Mediterranean diet "aids fertility"

Men who eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and fish could boost their chances of becoming a father, according to a new study Wednesday. A Mediterranean-style diet, which also contains leafy vegetables, pulses and whole grains, can enhance sperm motility by 11 percent. This could be especially important for couples who are trying to conceive naturally due the need for sperm to be "strong swimmers". The research comes as a second study found that men who take moderate exercise can also positively impact their sperm motility. Both studies were presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) conference in Orlando, the British media reported. In the first, experts from universities including the Harvard School of Public Health, examined the diets of more than 180 men aged 18 to 22. They split those who ate any Mediterranean-type items into four sub-sets, from those with the highest intake of these nutrient-rich foods to those with the lowest. Those in the highest group had an increased sperm motility of 11 percent compared to the lowest. Audrey Gaskins, from Harvard's Department of Nutrition, was quoted here as saying "I think motility is most important for couples who are trying to conceive naturally. "It's our hope that a small increase could lead to a small increase in fertility rates." Dr Edward Kim, from the Society for Reproduction and Urology, said "There is no doubt that motility is one of the most important parameters that we look at in semen quality. Dr Allan Pacey, senior lecturer from the academic unit of reproductive and developmental medicine at the University of Sheffield, England, said the influence of a man's diet on semen quality had been of interest for some time.