Carrots Boost Male Fertility, Make Sperms Fast Swimmers - Study

A new study revealed orange and yellow-colored fruits and vegetables may boost male fertility. But eating carrots is found to help develop healthy sperms.

According to a Harvard University study, carrots have betacarotene which helps create antioxidants and Vitamin A. Antioxidants fight free radicals from damaging DNA and cell membranes.

Aside from carrots, researchers also found other yellow-colored fruits and vegetables like melon and sweet potato to improve the quality of the sperm up to 10 percent. The study came after concerns that male fertility is declining in Western countries due to poor quality of the sperms. Other studies discovered a great reduction in average sperm count.

Based on research estimates, about 30 percent of couples resorting to IVF are known as subfertile while 2 percent of IVF couples have been evaluated as totally infertile.

In the latest international study, researchers tested 200 young men to determine what fruit or vegetable provides the most benefits to the sperm. Orange and yellow foods boost sperm health while red fruits, including tomatoes, help reduce the chances of the male-producing abnormal swimmers.

Out of the orange and yellow foods, researchers discovered that carrots helped boost the performance of sperm by 6.5 to 8 percent. Based on results, carrots helped sperm cells' motility or its ability to swim as fast as it can towards the female egg cell.

Carrots have long been known as a valuable vegetable for fiber and vitamins. The popular orange vegetable has also been proven to improve night vision while red tomatoes was associated with reduced development of "abnormal" looking sperm.

The findings of the research may be significant, according to the researchers, to those who want to get pregnant.

Several factors were cited for the decline in sperm count, including environmental toxins and tight underwear, but no specific cause has been verified. The European Commission has established a working group known as Reprotrain to address the growing crisis of male infertility.

In a previous Harvard University study, men who eat food rich in omega-3 fatty acids usually found in some plants and fish, had better sperm quality.