Abstract
Infertility had an increasing trend among couples in Iran. Several factors such as lifestyle, physical activity, unhealthy dietary habits and stress are associated with production of ROS in seminal fluid. The aim of this study was to identify the role of dietary antioxidants and vitamins intake on semen quality parameters, among Iranian infertile men. This cross-sectional study was performed on 400 newly diagnosed infertile men in Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute from July 2019 to December 2019. The presence of infertility was confirmed by an expert andrologist, based on WHO criteria. Dietary antioxidants and vitamins intake were assessed using a 168 items semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We found an association between total motility and β-Cryptoxanthin dietary intake in the full adjusted model (P = 0.03). Although a significant relationship was observed between β-Cryptoxanthin and normal morphology in the crude model, the association became non-significant after controlling for confounders. No further significant association was detected between antioxidant and nutrients, and fertility-related parameters. Present study suggests that dietary intake of β-Cryptoxanthin might be associated with an improvement in sperm motility. However, more research is needed to confirm these relations and provide the evidence needed to exert these findings into clinical practice.
Highlights
Male infertility is one of the major stressful factors which affects almost 40–50% of all infertile couples [1]
We found an association between semen volume and Alpha Carotene dietary intake, total motility and Beta Cryptoxanthin dietary intake, and sperm count with riboflavin intake (P = 0.03)
We concluded that dietary intake of Alpha Carotene, Beta Cryptoxanthin, and Riboflavin are related to sperm count, semen volume and total motility in Iranian infertile men, respectively
Summary
Male infertility is one of the major stressful factors which affects almost 40–50% of all infertile couples [1]. Prevalence of infertility has experienced an increasing trend between couples in Iran[2]. Reduce semen quality and impaired sperm function have been considered as the most common causes of infertility in men[3]. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a crucial role in sperm functions through activation of intracellular mechanisms, such as sperm capacitation associated-events[5]. Imbalance between level of ROS and antioxidants capacity has been reported to reduced sperm quality[6]. There are evidence that spermatozoa membrane is full of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), that improve membrane flexibility[7] and increases the risk of their vulnerability to oxidants [8] .In the seminal plasma, several antioxidant mechanisms protect spermatozoa contrary to oxidative stress[9]
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