Antioxidant supplements may be considerably beneficial for couples facing complications in conceiving naturally. A latest study suggests that partners of men taking antioxidants have more chances of expecting. This form of treatment appears effective for men reporting low sperm counts or declined sperm motility.
It is believed that the chemicals named oxygen species (ROS) damage cells, especially sperm cells. This damage can supposedly give rise to lowered sperm counts and interfere with the ability to fertilize eggs. Antioxidants apparently comprise both natural and synthetic chemicals, certain vitamins as well as minerals which decrease the damage caused by ROS. In order to conduct the study, scientists evaluated 34 trials that included 2,876 couples undergoing assisted reproductive techniques like in vitro fertilization and sperm injections.
Majority of the men in the study were registered with low sperm counts or low sperm motility. Authors aimed at highlighting the seeming benefits of oral antioxidants, including vitamin E, L-carnitine, zinc and magnesium. Partners of men consuming antioxidants were probably more likely to be pregnant or give live birth than controls. The results were ascertained on the basis of 964 couples for pregnancies and 214 couples for live births. Marian Showell, who works in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand, lead investigator and colleagues also registered positive outcomes while analyzing the effects of antioxidants on sperm motility and concentration.
The study is published in The Cochrane Library.