Authors

Myriam C. Afeiche, Ph.D., Naima D. Bridges, M.D., M.P.H., Paige L. Williams, Sc.D., Audrey J. Gaskins, B.S.E., Cigdem Tanrikut , M.D., John C. Petrozza, M.D., Russ Hauser, Sc.D., Jorge E. Chavarro, M.D., Sc.D.

Volume 101, Issue 5, Pages 1280–1287.e2

Abstract

Objective:

To examine the relationship between dairy food intake and semen parameters.

Design:

Longitudinal study.

Setting:

Academic medical center fertility clinic.

Patient(s):

One hundred fifty-five men.

Intervention(s):

None.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Total sperm count, sperm concentration, progressive motility, morphology, and semen volume.

Result(s):

Low-fat dairy intake was positively related to sperm concentration and progressive motility. On average, men in the highest quartile of intake (1.22–3.54 servings/d) had 33% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1, 55) higher sperm concentration and 9.3 percentage units (95% CI 1.4, 17.2) higher sperm motility than men in the lowest quartile of intake (≤0.28 servings/d). These associations were primarily explained by intake of low-fat milk. The corresponding results for low-fat milk were 30% (95% CI 1, 51) higher sperm concentration and 8.7 percentage units (95% CI 3.0, 14.4) higher sperm motility. Cheese intake was associated with lower sperm concentration among ever-smokers. In this group, men in the highest tertile of intake (0.82–2.43 servings/d) had 53.2% (95% CI 9.7, 75.7) lower sperm concentration than men in the lowest tertile of cheese intake (

Conclusion(s):

Our findings suggest that low-fat dairy intake, particularly low-fat milk, is related to higher sperm concentration and progressive motility, whereas cheese intake is related to lower sperm concentration among past or current smokers.

Read the full text at: http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(14)00141-1/fulltext