Knowledge | Can a Father's Diet Support a Healthier Baby? Study Suggests Folic Acid May Be Important
When preparing for a baby, attention often centers on the expectant mother—avoiding alcohol and smoking, eating a balanced diet, and staying active are familiar recommendations. But what should prospective fathers do, and what role can they play before conception?
A joint study by the University of California, Berkeley and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Western Human Nutrition Research Center suggests that low folate levels in men may be associated with lower sperm count and concentration.
The study was published in the February issue of Fertility and Sterility. Researchers measured folate concentrations in the blood and semen of 48 men aged 20 to 50 and found that lower levels of nonmethyl folate were associated with poorer sperm quality.
Men Need Folic Acid Too
Folic acid supplementation before and during early pregnancy is known to substantially reduce the risk of fetal neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The recommended daily intake is 400 micrograms from sources including dark green vegetables, orange juice, beans, fortified grains, or multivitamins.
Should men follow the same folic acid intake standard?
Lead author and nutritionist Dr. Lynn Wallock said, “Folate plays an important role in DNA synthesis. Nonmethyl folate in particular is required to synthesize thymine, one of the four DNA bases.” She also cited a 1997 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that folate deficiency may cause chromosome breaks and thereby affect fertility.
Other Factors Also Affect Sperm Quality
Professor Marc Goldstein, a male infertility specialist at Cornell University who commented on the study, noted that although the sample was small, it reinforced the importance of folate in male reproductive health.
The study also found significantly lower nonmethyl folate levels in smokers than nonsmokers. A direct causal relationship between smoking and folate deficiency has not yet been established and requires further research.
Zinc is also essential to sperm production. A 2000 review in the same journal associated zinc deficiency with lower sperm counts. Zinc and folate interact closely, and low zinc can impair folate absorption and metabolism.
Alcohol is another important factor. Professor Rebecca Sokol of the Keck School of Medicine of USC noted, “People with alcohol dependence often have low zinc levels, which indirectly reduces the effectiveness of folate.”
Start With Dietary Changes
Although there is no conclusive evidence that folic acid supplementation directly increases sperm count or pregnancy rates, Wallock recommends that men eat 5–9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, which generally provides adequate folate. A multivitamin is another option when diet is insufficient.
Professor Goldstein said, “Start by changing the diet before considering surgery.” Among couples with infertility, about 1/3 of cases involve male factors, 1/3 involve female factors, and 1/3 involve both partners. Attention to men's nutritional health is therefore an important part of improving the likelihood of conception.
He also noted that the study was limited by its small sample and the participants' generally poor diets, with fewer than 3.5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. “This alone suggests that this group was likely already receiving inadequate folate.”
Male Fertility Research Remains Overlooked
Dr. Philip Werthman, director of the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine in Los Angeles, said, “Male reproductive health research remains seriously neglected. Infertility research is dominated by obstetrician-gynecologists, who rarely treat men directly.”
Dr. Wallock added, “Our research only reveals the tip of the iceberg. Future studies should look beyond folate and investigate the relationships between more nutrients and male fertility.”
For prospective fathers, healthier choices can begin with everyday meals.
Knowledge | Can a Father's Diet Support a Healthier Baby? Study Suggests Folic Acid May Be Important
Knowledge | Can a Father's Diet Support a Healthier Baby? Study Suggests Folic Acid May Be Important
When preparing for a baby, attention often centers on the expectant mother—avoiding alcohol and smoking, eating a balanced diet, and staying active are familiar recommendations. But what should prospective fathers do, and what role can they play before conception?
A joint study by the University of California, Berkeley and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Western Human Nutrition Research Center suggests that low folate levels in men may be associated with lower sperm count and concentration.
The study was published in the February issue of Fertility and Sterility. Researchers measured folate concentrations in the blood and semen of 48 men aged 20 to 50 and found that lower levels of nonmethyl folate were associated with poorer sperm quality.
Men Need Folic Acid Too
Folic acid supplementation before and during early pregnancy is known to substantially reduce the risk of fetal neural tube defects such as spina bifida. The recommended daily intake is 400 micrograms from sources including dark green vegetables, orange juice, beans, fortified grains, or multivitamins.
Should men follow the same folic acid intake standard?
Lead author and nutritionist Dr. Lynn Wallock said, “Folate plays an important role in DNA synthesis. Nonmethyl folate in particular is required to synthesize thymine, one of the four DNA bases.” She also cited a 1997 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showing that folate deficiency may cause chromosome breaks and thereby affect fertility.
Other Factors Also Affect Sperm Quality
Professor Marc Goldstein, a male infertility specialist at Cornell University who commented on the study, noted that although the sample was small, it reinforced the importance of folate in male reproductive health.
The study also found significantly lower nonmethyl folate levels in smokers than nonsmokers. A direct causal relationship between smoking and folate deficiency has not yet been established and requires further research.
Zinc is also essential to sperm production. A 2000 review in the same journal associated zinc deficiency with lower sperm counts. Zinc and folate interact closely, and low zinc can impair folate absorption and metabolism.
Alcohol is another important factor. Professor Rebecca Sokol of the Keck School of Medicine of USC noted, “People with alcohol dependence often have low zinc levels, which indirectly reduces the effectiveness of folate.”
Start With Dietary Changes
Although there is no conclusive evidence that folic acid supplementation directly increases sperm count or pregnancy rates, Wallock recommends that men eat 5–9 servings of fruit and vegetables daily, which generally provides adequate folate. A multivitamin is another option when diet is insufficient.
Professor Goldstein said, “Start by changing the diet before considering surgery.” Among couples with infertility, about 1/3 of cases involve male factors, 1/3 involve female factors, and 1/3 involve both partners. Attention to men's nutritional health is therefore an important part of improving the likelihood of conception.
He also noted that the study was limited by its small sample and the participants' generally poor diets, with fewer than 3.5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. “This alone suggests that this group was likely already receiving inadequate folate.”
Male Fertility Research Remains Overlooked
Dr. Philip Werthman, director of the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine in Los Angeles, said, “Male reproductive health research remains seriously neglected. Infertility research is dominated by obstetrician-gynecologists, who rarely treat men directly.”
Dr. Wallock added, “Our research only reveals the tip of the iceberg. Future studies should look beyond folate and investigate the relationships between more nutrients and male fertility.”
For prospective fathers, healthier choices can begin with everyday meals.
Story source:
Collected online