Meta AnalysisHumann = 290 (147 intervention, 143 control)2019
The Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acids, EPA, and/or DHA on Male Infertility: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Plain-language summary
This meta-analysis set out to see whether omega-3 fats improve sperm in infertile men. It pooled three randomized trials, 147 men on omega-3 and 143 on control treatments, and measured sperm concentration, movement, and DHA levels in sperm and in seminal plasma. Omega-3 raised sperm movement and the DHA concentration in seminal plasma. It did not change sperm concentration or the DHA level inside the sperm themselves. Results varied a lot between the three trials, which the authors put down to differences in dose and in how long the men took the supplements.
Key findings
- Omega-3 fats raised sperm motility in infertile men.
- Omega-3 raised the DHA concentration in seminal plasma but not inside the sperm.
- Sperm concentration did not change.
- Results varied widely across the three trials, which the authors attribute to dose and duration.
How to analyze the study yourself
- Study type
- Meta-analyses pool data from multiple studies to spot patterns, but differences in how each study was run can muddy the picture.
- Population
- The analysis included only infertile men from three randomized trials.
- Funding
- Not reported
- Takeaway
- This study found that omega-3 supplements raised sperm movement in infertile men and left sperm count unchanged, across three small trials that disagreed with each other on how much. If you are working on fertility, it may be worth asking your doctor about omega-3, on the understanding that motility was the only thing that moved and it will not lift a low count.