Folate Intake and Genetic abnormalities in sperm count

Folate Intake and Genetic abnormalities in sperm count

Samrat, a healthy male in his mid 30s – married has an issue. His wife and he have tried for a baby since 2012, the year they got married. But, destiny had it otherwise as Samrat suffered from ‘low sperm count’.

What went wrong?

On a recent diagnosis made by his doctor, Samrat learnt that his diet, which lacked the right amounts of the nutrient folate, made his sperm count low – it was a case of chromosomal abnormalities. So now, in this new-age, men should be wary of what they eat and of the diet they maintain, because it is no more the prerogative of the woman or the wife to eat well for child-bearing needs. A healthy dose of folate is a must in a man’s diet too – for more information on this, one should read the evidence provided on the same lines in the papers and research done on Human Reproduction – a study done by various researchers at the esteemed UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

Chromosomal abnormalities in sperm

Lack of folate in a man’s diet would obviously affect sperm count, and in addition to that, would also be reasons why children or offspring are born with ‘genetic syndromes’ and why ‘miscarriages’ happen, when the egg is fertilized.

A ‘water-soluble B vitamin’ – Folate can be found in a wide range of foods, namely;

1. Liver

2. Leafy green vegetables

3. Citrus fruits

4. Legumes etc

Men especially, should consult their dieticians and doctors, and ask them for a chart which would lead one to dwell on ‘nutritious eating habits’, with plenty of folate intake combined. Estimates show that around 4 percent of men have low sperm counts, and the causes for the same are being studied. Lack of folate intake leads to abnormal sperm fertilization of the egg, and this would also lead to the expectant mother facing miscarriages and genetic defects at childbirth – trisomy for example, where more than two copies of a chromosome would be developed when abnormal sperms are released into the womb.

 Consequences

Men, who ignore the importance of folate in their diets, have had children suffering from;

• Down syndrome

• Mental retardation

• Klinefelter syndrome

• Problems with language and learning

• Behavioural issues and more.

If you choose to have folate as a supplement and not in the organic form, your dietician would recommend 400 micrograms on a daily basis RDA. Although research and studies are still on across the world, especially in the US to understand the link between abnormal sperm count and folate in a man’s diet. This is also an eye-opener to the societies and cultures around the world, once again to realise that it is not only a woman’s prerogative to eat healthy for child-bearing needs. Be wise and speak to your dietician today, and set the right dietary folate levels for your needs. Once this is done, the risk for ‘would-be-fathers’ will be low, birth defects and miscarriage would be a thing of the past.

I would also encourage you to check out papers and citations across the net by experts from the

• The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

• The U.S. Department of Energy and National Institute on Aging and more, all of whom are supporting the stance and the link between folate intake and abnormal sperm count!

Now you understood the link between sperm count and folate intake?

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