Healthy men who report lower levels of the nutrient folate in their diets have higher rates of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm, according to a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Women of child-bearing age are encouraged to maintain adequate levels of folate in their diet, but the new findings provide evidence that what men eat may also affect reproductive health.
"Recent studies have suggested that paternal diet affects sperm count and motility, which is important for conception, but this new study takes it further to say that male diet may be important for healthy offspring as well," said study co-ordinator Suzanne Young, a researcher at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. "Our study is the first to look at the effects of diet on chromosomal abnormalities in sperm. These abnormalities would cause either miscarriages or children with genetic syndromes if the sperm fertilised an egg."
Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in a wide range of foods, particularly liver, leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits and legumes. It is needed during the synthesis of DNA, RNA and proteins, and it is necessary for the production of new cells. Folate also helps keep in check levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that, when elevated, is linked to heart disease.
Studies have shown that adequate intake of folate by women just before and during pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida or anencephaly.
"The emphasis related to the birth of a healthy baby has been weighted towards the health and diet of women, not just during pregnancy, but before," said Brenda Eskenazi, professor of epidemiology and maternal and child health at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health and co-principal investigator of the study. "What we're finding now is that a nutritious diet, specifically folate intake, may be beneficial for men as well when it comes to producing healthy offspring."
University of California, Berkeley