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Folate may boost male fertility
REPRODUCTION
Folate, a vitamin found naturally in leafy green vegetables, may help men make healthier sperm, a new study shows. The importance of folate was established after several studies recognized that pregnant women who took the vitamin were less likely to have babies with neural tube defects. While folate remains a standard part of the diet for women readying to conceive, the role of the vitamin in the diets of fathers has been unclear. Researchers, including co-investigator Brenda Eskenazi from the University of California Berkeley's Public School of Health, decided to investigate how folate might affect sperm. Folate is a key ingredient in making DNA, RNA, and protein: the essential machinery for running cells - including the sperm. After surveying 97 non-smoking men who had no prior history of fertility problems, they found that men who had the highest intake of the vitamin had nearly a 20 percent reduction in the number of abnormal sperm. "If these results hold up in large studies," Eskenazi said, "one day we may be recommending folate for men as well."
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BOTTOM LINE: Men who take higher doses of folate make healthier sperm - potentially reducing the chances of miscarriage or genetic problems in the baby.
CAUTIONS: "We can't be sure that folate is solely responsible for the decreased number of abnormalities," Eskenazi said, since men who eat higher folate may have an overall better diet.
WHAT'S NEXT: A randomized control trial is necessary to evaluate the possible role of folate in reducing genetic abnormalities in sperm.
WHERE TO FIND IT: The Journal of Human Reproduction, March 19.
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