Carrots are a cure-all for men’s fertility
It is appropriate to say that fertility passes through the greengrocer.
We are so used to taking drugs and supplements to improve our reproductive health that we often forget that a healthy diet accompanied by regular physical movement would be enough to improve the situation.
Carrots are known to have a beneficial effect on vision. However, it has now been discovered that they can improve male fertility.
Research conducted at the famous Harvard University in the United States by a group of researchers who study the effect of fruit and vegetables on spermatozoa has highlighted that carrots are the vegetable that gives the best results in this area.
In fact, carrots would have a beneficial effect on sperm motility. This effect is common to all yellow and orange colored fruits and vegetables, but the carrot is the one that produces superior results on sperm.
The reason lies in the carotenoids which give orange vegetables their characteristic colour. Our body transforms a part of these dietary carotenoids into powerful antioxidants of fundamental importance for our health. The most common carotenoid is beta-carotene. Thanks to two enzymes, beta-carotene dioxygenase and retinol dehydrogenase, our body transforms beta-carotene into vitamin A.
Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals a byproduct of metabolism that can damage cell membranes and DNA.
In regards to their effect on sperm, carotenoids can improve sperm quantity and quality. This also happens thanks to melons or sweet potatoes but carrots in particular improve sperm performance between 6.5 and 8 percent. The findings have been published in the journal Fertility and Sterility .
Another carotenoid that has beneficial effects on sperm is lycopene which is found in red fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes.
In addition to having a recognized anti-cancer action, lycopene also has the effect of improving sperm morphology.
Ultimately, the research underlines how the intake of carotenoids by healthy young men is associated with greater sperm motility and, in the case of lycopene, with better sperm morphology.
An earlier study also conducted at Harvard showed that men who ate diets high in saturated fats had the lowest sperm count and low sperm quality.
However, men who eat so-called ‘good’ fats – including omega-3s which are fatty acids found in fish and some plants – have better sperm quality than those who eat less.
All this to say how nutrition affects men’s reproductive health. So let’s start from the table to improve fertility, it costs nothing!
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.