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Micronutrient-antioxidant supplementation can improve male fertility by reducing oxidative stress, enhancing sperm quality, and protecting DNA integrity, ultimately boosting assisted reproductive technology outcomes.
A review by Marwa Lahimer et al. examined the impact of antioxidant supplementation on male reproductive health, highlighting its role in improving semen quality, preserving DNA integrity (maturity and fragmentation), and enhancing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) outcomes.
Oxidative stress is a major factor affecting male fertility, detected in 30–80% of infertile men. Due to their high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content and limited antioxidant defenses, spermatozoa are particularly susceptible to oxidative damage. Oxidative stress occurs when there is a discrepancy between reactive oxygen species generation and the body's capacity to counteract or heal their harmful effects.
The result is a cascade of cellular destruction—lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and DNA instability. Micronutrient–antioxidant therapies offer a promising approach to mitigating oxidative stress-related damage, improving fertility by neutralizing free radicals, and safeguarding DNA integrity by reducing genome decay. Various antioxidants, including L-carnitine, L-glutathione, coenzyme Q10, selenium, zinc, and vitamin complexes, have been proposed to enhance semen parameters (including sperm motility and morphology) and overall fertility potential.
A strategic blend of antioxidant therapy and lifestyle modifications offers a promising route to restoring fertility. However, fertility is not a one-size-fits-all journey. Individual responses to antioxidants vary, and the root causes of male infertility are diverse. This is where personalized medicine steps in. Fertility specialists can integrate targeted micronutrient supplementation into tailored treatment plans, optimizing sperm health, and escalating the likelihood of success in assisted reproductive technology cycles.
Nutrients
Micronutrient–Antioxidant Therapy and Male Fertility Improvement During ART Cycles
Marwa Lahimer et al.
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