Walnut is one of the best omega-3 sources that have a lot of health benefits for our body. A study found that consuming walnut can increase sperm’s vitality (living versus dead sperm), motility (how well they travel towards an egg), and morphology (shape and structure).
The study was conducted on 117 healthy American men in their 20s and 30s who ate a 75g packet of walnuts a day. But why 75 g? Other studies suggested that 75 g is enough to change lipid levels in the blood but it won’t make healthy young men gain weight.
About half of the men ate the 75 grams of walnuts each day for 12 weeks, while the other half ate a normal diet of Western-style food. The result showed that the men who ate the walnuts experienced improvement in their sperm quality, while those who didn’t eat the nuts showed no change. In addition, the researchers also found that men who ate the walnuts had increased levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This study was published in the Biology of Reproduction.
Walnuts are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are vital for sperm maturation and preservation of the membrane function around the cell, which in turn affects its ability to fertilize an egg. Other sources of PUFAs in the Western-style diet are fish, fish oil supplements, and flax seed. Walnuts also provide a rich source of linolenic acid (ALA), a natural plant source of omega-3.
However, the study only shows how walnut improves semen quality in healthy young men. Further research is needed to see whether the walnut consumption has the same effect in men with fertility problems and improves their chances of having a child
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