Meta AnalysisHumann = 50 studies included2025Denmark
The Effect of Dietary Supplements on Male Infertility in Terms of Pregnancy, Live Birth, and Sperm Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Plain-language summary
This systematic review and meta-analysis set out to see whether dietary supplements improve male fertility. It pooled 50 randomised trials in which men took a supplement for at least 12 weeks against a placebo. On the outcomes that matter most, pregnancy and live birth, no supplement showed an effect. Individual sperm measures moved for some: zinc and folic acid, and combined products containing three or more ingredients, improved sperm concentration. Selenium, carnitine and coenzyme Q10 improved movement. Alpha-lipoic acid improved the share of normally shaped sperm. Vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids improved nothing. Most of the trials had flaws or a high risk of bias, so all of this rests on shaky ground.
Key findings
- No dietary supplement improved pregnancy or live birth rates.
- Zinc and folic acid improved sperm concentration.
- Selenium, carnitine, and coenzyme Q10 improved sperm motility.
- Alpha-lipoic acid improved sperm morphology.
- Vitamin D, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids showed no benefit for sperm health.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- Meta-analyses pool data from many studies to find patterns, but they rely on the quality of the original studies, which here had some concerns.
- Population
- Men with infertility
- Funding
- Not reported
- Watch for
- This review found that no supplement improved the odds of a pregnancy or a live birth, which is the outcome that counts. A few moved single sperm measures: zinc and folic acid for concentration, selenium, carnitine and coenzyme Q10 for movement, alpha-lipoic acid for shape. Vitamin D, vitamin E and omega-3 did nothing here. If you are trying to conceive, it may be worth putting the effort into diet, weight and heat exposure first, and treating any supplement as a modest add-on rather than the fix.