Diet quickly changes the quality of sperm of the person

it is well known that the quality of sperm men can be “undermined” environmental conditions and way of life. For example, obesity and its associated diabetes type II diabetes – the most common risk factors that worsen the reproductive health of person.

In previous work, the scientists found that male fruit flies who consumed excessive amounts of sugar just before mating were more likely to produce offspring who are overweight.

a Little later, similar experiments with laboratory mice suggest that the occurrence of obesity in the offspring of animals-sweets play the role of special molecules, the so-called non-coding RNAS.

These molecules in the body quite a lot. Recall that the word “non-coding” means that they do not affect the gene sequence in the DNA chain, that is itself the hereditary information in them is not changed.

What do these molecules? Some of them, for example, change the “settings” DNA: running a chemical modification of DNA, they indirectly “include” or “turn off” genes and, consequently, affect the process of their work.

Fragments of such RNA in large quantity is represented not only in the sperm of fruit flies and mice, but also in the sperm of the man. However, until now these specific molecules has remained largely unexplored. Must have known only one thing: these molecules are associated with sperm motility.

In his new scientific work group of experts from Germany University in Sweden finally got to studying non-coding human RNAS and examined the influence of the nutritional needs of men for this important component of semen.

In particular, scientists were interested in how changing the quantity of sweets in the diet affects the RNA molecules responsible for sperm motility men.

in order to examine this question, experts have developed the following experiment, which involved 15 healthy non-Smoking young men of normal weight whose average age was 22 years.

In for two weeks, they adhered to a healthy diet with one exception: in the second week of the experiment to the daily balanced diet of the participants was added 375 grams of sugar.

For comparison, same amount of sugar gets people drinking 3.5 liters of carbonated drinks or eats 450 grams of a variety of sweets daily, explain the authors of the scientific article. We add that, according to who recommendations, the rate for men is only 25 grams of sugar a day.

In the study, three experts evaluated the sperm motility of young volunteers: at the beginning, after the first week (during which they ate only healthy food) and at the end of the second (when the participants were consuming increased amounts of sugar).

Explain that the mobility of the germ cells is an important indicator of semen quality and fertility (ability to conceive offspring) men.

According to the authors, in the beginning third of the participants in the sperm motility were reduced. The percentage of men with “lazy sperm” is observed in the General population.

In the process of conducting the experiment, the scientists were surprised to find that the sperm motility of all participants were normalized (these figures were obtained after two weeks of the experiment).

“[Thus] we see clearly that food affects sperm motility, and these changes are associated with defined molecules [RNA]. Our study revealed rapid effects [change diet] and showed that the mobility of sex cells can change within just one to two weeks,” says study leader Anita est (Anita st) in a press release from the University.

However, scientists can not yet say with certainty whether this result with the consumption of sugar or with a healthy diet.

t hisperformance study of Anita ect.Photo Ulrik Svedin/Linkping University.

According to the findings, the power to directly influence the amount of RNA that is responsible for sperm motility. So, after two weeks of the experiment the number of these molecules in the semen of volunteers has increased significantly.

And the result of this scientific work is interesting primarily from the point of view of how sensitive was the sperm to changes in supply and how quickly “responded” to them.

a Group of Swedish scientists plans to continue their research in more detail and to explore the relationship between male fertility and the number of molecules of non-coding RNAS in sperm.

the researchers Also of Sweden plan to develop diagnostic methods to accurately determine the number of specialized RNA and to assess the semen quality, including in preparation for in vitro fertilization.

a Detailed description of the scientific works published in PLOS Biology open access.

Add that “News.Science” (nauka.vesti.ru) previously reported studies in which low sperm motility was associated with low chances (on the basis of this phenomenon even create a “molecular condom”).

we Also talked about the fact that obesity confers on the sperm of men thousands of mutations, a simple way to improve male reproductive health and how poor semen quality could trigger recurrent miscarriages in women.

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Text: To.Science