Antioxidant supplements and semen parameters: An evidence based review
Journal Title: International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine - Year 2016, Vol 14, Issue 12
Abstract
Many studies have focused on male infertility. There is limited evidence about the influence of nutrition on quality of semen. Approximately, 30-80% of infertility cases are caused by oxidative stress and decreased level of seminal total antioxidant capacity. This study was aimed to review the effects of oral antioxidant supplements on improving major semen parameters such as sperm concentration, motility, morphology, DNA damage, and fertility rate. Data were extracted from PubMed and Google scholar database by using the terms “antioxidant”, “multivitamin”, “carnitine”, “CoQ10”, “vitamin C”, “vitamin E”, “zinc”, “folic acid”, “N-acetyl cysteine” and “selenium” combined with “male infertility”, “semen”, and “sperm” to generate a set of relevant citations. Supplements such as CoQ10 and alpha-tocopherol significantly improve sperm count. Also, carnitine has positive effects on sperm motility and morphology. Simultaneous administration of vitamin E and vitamin C reduces the sperm DNA damage. However, in some studies, one or more factors have not changed substantially. In most of the studies, antioxidant supplementation improved the number, motility, morphology and sometimes DNA integrity of sperm. The present study showed that antioxidant supplements, especially a combination of antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and CoQ10 intake can effectively improve semen parameters in infertile men.
Authors and Affiliations
Sedigheh Ahmadi, Reihane Bashiri, Akram Ghadiri-Anari, Azadeh Nadjarzadeh
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP185068
- DOI -
- Views 142
- Downloads 0
Do submucous myoma characteristics affect fertility and menstrual outcomes in patients underwent hysteroscopic myomectomy?
Background: Submucous myomas may be associated with menorrhagia, infertility and dysmenorrhea. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the long term effects of submucousal myoma resection on menorrhagia and inf...
Effect of Citrullus colocynthis hydro-alcoholic extract on hormonal and folliculogenesis process in estradiol valerate-induced PCOs rats model: An experimental study
Background: Citrullus colocynthis (CCT) is used as the anti-diabetic and antioxidant agent. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a reproductive disorder which level of gonadotropins and sexual hormones are imbalanced. O...
Association between seminal plasma neopterin and oxidative stress in male infertility: A case-control study
Background: Neopterin is a significant and sensitive marker in estimating the activity of cellular immune system. Oxidative stress plays a role in the etiology of male infertility. Increased reactive oxygen species is ac...
Relative frequency of human papillomavirus genotypes and related sociodemographic characteristics in women referred to a general hospital in Tehran, 2014-2015: A cross-sectional study
Background: Human papilloma virus (HPV) is one of the major public health problems and the main causes of cervical cancer. The prevalence HPV infection in developing countries with low financial resources is high. Objec...
Oxidative stress induced sperm DNA damage, a possible reason for male infertility
Background: Sperm DNA damage is an important factor in the etiology of male infertility. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of oxidative stress induced sperm DNA damage with the pathogenesis...