Antioxidants can help men become dads

DIETARY advice for couples trying to have a baby has long focused on women, but evidence is growing that men can do their bit to boost their chances.

DIETARY advice for couples trying to have a baby has long focused on women, but evidence is growing that men can do their bit to bolster their chances of becoming fathers.

Researchers who trawled through dozens of studies found that for couples who are having trouble getting pregnant the chances of conceiving can be vastly increased if men take antioxidant supplements.

The effect was pronounced, as 16 per cent of the couples whose men were given the supplements achieved a pregnancy, compared with just 3 per cent in a comparison group denied the treatment.

Live births were likewise more likely when men had taken the supplements, 15 per cent of couples in the treatment group becoming parents compared with 2 per cent of the controls.

However, the results, published in the Cochrane Library -- which describes itself as the world's most authoritative source of medical evidence -- are based on just 214 couples, leaving some uncertainty as to the true scale of the benefits.

The antioxidants involved included commonly available substances such as vitamin E, zinc, magnesium and L-carnitine, a naturally occurring compound used by the body in the breakdown of fats. The New Zealand and Australian researchers said the 34 studies they examined made no attempt to compare different antioxidants, and without further research it was impossible to say which substances had the strongest effect.

Antioxidants are thought to improve sperm quality by blocking the damage caused by a process called oxidative stress.