Antioxidant supplements may aid conception
Monday January 24th, 2011
Couples having difficulty in conceiving naturally should consider taking antioxidant supplements, according to a new analysis.
Results
from a small number of trials suggest that partners of men who take antioxidants
are more likely to become pregnant, according to a systematic review published
in The Cochrane Library.
It focused on 34 trials that involved a total of 2,876 couples, all of whom were undergoing assisted reproductive techniques. Most men in the trials had low sperm counts or low sperm motility.
Some trials looked at the effectiveness of different types of oral antioxidants, including vitamin E, L-carnitine, zinc and magnesium, while others tested the effects of antioxidants on sperm motility and concentration and showed mostly positive effects.
The review found that compared to controls, a couple was more likely to have a pregnancy or live birth if the man took antioxidants. But those results are based on just 964 of the couples in the review for pregnancies and 214 couples for live births.
“When trying to conceive as part of an assisted reproductive program, it may be advisable to encourage men to take oral antioxidant supplements to improve their partners’ chances of becoming pregnant,” said lead researcher Marian Showell, of the University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand.
“However, these conclusions are currently based on limited evidence.
“We need more head-to-comparisons to understand whether any one antioxidant is performing better than any other.”
Male sub-fertility affects one in 20 men. Chemicals called reactive oxygen species (ROS) are said to cause damage to cells, and in particular sperm cells, which may result in lowered sperm counts and interfere with their ability to fertilise eggs.
Tags: Australia | Childbirth and Pregnancy | Diet & Food | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
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