Going nuts for sperm production

Men who are keen to boost their fertility may want to increase their consumption of nuts, Spanish researchers suggest.

A 14-week randomised control trial of 119 healthy young men has found that including 60g a day of mixed almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts in the diet is beneficial for sperm quality.

The study was performed against a background of general decline in quantity and quality of human sperm, attributed in industrialised countries to "pollution, smoking and trends towards a Western-style diet", the authors said.

Subjects randomised to the nut group saw significant improvements in their sperm count, vitality, motility and morphology.

Sperm count improved by 16%, vitality by 4%, motility 6% and morphology by 1% despite men’s Western-style diet.

The nut group also showed a significant reduction in their levels of sperm DNA fragmentation, a parameter closely associated with male