High Omega-6 Associated with Infertility and Low Sperm Count
Bottom-line: First ever study shows that sperm count and sperm motility is effected by the balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fats. Clinical Nutrition 2009 Aug 8..
Background: There is a growing body of evidence that the fatty acid composition of sperm, determines physiological characteristics, which in turn may affect fertility. It is estimated than 25% of infertility cases are due to poor semen quality. In humans, sperm motility strongly correlates with sperm membrane DHA levels.
Study: Researchers evaluated the fatty acid composition in sperm on fertility parameters in eighty-two infertile men and seventy-eight age matched fertile men, which served as controls. The fatty acids analyzed were ALA, EPA and DHA, and two omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids – linoleic acid and arachidonic acid. The ratios of omega-6/omega-3 and the omega-3 index were also calculated.
Findings: A high proportion of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids was found to be a distinctive feature of infertile men.
Notably, a higher omega-6 fat composition of sperm was
associated with lower: sperm motility, sperm count and normal sperm morphology.
Specifically, the sperm of infertile men had higher levels of: Conversely, omega-3 fatty acid composition had a favorable
association with semen parameters (motility, sperm count and morphology). Also,
the omega-3 index was lower in infertile mean compared to the controls. The researchers believe that impaired fertility of men could
be due, in part, to the reduced sperm membrane fluidity, which is greatly
effected by the composition of fatty acids.
Quote: “The possibility that diets poor in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and rich in omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids contribute to poor semen quality and sperm function is becoming increasingly recognized.”
Comment:
- EPA has 5 double-bonds
- DHA has 6 double-bond
The fluidity of cell membranes is greatly effected by the types of fatty acids tethered in its phospholipids. The more double-bonds in a fatty acid, the more flexible the structure becomes. Each double-bond is like a flexible gate hinge. The omega-6 fatty acid, arachidonic acid has 4 double-bonds, but the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA have more, which confers more fluidity:
Link to Study:
Safarinejad MR et al. Relationship of omega-3 and omega-6
fatty acids with semen characteristics, and anti-oxidant status of seminal
plasma: A comparison between fertile and infertile men. Clinical Nutrition 2009 Aug 8.
Further Reading:
Categories: Arachidonic Acid,DHA,omega-6/omega-3 Ratio,2009 Studies,polyunsaturated fatty acids,Abstract,Fertility,Omega-6 Fat,EPA,Linoleic Acid,Full Text Studies-FREE
The fairly obvious practical outcomes of the above paper are that men wishing to improve sperm numbers and quality would do well to improve omega 3 status with an effective amount of fish oil while at the same time reducing the consumption of omega 6 to below 4% of calories by elimating corn, soybean, safflower and sunflower oil, and everything that contains them. Including most processed foods, bought mayonnaise, salad dressings, and fried foods.
I'd also like to make the point that omega 3 tends to work best in conjunction with optimum vitamin d status.
Sperm are equipped with their own Vitamin D receptor and we find the same pattern of improved sperm quality and motility from Vitamin D replete males.
See
Vitamin D Is an Important Factor in Estrogen Biosynthesis of Both Female and Male Gonads
So while of course it is important for couples with fertility problems to address the issue of omega 3omega 6 ratio, it's also important that this is done in the context of a Vitamin D3 replete status ideally between 40~60ng/mL 100~150nmol/l.
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Ted,
Thank you for your insightful comment.
I agree that vitamin D is an important issue. In general, we need to keep looking at the "big picture" of patterns of eating, as there is so much interplay between nutrients and other factors in food, which affect the function of our bodies. For example, while salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, it is also one of the few foods that contain vitamin D. Ultimately, we need to look at dietary patterns, not just single nutrients.
One of the best examples that comes to my mind is the D.A.S.H. intervention study on people (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which showed that a particular pattern of eating lowers blood pressure [1]. Previously, several animal and mechanism studies indicated that specific nutrients influence blood pressure. Yet, nutrient supplementation studies on humans, yielded disappointing results. Therefore, researchers changed tactics and created an eating pattern, aimed at eating more foods rich in the nutrients associated with lower blood pressure (nuts-rich in magnesium, fruits & vegetables rich in potassium and so forth). Voila! Blood pressure was reduced across the board, even in people with normal blood pressure levels [1].
It's fascinating to consider that many of the conditions associated with low omega-3 status (heart disease, some cancers, inflammation) are also associated with low vitamin D levels. And the pattern of eating that seems to address these health conditions quite nicely is the Mediterranean diet, which classically is low in omega-6 fat (See The Mediterranean Diet is Low in Omega-6 Fat, Say Lyon Diet Heart Study Scientists).
The Mediterranean diet has been around for a long time, and is consistent with a conceptual framework that incorporates evolutionary, historical, global and modern research perspectives. An excellent paper describing this unifying approach is listed below [2].
[1] Appel LH et al (The DASH Collaborative Research Group)
A Clinical Trial of the Effects of Dietary Patterns on Blood Pressure
N Engl J Med 1997 336: 1117-1124. [free full text]
[2] Ramsden CE, Faurot KR, Carrera-Bastos P, Cordain L, De Lorgeril M, Sperling LS.
Dietary fat quality and coronary heart disease prevention: a unified theory based on evolutionary, historical, global and modern perspectives. Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2009 Aug;11(4):289-301Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2009 Aug;11(4):289-301.PMID: 19627662
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