When couples are having trouble getting pregnant they may turn to infertility specialists to find out why, and while most focus is on issues women have, it can be a challenge that men face as well.
“We find around one-third of cases to be a predominantly male factor infertility,” said Dr. Michelle Catenacci, an infertility specialist with Advanced Fertility Center of Chicago.
Now research published in the journal, “Food Science” found following a Mediterranean diet improved the condition for study participants.
“It looked like sperm function improved and hormonal function improved for the men that follow that diet,” Catenacci said.
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Researchers looked specifically at sperm DNA fragmentation and the impacts it can have on conception.
“Men who have more breaks tend to have less quality sperm and can be at risk for infertility,” Catenacci said.
They found a low-carb, mostly organic Mediterranean diet made a difference.
Health & Wellness
“It did look at, basically, the quality of the sperm, which did seem to have a good improvement. The next step is to look at how does that improvement help with pregnancy outcomes,” Catenacci said.
Christine Palumbo is a Naperville-based registered dietitian and nutritionist. She says it’s not just men struggling with infertility who can benefit from a Mediterranean diet -- everyone can.
“It reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer. It reduces your risk of Alzheimer's disease, reduces your risk of diabetes,” Palumbo said. “It reduces your blood pressure and, you know, maybe this is the biggest one of all, it increases your lifespan and your vitality.”
A Mediterranean diet focuses on consuming:
Vegetables
Fruits
Whole grains
Beans
Nuts and seeds
Olive oil
Seasoning with herbs and spices
In order to follow the diet:
Each day: eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains.
Each week: have fish, poultry, legumes and eggs
Enjoy some dairy products
Limit red meat and added sugars
“I think it has a huge impact on our overall health,” Catenacci said.
That’s why Catenacci is sharing the study findings with her male infertility patients.
“For couples who are on the fence on how much they want to change their lifestyle, we can see that there is evidence to show that sometimes these things can benefit them,” Catenacci said.
