Happy Sperm.

You may not immediately think 'happy sperm' when you look at a tomato but if you're on a fertility journey you'll know that these beauties are potentially good for boosting those swimmers. Welcome to the club of never being able to look at a tomato in the same way again...⁠

So, what's the big deal with tomatoes and sperm? ⁠ The pigment that gives these gorgeous specimens from Queen's Park Farmer's Market is a phytonutrient called lycopene and is (supposedly) the secret to sperm superpowers. ⁠

A 2019 study in the European Journal of Nutrition focused on 60 healthy men over a period of 12 weeks using a bioavailable supplement form of lycopene. The study found that while sperm concentration didn't increase, the proportion of fast moving sperm improved significantly. It's worth noting that the impact on pregnancy and live birth rate is unknown as this wasn't part of the study but hey, who doesn't want potentially faster swimmers?!⁠

A 2017 study of male infertility patients found that the men that were given lycopene in the form of tomato juice, every day for 12 weeks, saw an increase in sperm motility. Virgin Mary anyone? ⁠

Just eating tomatoes (and mainlining a load of other junk food) won't help improve sperm quality on their own though. Remember, it's all about eating a rainbow of fruit and vegetables with good whole foods that are going to make a difference to those boys 3 months down the line.

References⁠

Williams, E.A., Parker, M., Robinson, A. et al. A randomized placebo-controlled trial to investigate the effect of lactolycopene on semen quality in healthy males. Eur J Nutr 59, 825–833 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-019-02091-5⁠ ⁠

Yamamoto Y, Aizawa K, Furui K, et al. The effects of tomato juice on male infertility. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jan;26(1):65-71.doi:10.6133/apjcn.102015.167.