Association Between Dietary Habits and the Semen Quality of South Asian Men Attending Fertility Clinic: A Cross-sectional Study.

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to explore the impact of dietary habits, including daily intake of nutrients and dietary patterns, on the semen characteristics of South-Asian men. This cross-sectional study included 162 South-Asian men aged 21-40 years who were undergoing infertility evaluation. Based on semen analysis, men were grouped into categories of normal and abnormal semen characteristics. The participants' dietary habits were captured using '24-hour dietary recall' and 'Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ)'. Daily dietary intake of various nutrients and adherence to prevalent dietary patterns were compared between men with normal and abnormal semen characteristics. Six dietary patterns were identified following factor analysis of FFQ data. Men with normal semen characteristics showed significantly higher consumption of "coastal diet" rich in seafood, fish, cereals, beans, and coconut oil than those with abnormal semen characteristics. Further, the multivariable-adjusted model, adjusted for clinically relevant confounders, like age, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, smoking and sexual abstinence, also showed a lower risk of abnormal semen characteristics among men consuming "coastal diet" (odds ratio [OR] = 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.37-0.82). In terms of daily nutrient intake, men with normal semen characteristics showed significantly lower consumption of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) compared to men with abnormal semen characteristics (p = 0.008). Our findings suggest that higher consumption of "coastal pattern diet" lowers the risk of abnormal semen characteristics. Additionally, a negative association of MUFA consumption with semen quality was also identified, which needs cautious interpretation until replicated in future studies with biochemical validations.