Meta AnalysisHumann = 28 articles for qualitative analysis, 15 for quantitative meta-analysis2018
The Effect of Nutrients and Dietary Supplements on Sperm Quality Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials.
Plain-language summary
Infertility affects about 15 percent of the world's population, which is what makes this question worth asking. This systematic review and meta-analysis pooled randomized trials testing whether nutrients, dietary supplements or food improve sperm quality. It reviewed 28 articles and pooled 15 of them. Selenium, zinc, omega-3 fats, CoQ10 (a compound cells use to make energy) and carnitines were each linked to better sperm concentration, movement or shape. The authors caution that the pooled samples were small and the trials differed from one another, so the sizes should be read as soft.
Key findings
- Selenium increased total sperm concentration by 3.91 million/mL.
- Zinc increased total sperm concentration by 1.48 million/mL.
- Omega-3 fatty acids increased total sperm concentration by 10.98 million/mL.
- CoQ10 increased total sperm concentration by 5.93 million/mL.
- Carnitines improved sperm progressive motility by 7.45%.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- Meta-analyses combine results from multiple studies to identify patterns, but they can be limited by differences in how the original studies were conducted.
- Population
- The review does not state one shared population. It pooled randomized trials of nutrients and supplements measuring sperm quality.
- Funding
- Not reported
- Takeaway
- If you are trying to conceive, any one of selenium, zinc, omega-3 fats, CoQ10 or carnitine is worth considering. The study did not test whether one, all five, or some combination works best.