The Association between Dietary Patterns and Semen Quality in a General Asian Population of 7282 Males

OBJECTIVE To explore the associations between different dietary patterns and semen quality in a general Asian male population. METHODS Cross-sectional study. Healthy Taiwanese men aged 18 years or older who participated in a standard medical screening program from 2008-2013 run by a private firm were included in this study. Semen parameters including sperm concentration (SC), total sperm motility (TSM), progressive motility (PRM) and normal sperm morphology (NSM) were recorded. A dietary questionnaire was used to categorize the participants into 5 groups: "Healthy diet", "Western diet", "High-carbohydrate diet", "High sweet snacks & sugar-sweetened drinks" and "High-sodium diet". RESULTS A total of 7282 men completed the questionnaire regarding dietary pattern, and examination of anthropometric indexes was performed and laboratory data were obtained. A high intake of a "Western diet" resulted in statistically linear declines of SC and NSM (P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). Similarly, a greater intake of "High sweet snacks & sugar-sweetened drinks" was associated with a lower SC (P = 0.001). Increased intake of a "High-carbohydrate diet" was related to higher prevalences of abnormal TSM and PRM (P = 0.012 and P = 0.025). Similarly, a greater intake of a "High-sodium diet" was correlated with an elevated prevalence of abnormal NSM (P = 0.035). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that a greater intake of a "Western diet" is associated with poorer SC and NSM, a "High sweet snacks and sugar-sweetened drinks" intake is correlated with a lower SC, and high-carbohydrate food is related to elevated prevalences of abnormal TSM and PRM.