The relationship between the intake of dietary fatty acids and minerals with sperm parameters in infertile men.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Infertility has been increasing among Iranian couples. Some epidemiological studies have reported a relationship between infertility and lifestyle patterns, including dietary habits. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between sperm parameters and the intake of dietary fatty acids and minerals among Iranian infertile men. METHODS: This cross-sectional was performed on 400 newly diagnosed infertile men at Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute from July to December 2019. Men whose infertility was confirmed by an andrologist based on the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria were selected. They delivered a semen sample and answered a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. All data were analyzed using SPSS and STATA software. A p-value of less than 0.5 was considered significant. RESULTS: In the adjusted model, a significant negative association between sperm motility and the 3rd quartile (Q) of poly-unsaturated fatty acids compared to the 1st quartile) P = 0.02). Also, in the adjusted model, total mobility was significantly increased in the second, third and last quartiles of omega-3 fatty acids compared to the first quartile (P < 0.001, P = 0.02, P < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, omega-6 fatty acid intake in the last quartile were positively associated with sperm motility (P = 0.01). Moreover, there was a significant association between omega-3 fatty acid intake in the second, third, and last quartiles and sperm normal morphology (P = 0.003, P = 0.018, and P = 0.005, respectively) compared with the first quartile. Further, we observed a significant association between omega-6 fatty acid intake and sperm normal morphology in the last quartile compared with the reference quartile (P = 0.04). Also, the findings showed a significant negative association between the second quartile of sodium and calcium intake and sperm volume compared with the first quartile (P = 0.04, for both) in the adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid, sodium, and calcium intake are related to sperm morphology, volume, and total motility in Iranian infertile men. However, more research is needed to confirm these relationships and provide evidence to exert these findings into clinical practice.

The relationship between animal flesh foods consumption and rheumatoid arthritis: a case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic inflammatory, and debilitating autoimmune illness. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between animal flesh foods consumption and rheumatoid arthritis. METHODS: Meat consumption was assessed by using a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (168 items) in a case-control study of 297 subjects (100 newly diagnosed cases and 197 healthy controls). An expert rheumatologist diagnosed patients based on the American College of Rheumatology definitions, 2010. Multivariate logistic regression, adjusted for lifestyle and nutritional confounders, was used to evaluate the relationship between dairy consumption and rheumatoid arthritis. RESULTS: Participants with greater consumption of fish and seafood were less likely to have RA (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.27-0.98). Conversely, a higher processed meat intake was associated with increased odds of RA (OR 3.45; 95% CI 1.78-6.68). However, no significant association was found between red meats and poultry consumption and the risk of RA in the fully adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests an inverse association between fish and seafood consumption and the risk of RA. On the contrary, a higher amount of processed meat intake was associated with increased odds of RA. However, further studies are warranted to confirm the veracity of our findings.

Role of dietary antioxidants and vitamins intake in semen quality parameters: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Infertility had an increasing trend among couples in Iran. Several factors such as lifestyle, physical activity, unhealthy dietary habits and stress are associated with production of ROS in seminal fluid. The aim of this study was to identify the role of dietary antioxidants and vitamins intake on semen quality parameters, among Iranian infertile men. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 400 newly diagnosed infertile men in Yazd Reproductive Sciences Institute from July 2019 to December 2019. The presence of infertility was confirmed by an expert andrologist, based on WHO criteria. Dietary antioxidants and vitamins intake were assessed using a 168 items semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). RESULTS: We found an association between total motility and ß-Cryptoxanthin dietary intake in the full adjusted model (P = 0.03). Although a significant relationship was observed between ß-Cryptoxanthin and normal morphology in the crude model, the association became non-significant after controlling for confounders. No further significant association was detected between antioxidant and nutrients, and fertility-related parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Present study suggests that dietary intake of ß-Cryptoxanthin might be associated with an improvement in sperm motility. However, more research is needed to confirm these relations and provide the evidence needed to exert these findings into clinical practice.

The relationship between major dietary patterns and fertility status in iranian men: a case-control study.

In this case-control study, we aimed to investigate the association between major dietary patterns and fertility status in Iranian men. The study population included 400 newly diagnosed infertile men and 537 healthy individuals without a history of infertility in Yazd, Iran. Infertility was confirmed clinically, based on the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Dietary intake was assessed using a 168-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and dietary patterns were determined based on a principal component analysis. Four major dietary patterns were found in this study, including healthy, Western, mixed, and traditional dietary patterns. After adjustments for potential confounders, men above the median of a healthy dietary pattern showed a reduced risk of infertility compared to those below the median (OR 0.52; 95% CI 0.33-0.83). In contrast, men with greater adherence to Western and mixed dietary patterns were more likely to be infertile (OR 2.66; 95% CI 1.70-4.17 and OR 2.82; 95% CI 1.75-4.56, respectively). Also, there was no significant association between the traditional dietary pattern and the odds of infertility. The present study suggests that greater adherence to a healthy dietary pattern may have an inverse association with the odds of infertility; however, Western and mixed dietary patterns may be associated with an increased risk of infertility.

The association between animal flesh foods consumption and semen parameters among infertile Iranian men: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated the association between dietary patterns and semen quality indicators, but research on the possible association between animal flesh foods consumption and semen quality is limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the association between animal flesh foods consumption with semen quality. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 400 newly-identified (< 6 months) infertile men, as diagnosed by an andrologist, were recruited into the study. Dietary intake was assessed by using a semiquantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. The total meat consumption was defined as the sum of red meat, poultry, fresh fish, canned fish, processed meats, and organ meats in the diet. A linear mixed model was used to assess the relationship between meat consumption and semen quality indicators of participants. RESULTS: Consumption of canned fish was inversely related to sperm immotility. Compared with the men in the lowest quartile of canned fish intake, those in the highest quartile had a lower sperm immotility [lowest quartile: 52.5%; (95% CI: 47-57) vs 47.4%; (95% CI: 43-51) P-trend = 0.026]. Similarly, a trend toward an inverse significant association between fresh fish intake and sperm immotility was observed (P-trend = 0.074). In contrast, fresh and canned fish intake was unrelated to other outcomes of sperm quality (P-trend > 0.05). No association was found between consumption of processed red meat, red meat, poultry, and organ meat, and semen quality indicators (P-trend > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found that consumption of canned fish is associated with a lower percentage of immotile sperm, whilst a high consumption of fresh fish increased the percentage of immotile sperm in Iranian infertile men. Further studies are recommended in this regard.