Abstract
In up to 50% of cases, infertility issues stem solely from the male. According to some data, the quality of human semen has deteriorated by 50%–60% over the last 40 years. A high-fat diet and obesity, resulting from an unhealthy lifestyle, affects the structure of spermatozoa, but also the development of offspring and their health in later stages of life. In obese individuals, disorders on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis are observed, as well as elevated oestrogen levels with a simultaneous decrease in testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels. Healthy dietary models clearly correlate with better sperm quality and a smaller risk of abnormalities in parameters such as sperm count, sperm concentration and motility, and lower sperm DNA fragmentation. Apart from mineral components such as zinc and selenium, the role of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant vitamins should be emphasized, since their action will be primarily based on the minimization of oxidative stress and the inflammation process. Additionally, the incorporation of carnitine supplements and coenzyme Q10 in therapeutic interventions also seems promising. Therefore, it is advisable to have a varied and balanced diet based on vegetables and fruit, fish and seafood, nuts, seeds, whole-grain products, poultry, and low-fat dairy products.
Highlights
Infertility, i.e., the inability to get pregnant despite regular, minimum yearly sexual intercourse without using any contraceptives, affects an increasing proportion of society [1,2,3,4,5].It is estimated that worldwide, as much as 15% of couples, i.e., about 70 million couples of reproductive age, experience problems with getting pregnant, with approximately half of the cases related to male infertility [2,4,6]
Excessive intake of saturated fats and trans-fatty acids, high glycaemic index, and low nutritional density may be directly associated with increased oxidative stress, which constitutes the underlying cause of obesity, intestinal dysbiosis, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance [21]
The above-mentioned metabolic disorders are associated with a deterioration of fertility mainly due to the generation of oxidative stress, regarded as one of the main factors leading to decreased sperm quality and a higher risk of infertility, as well as hormonal and immunological disorders [22]
Summary
Infertility, i.e., the inability to get pregnant despite regular, minimum yearly sexual intercourse without using any contraceptives, affects an increasing proportion of society [1,2,3,4,5]. According to research carried out in Poland on a group of 169 young, healthy men with unknown fertility status from the Lower Silesia region, the average and median of seven parameters determining sperm quality were within the limits of the WHO standards in 2010. Excessive intake of saturated fats and trans-fatty acids, high glycaemic index, and low nutritional density may be directly associated with increased oxidative stress, which constitutes the underlying cause of obesity, intestinal dysbiosis, type 2 diabetes, and insulin resistance [21]. The above-mentioned metabolic disorders are associated with a deterioration of fertility mainly due to the generation of oxidative stress, regarded as one of the main factors leading to decreased sperm quality and a higher risk of infertility, as well as hormonal and immunological disorders [22]. Nutritional intervention seems to be an extremely important element in the treatment of male infertility related to abnormal sperm parameters
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