by Louise-Anne Geddes, Mindful Mum, 16th August 2012

The study was led by Professor Wendie Robbins from UCLA’s Fielding School of Public Health, and funded by the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health’s Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health. The researchers examined the hypothesis that 75 grams of walnuts per day added to a ‘western style diet’ of healthy young men would beneficially affect their semen quality.

Trial

This study involved 117 men between the ages of 21 and 35, who were divided into two groups. One group added 75 grams of whole-shelled walnuts to their daily diet, while the other group avoided them.

Conclusions

The researchers concluded that ‘the group consuming walnuts experienced improvement in sperm vitality, motility, and morphology and the group continuing their usual diet but avoiding tree nuts saw no change’.  It is thought that the fatty acids contained in the walnuts may have helped sperm development, although more research is required into whether or not this would help male fertility.

Source:  Biology of Reproduction Journal, Walnuts Improve Semen Quality in Men Consuming a Western-Style Diet: Randomized Control Dietary Intervention Trial, 15^th August 2012

Photography: Pauline Mak @flickr