Fish Oil Linked To Improved Fertility And Health In Men
Broad research has associated fish oil supplements with enhanced semen quality and testicular function in men. The paper cannot demonstrate the reason behind this, but it does support earlier studies that obtained comparable results in men with fertility conditions.
In the last few years, proof backing up the health benefits of consuming fish oil supplements that contain omega-3 fatty acids has been diverse.
Experts have raised the question of how beneficial the supplement really is in helping prevent conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. However, evidence has supported the possible benefits in decreasing childhood asthma threat, more so if mothers consume the supplements while being pregnant.
Fish Oil Improves Fertility in Men
New research is now also supporting the massive volume of papers on fish oil, discovering that supplements may enhance testicular function in healthy men. The new study observed approximately 1,700 Danish men, from which semen and blood samples were collected, together with a physical examination.
The outcome unveiled an essential connection between fish oil supplement intake and higher sperm count. The fish oil was also associated with a larger testicular size and a healthier function of two hormones linked to sperm production. The research says that the association was not observed concerning other vitamins or supplements mentioned by the subjects.
Richard Sharpe, from the University of Edinburgh, said that the study was ‘well-conducted,’ but sees the need for a clinical trial to demonstrate the reason behind this improvement. “… these findings need to be followed up using a randomized, double-blind clinical trial before we’d be able to know whether taking fish oil supplements can improve reproductive function in men from the normal population,” says Sharpe, who was not a part of the team who conducted the research.
“Such a trial would be able to exclude the possibility that remains in this study, which is that men taking fish oil supplements may simply be more health-conscious and in a better reproductive state because of this, rather than the supplement itself having any effect.”
More Studies, Same Conclusion
Kevin McEleny, from the British Fertility Society, also stated that, even though there is more and more evidence of several correlations between diet and reproductive health, it is not clear yet whether the subjects consuming fish oil supplements simply had healthier lifestyles.
“In the study, there were very few men who took only fish oil and no other supplement,” says McEleny. “They also tended to have healthier lifestyles and in particular tended not to smoke. Being fit and healthy is important for male and female reproductive health. This doesn’t help us to say whether fish oil specifically is helpful.”
In spite of these natural restrictions, this is not the first published research that analyzes the link between fish oil and male fertility. As a matter of fact, a massive systematic observation published in 2019 has examined 16 pieces of research on the subject, having more than 1,000 individual participants with probable fertility issues.
The result was not definite, but it did conclude that ‘omega-3 supplements and dietary intake of omega-3 might improve semen quality parameters in infertile men and men from couples seeking fertility treatment.’ The new study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.
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