Giving omega-3 supplements to sterile men may increase their chance of conceiving by improving their sperm quality, a new American study suggests.
The University of Illinois study was conducted on mice so there is no guarantee the results apply to
Giving omega-3 supplements to sterile men may increase their chance of conceiving by improving their sperm quality, a new American study suggests.
The University of Illinois study was conducted on mice so there is no guarantee the results apply to humans.
However, a recent Iranian study found that infertile men have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their sperm than fertile men.
In the American study scientists engineered mice to be deficient in the omega-3 fatty acid DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).
These mice were found to have lower sperm counts and more sperm abnormalities than normal male mice.
However, when the researchers fed the mice DHA supplements these effects were reversed and their sperm counts and abnormalities improved.
“We get hints from looking at sperm in the DHA-deficient animals about what type of pathology we may be looking at and why these polyunsaturated fatty acids are important,” said lead researcher Dr Manabu Nakamura.
“But we're still at the starting point in understanding the mechanisms that are involved, and we need to do more research at the cellular level.”
Omega-3 supplementation usually comes in the form of fish oil but other sources include flaxseed oil and krill oil.
