The research has revealed a link between high levels of the nutrient in men's diets and the genetic quality of sperm.

The researchers say men with the highest levels of folic acid had the lowest proportion of sperm harbouring genetic changes that can lead to Down's syndrome and miscarriages.

While the scientific case for women who are trying to conceive and folic acid is well established, the idea that diet can improve sperm quality is less well established.

The synthetic form of folate (a B vitamin) is essential for development and a deficiency during the early stages of pregnancy can lead to neural tube defects in the baby, including spina bifida.

Fertility experts say there is increasing evidence which suggests that dietary factors can affect sperm health but the best advice to men is to stop smoking, drink in moderation and eat a balanced diet.

For the study Professor Brenda Eskenazi an expert in Maternal and Child Health and Epidemiology at the University of California, Berkeley, specifically examined how micronutrients affect sperm quality.

They took sperm samples from 89 healthy, non-smoking men and asked detailed questions about diet and supplement intake and say there was an association between levels of folate in the diet and the numbers of sperm displaying aneuploidy - chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to failure to conceive and Down's syndrome.

The researchers say they found no consistent association between dietary zinc, vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene and sperm quality.

Professor Eskenazi suggests men trying to father a child should consider taking multivitamin supplements containing folate.

The current recommended daily intake (RDA) for men aged over 19 is 400 micrograms, and the researchers say if other studies confirm their findings then a possible intervention would be to increase the RDA for men considering becoming fathers for at least three months before trying to conceive, in order to reduce the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in their children.

The study is published in the reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction.

The Authors turned their attention on Mediterranean diet stressing the crucial difference between this kind of diet and the so called Western Diet, that is rich in fats and poor in fibres. The anthocyanins content of the traditional Mediterranean diet is much higher than that of the Western Diet, which might explain why the Mediterranean diet is cardioprotective says Michel de Lorgeril, cardiologist, head of the Grenoble group.

However promising these results appear to be, researchers go easy on them. The cellular mechanisms of the protection are not clearly determined yet- Toufektsian warns- Moreover, there may be differences between humans and rats, for example in terms of flavonoid absorption and metabolism.

Human volunteers are the target of another phase of the FLORA Project. The Research Laboratories of the Catholic University of Campobasso are studying the process of absorption and metabolism of anthocyanins from blood orange juice- one of the most generous sources of flavonoids- in human body. In this way researchers aim at evaluating how these compounds are absorbed by human body to play their beneficial effects.

Funded by the European Commission within the 6th framework program, the FLORA Project aims at gaining further evidence on the dynamics triggered by flavonoids, establishing a forefront in Europe for the study of association among these compounds and cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction and tumours. FLORA researchers are involved in the field of flavonoids contained in different vegetables, such as corn, tomatoes and an experimental plant called Arabidopsis. Oranges too are other protagonists of this study. They are rich in flavonoids and phenolics by their own nature. FLORA's oranges have something more: the amount of antioxidant has been enriched in order to optimize their natural beneficial effects. Moreover, these fruits are additive free and have been cultivated in full respect of healthy parameters. There is no risk of unexpected surprises but just a measured increase in terms of nutrition. Promoting health through a balanced and correct diet, in respect for different food tradition of European Countries, is the mission of FLORA.

moli-sani/