Antioxidant supplement improves sperm quality and pregnancy outcomes, research suggests

The double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial found significant improvements in pregnancy outcomes after three months of oral antioxidant treatment (Fertilis​) in male participants, likely attributed to a reduction in sperm DNA damage, particularly in terms of sperm DNA fragmentation.

The authors from France and Tunisia conclude: “Our study recommendation is to undergo six months of [oral antioxidant] treatment to improve conventional semen parameters and chromatin quality.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 17–20% of couples experience difficulty conceiving​. 

In 20-30% of cases​, infertility can be attributed solely to male fertility, which can be affected by lifestyle​, endocrine disruptors​, and paternal age​.

The male reproductive system is reportedly vulnerable to oxidative stress​.

Research has shown​ that oxidative stress can lead to protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation, sperm DNA damage, and impaired sperm fertilising ability.

It has also been shown to cause semen quality decline​, including sperm motility (asthenozoospermia), reduced sperm count (oligospermia), and abnormal sperm morphology (teratozoospermia).

Previous studies have demonstrated​ that infertile men exhibit elevated levels of oxidative stress markers, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), lipid peroxidation products, and reduced antioxidant capacity in their semen and reproductive tissues.

Therefore, antioxidant therapies have been explored​ to reduce the damage of oxidative stress on male fertility, with one showing that administering antioxidant treatment to men​ with low fertilisation rates in their previous intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles could potentially have a positive impact on the reproductive potential of their sperm.