Source: Thailand Medical News Jan 08, 2020 4 years, 10 months, 6 days, 6 hours, 10 minutes ago
Folic acid and
zinc, a pair of dietary
supplements long touted as an effective treatment for
male infertility, failed to improve pregnancy rates,
sperm counts, and
sperm potency in a new study conducted at University of Utah Health and other medical centers in conjunction with the National Institutes of Health. According to the researchers, the finding presents the most definitive evidence to date that so-called
fertility supplements do not live up expectations.
Dr James M. Hotaling, M.D., co-author of the study and a University of Utah Health Urologist specializing in
male infertility told
Thailand Medical News, "This is a landmark trial of
male infertility supplements. The take-home message for
men is that, for the first time, there is high-quality data that
zinc and
folic acid do not improve live birth outcomes or semen function."
The research study, led by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), appears in
JAMA.
A majority of
fertility supplements contain
zinc, a mineral essential for
sperm development, and
folate, the natural form of
folic acid that helps form DNA in the
sperm. These over-the-counter
supplements, also known as
nutraceuticals, are often promoted as a natural way to enhance
sperm formation, sperm count, and movement. However, previous studies of these products have produced inconclusive results.
In the study, the researchers recruited 2,370 couples planning to undergo
infertility treatments in Salt Lake City, Chicago, Minneapolis, and Iowa City, Iowa.
Men were randomly assigned to either receive a placebo or a daily
supplement consisting of 5 milligrams of
folic acid and 30 milligrams of
zinc for six months. Women were asked to complete questionnaires for up to 18 months following the beginning of the trial in order to track pregnancy outcomes.
The researchers found no significant differences in live births between the
men who received the
supplement (404 births, 34%) and the placebo group (416 births, 35%).
Men in the two groups also had similar measures for total
sperm count, mobility, and shape. However,
men who took the
supplements had a higher proportion of broken DNA in
sperm than in the placebo group. Prior studies suggest that this phenomenon, known as DNA fragmentation, can contribute to
male infertility
>.
Males in the supplement group also complained of more abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal symptoms than those in the placebo group.
Dr C. Matthew Peterson, M.D., a University of Utah Health Reproductive Endocrinologist and one of the study's principal investigators added, "This large, well-controlled, randomized study shows us that nutraceuticals like zinc and folic acid really don't improve the chances of a couple getting pregnant and actually can cause side effects that are not beneficial. It's important for men of all ages to eat a healthy diet to maintain fertility, but you don't necessarily need to take something extra to help you achieve better sperm parameters."
Reference: Enrique F. Schisterman et al, Effect of Folic Acid and Zinc Supplementation in Men on Semen Quality and Live Birth Among Couples Undergoing Infertility Treatment, JAMA (2020). dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.18714
