People have a lot of questions about omega 3 fish oil. I thought this was one of the most interesting ones I’ve ever seen. Until I did some research, I believed that the answer to the question, “Does omega 3 fish oil increase semen count?” would automatically be “No”. But what I found about the ongoing study on the relationship between increased consumption of omega 3 fish oils and semen count surprised me.

I use a database that publishes scientific research to try to answer questions about omega 3 fish oils and other health supplements. From what I can see, most of the research on omega 3 fish oil and semen production focuses on birds. Because? It seems that several types of birds (including chickens) have a decrease in sperm production at a very young age.

Nutritionists have known for some time that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the chicken we eat is much lower in indoor-raised birds than in free-range chickens. Keeping poultry indoors protects them from predators and diseases carried by wild birds, but a caged bird’s diet is quite different from that of a free-range bird. When raised outdoors, chickens eat worms, grasshoppers, and other insects in addition to their feed. Indoors, they exist primarily on a diet of corn, a diet lacking in long-chain, or omega-3, fatty acids.

So, to increase the fertility of poultry, researchers have honed in on the idea of ​​changing their feed to include omega-3 fish oils, the best-known source of long-chain fatty acids. The results were positive. In the poultry that received the new food, sperm count and sperm motility increased. In the study groups that received the new food along with vitamin E supplements (which is also found in the best omega 3 fish oils), the amount of semen produced, semen motility, and fertility rate increased in the birds. older women who normally had lower sperm counts and were mostly infertile.

So does omega 3 fish oil increase semen count and activity? Well, at least in chickens, it seems. But what does this mean for a man who has a low sperm count?

The most recent infertility studies have shown that spermatozoa are particularly susceptible to oxidative stress. To counteract the effects of oxidative stress throughout our bodies, we take antioxidants. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant. While vitamin E can be toxic at certain doses, the amount found in omega 3 fish oil supplements is safe for human consumption. So omega 3 fish oil might help increase semen count, but it might not. There are not enough studies to give a definitive answer.

The best advice is that omega 3 fish oils are the best way to add long chain fatty acids to our diet. The general health benefits of omega 3 fish oil supplements affect the heart, brain, skin, joints, digestive system, and eyes. Whether or not omega 3 fish oil can help increase sperm count remains to be seen, but there are many other good reasons to add it to your daily nutritional regimen. To learn more about omega 3 fish oils and how to shop for the safest supplements, visit the Fish Oil Guide.