Eating a couple handfuls of walnuts can help men achieve healthier, more mobile semen, a study from the UCLA School of Nursing shows.
The study surveyed 117 men aged 21-35. Researchers divided the group into two and directed one group to eat around 2.5 ounces of walnuts a day. The second group were directed to avoid eating all tree-based nuts.
Those who ate walnuts saw an increase in sperm shape, movement and vitality, the study showed.
The study's researchers credit omega-3 fatty acids from the nuts with the sperm boost. However, while the sperm were healthier, it is not clear whether this would lead to improved virility.
"We found a significant improvement in sperm parameters in the group that consumed the walnuts," Wendie Robbins, a professor at the UCLA School of Nursing and lead author of the study, said. "The men who ate no tree nuts saw no change.
"Women are not the only ones who should be paying attention to what they eat when they are trying to get pregnant," she added. "This study shows that what men eat is important too."
A further study will test the walnut hypothesis on couples who are attempting to conceive. The full study can be found in the August 15 edition of the journal Biology of Reproduction.
by RTT Staff Writer
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