Tomatoes May Boost Sperm Quality

To me there’s nothing very sexy about a can of Campbell’s soup, but researchers at Britain’s University of Portsmouth published results in the British Journal of Urology in 2007, that a very small study of men, average age 42, consumed Heinz cream of tomato soup every day for two weeks.

The level of lycopene in the men’s emen rose between seven and 12 percent, which is considered significant. Low level of lycopene in men are associated with infertility.

In another study, this time in New Delhi, researchers gave lycopene to 30 men, ages 23 to 45. All the men had at least one of the most common forms of male infertility: low sperm concentration, reduced sperm motility and abnormal sperm formation.

Sperm concentration rose in 67% of the individuals; motility in 73%, but sperm formation only 3%. These results support the argument that lycopene’s anti-oxident properties keep sperm from dying off.

BREAKING NEWS: I kid you not. At 9:28 this morning, June 5, 2009, LiveScience posted this article Antioxidants Boost Sperm Quality.

A study published online recently in the journal Fertility and Sterility discovered that men who ate antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables have better rates of sperm movement, ejaculate volume, and sperm concentration than those who ate diets heavy in meat and full-fat dairy foods.

The sexy health benefits of tomatoes — and this breaking news about antioxidants boosting sperm quality — confirm that my Love Potion mission is a noble one.