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This week (1/7/2020), a study that measured changes in fertility rates when men were given a daily supplement containing zinc (30 mg) and folic acid (5,000 mcg) for 6 months made the medical news round-up. This was a fairly large study with about 1800 couples whose male partners completed the 6-month trial of supplementation. The researchers found the zinc and folic acid combination did not increase the birth rates over those whose male partner only took a placebo. And in fact, according the the researchers, "Men taking the supplement combination also saw no difference in sperm quality parameters such as sperm count, movement, or formation. In fact, this group showed lower sperm quality due to greater sperm DNA fragmentation, the researchers reported in JAMA. Men in the supplementation group had an average of 29.7% DNA fragmentation, versus 27.2% in the placebo group (mean difference 2.4%, 95% CI 0.5%-4.4%)." The headline from MedPage Today: "Men: Forget the Zinc and Folic Acid to Boost Fertility" Furthermore, "A fertility specialist not involved in the study commented, When a patient has good nutrition, Drews said that "the idea of enhancing male or female fertility through the use of nutritional or vitamin supplements makes little teleological evolutionary sense."" Unfortunately, this headline and expert comment are highly misleading. The key question here is "how do we measure and ensure good nutrition?" Do we just throw darts at a board, as this study does? Do we give excessively high doses of a synthetic form of folic acid, which when taken by a women during pregnancy is linked to a higher risk of autism spectrum disorder in their children? This study makes so little sense and is on the verge of being unethical in its approach. I doubt they would every give women who is trying to conceive this type of one-size-fits all supplementation, but somehow it is okay for men because sperm is only half the equation? (sarcasm here). My advice: for couples who are considering improving the father's nutrition before conceiving, please do this with a professional's guidance who will consider your personalized needs. Every good functional health care practitioner would support this strategy. Here is the comment I posted on the MedPage today site: 'What evidence is there to support men needing 5 mg/day of folic acid, especially considering that most people consume more than adequate amounts from the enriched grain products they eat? Consider that this high dose will lead to measurable levels of unmetabolized folic acid in the body, with unknown and possibly negative consequences. This is another study that confuses the issue as it is a one-size-fits-all supplementation scheme. Many men may benefit from zinc supplementation if consuming a low intake of red meat and/or plant-based diet, and doses should ideally be tailored to their needs and supported by checking plasma zinc levels. Also, copper often needs to be supplemented along with zinc supplement in a 1:15 ratio. It is disappointing to see money wasted on research that as usual does not tailor repletion of nutrients to patients'actual needs. This is what experienced registered dietitians do every day with their patients, address shortfalls and excesses in the diet according to individual needs." Looking forward to seeing if anyone else expresses these same reservations about the study. https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/infertility/84250?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2020-01-08&eun=g270711d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Headlines%20Top%20Cat%20HeC%20%202020-01-08&utm_term=NL_Daily_DHE_dual-gmail-definition