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Male fertility

Ultra-processed food affects male fertility parameters

Nature Reviews Urology (2025)Cite this article

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Results of a controlled nutrition trial have shown that consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) adversely affects sperm quality and reduces follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and circulating testosterone levels.

In this randomized, controlled, dual-armed 2 × 2 crossover-design trial, 43 men received either an ultra-processed diet or an unprocessed diet for 3 weeks at calorically adequate or excess quantities, with a wash-out period between the respective interventions. In the UPF diet, an average of 77% of calories came from UPFs and 5.5% from unprocessed foods. This diet was formulated to reflect a typical ultra-processed diet, with elevated levels of saturated fat, cholesterol, refined grains, added sugars and dairy products and relatively low amounts of fibre. In the unprocessed diet, 1% of energy came from UPFs and 66% from unprocessed foods. To isolate the specific effects of UPF consumption from those of caloric intake, men received a fixed equal quantity of total calories from both diets.

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  1. Nature Reviews Urology http://www.nature.com/nrurol/

    Louise Lloyd

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  1. Louise Lloyd
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Correspondence to Louise Lloyd.

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Lloyd, L. Ultra-processed food affects male fertility parameters. Nat Rev Urol (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-025-01103-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-025-01103-w

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