowest third. Levels of saturated fats in sperm show a negative correlation to sperm concentration but saturated fat was unrelated to sperm levels. Those consuming the highest proportion of omega-3 fatty acids had the best results showing a 1.9% higher sperm morphology than men in the lowest third who consumed the least fats in their diet.



Conclusion: The researchers conclude that high intake of saturated fats was negatively correlated to sperm intake while higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids was positively related to sperm morphology.