In a new study, researchers found that a diet low in fat and high in egg whites could be the key to boosting male fertility.
The study showed a direct link between diet and testosterone – showing that what men eat could affect their fundamental male sex hormone.
The research was conducted by a team from the University of South Australia and elsewhere.
Globally, infertility affects 15% of couples, with the World Health Organization estimating that up to 25% of couples in developing countries are affected.
While the causes are many and varied, 20-30% of the problems are attributed to male factors alone.
The current findings present controversial insights over the shorter five-hour term about the link between testosterone and ‘healthy’ monounsaturated fat, which is popularly considered to be a component of a healthy diet, including the Mediterranean dietary pattern.
The team says there’s an assumption that ‘good’ fats and ‘bad’ fats perform as they’re described.
But what’s surprising is that it wasn’t the type of fat that mattered at all, as an equal amount of the good and bad fats significantly suppressed testosterone production.
The study is the first to identify that a diet high in any type of fat – including healthy mono-saturated fats such as olive oil – negatively impacts testosterone production over as little as five hours.
But one supplemented with egg whites, and to a lesser extent whey protein, can positively affect serum testosterone.
While the researchers acknowledge they have tested individual nutrients and the effects may be different in the context of whole food dietary patterns, their earlier work has shown that ‘Western diets’ typified by fast-food dietary pattern produced a 25%decrease in serum testosterone within an hour of eating, with levels remaining suppressed below fasting baseline for up to four hours.
The team says the study is one step in a series of work needed to support and enhance fertility.
The next step in their research is to evaluate the longer-term effect of these nutrients on testosterone levels in the context of whole food dietary patterns.
One author of the study is Dr. Karma Pearce from the University of South Australia.
The study is published in Nutrients.
Copyright © 2019 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
