Poor diet may worsen genetic causes of male infertility, study finds

This new research, published in Human Reproduction, suggests that poor diet may worsen the effects of genetic causes of male infertility. University of Melbourne researchers studied a mouse model with defects in the M1AP gene, which is a common cause of male infertility in humans. They found that both the genetic mutation and a Western-style diet high in fat and sugar independently reduced fertility.

However, when both factors were combined, fertility outcomes were significantly worse than with either factor alone. Mice exposed to both the genetic and dietary challenge produced fewer offspring and had lower quality sperm than those exposed to either factor alone. The study's lead author, Dr. Jessica Dunleavy, notes that this proof-of-concept study indicates that lifestyle factors such as diet may contribute to the variability in fertility severity among men carrying similar genetic mutations.

While the research was conducted in mice, the researchers suggest that similar interactions between genetic susceptibility and lifestyle factors could occur in humans. They emphasize the need for further studies to confirm these findings in humans.