Diet can affect sperm quality and male fertility, with high nut consumption showing particularly favorable associations.

Environmental pollution, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and alcohol use have all been linked to male infertility, and an unhealthy diet may play a role as well. Nuts, rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, may support sperm health. In randomized controlled trials, nuts were the only food group shown to significantly improve sperm quality in healthy, reproductive-age men — likely through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Jennifer Estefanía Dávila-Córdova, nutrition scientist at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Catalonia, Spain, led a cross-sectional analysis to examine the association more closely. The study enrolled 222 healthy men aged 40 or younger (mean age, 28 years) who were participating in the Led‑Fertyl cohort, a study of lifestyle and environmental influences on sperm quality. Men with autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, or other conditions known to impair sperm quality were excluded.

At the start of the study, between 2021 and 2024, all participants completed a validated, semi-quantitative 143-item food-frequency questionnaire that included questions on how often they ate nuts. Nut intake was calculated from nine frequency categories ranging from “never” to “six 30-g servings weekly.” On average, the men reported eating 17 g of nuts a day. In the lowest-intake group, the mean was 6 g; in the mid-intake group, 17 g; and in the highest-intake group, 39 g.

After adjusting for age, smoking status, education, BMI, physical activity, energy intake, and other dietary factors, men in the highest nut-intake group had a substantially higher total sperm count and higher sperm concentration than men in the lowest nut-intake group. High overall nut intake was also associated with 75% lower odds of abnormal total motility and 69% lower odds of abnormal semen analysis than the lowest nut intake.

Almonds, pistachios, and a category described as “other nuts” were especially favorable for sperm quality; walnuts showed no positive association. The beneficial effects of high nut intake were most pronounced among men who adhered closely to a Mediterranean diet.

Because this was a cross-sectional analysis based on a single dietary questionnaire, the results should be interpreted with caution. Nevertheless, the investigators said the study highlights that male fertility can be influenced by specific dietary components.

This story was translated from Coliquio, part of the Medscape Professional Network.