Julie Morgan: Rethinking Micronutrients in Male Fertility Care
Julie Morgan, PhD Researcher at Centre for Reproductive Research, shared a post on LinkedIn about a paper by Aron Moazamian et al. published in Fertility and Sterility Science.
“70% of men going through IVF are taking supplements.
But how confident are we that they’re helping – and not quietly doing harm?
A recent study looked at four common micronutrients – vitamin C, zinc, folate, and carnitine – taken in doses often found in over-the-counter carnitine supplements.
In healthy animals, high doses caused sperm DNA damage and reduced pregnancy outcomes.
But in animals already under oxidative stress, the same supplements helped.
Yes, it’s mice – not men. But the biology is similar enough that the results are likely to apply to humans too, especially when it comes to how antioxidants work in the body.
Supplements aren’t neutral. Even the water-soluble ones. They can help – but only if they’re needed.
And yet many men, particularly in the IVF context, are taking them without testing, without guidance, and often without any clear indication.
This isn’t about telling people to stop. I think supplements absolutely have their place in fertility care.
But they shouldn’t be thrown in by default – or treated as harmless just because they’re ‘natural.’
I believe in testing – so we’re working with facts, not assumptions.
And just as importantly, in having those results interpreted by someone with the right clinical experience — not an influencer, not Google, and not ChatGPT.
If we’re serious about improving outcomes, we need to personalise care — and we need to work together. Urologists. Nurses. Counsellors. Nutritionists. We all have a role.
We can’t afford to keep treating male fertility as an afterthought.
Care needs to be connected – and that includes what goes in the supplement drawer.
Reference: Moazamian A., Hug E., Villeneuve P., Bravard S., Geurtsen R., Hallak J., Saez F., Aitken R.J., Gharagozloo P., and Drevet J.R. (2025). The dual nature of micronutrients on fertility: too much of a good thing? FandS Science, 6(3), 293–302”
Title: The dual nature of micronutrients on fertility: too much of a good thing?
Authors: Aron Moazamian, Elisa Hug, Pauline Villeneuve, Stéphanie Bravard, Richard Geurtsen, Jorge Hallak, Fabrice Saez, Robert John Aitken, Parviz Gharagozloo, Joël R. Drevet
Read the full article.
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