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Study: Healthy male diet may increase success of artificial insemination
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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The chances of successful in vitro fertilization increase if men eat a diet rich in fruits and grains, low in red meat, alcohol and coffee, Brazilian scientists say.
It has long been known that female reproductive problems are linked to body weight, smoking and alcohol consumption. Now scientists have begun to study risk factors related to men during IVF treatment.
"Sperm concentration was negatively affected by body mass index (BMI) and alcohol consumption, while it was positively affected by cereal consumption and the number of meals per day," said Edson Borges of the Sao Paulo fertility center. "Sperm motility was negatively affected by BMI, alcohol consumption and smoking, while fruit and cereal consumption were positive."
The study involved 250 men who, with their partners, were undergoing fertility treatment using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). The researchers surveyed the men to find out how often they ate fruits and vegetables, beans, grains, meat and fish, as well as how often they drank alcohol and smoked. They also took sperm samples from the men to analyze the quality of the sperm in each case.
Eggs were successfully fertilized in about 75% of cases, and only four out of ten women became pregnant during the study.
The results of the study showed that being overweight and drinking alcohol led to lower sperm concentration and sperm motility, while smoking only had a negative impact on sperm motility. Drinking alcohol and coffee were associated with a lower chance of fertilization.
In addition, embryo implantation success rates and pregnancy rates were significantly lower if men ate a lot of red meat.
On the other hand, eating grains such as wheat, oats, or barley improved sperm concentration and motility. Eating fruit increased sperm speed and maneuverability.
"We talk about healthy lifestyle and trying to eliminate any of the factors that are detrimental to health, but I think most doctors tend to focus on making sure the woman is as healthy as possible," said Lynn Westphal, a specialist at Stanford University in Palo Alto, US. "I think this is really interesting data that shows the impact of a man's lifestyle on the success of ICSI."
The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that certain vitamins, minerals and amino acids may help maintain or improve sperm quality, while alcohol consumption and certain hormones in meat products may be harmful to sperm.
Couples undergoing fertility treatment should be aware that their diet and lifestyle can affect their chances of having a successful pregnancy.
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