Sheffield fertility study tests new tomato-based supplement

Lycopene is a compound found in tomatoes which has previously been linked to improving male fertility

Scientists are testing a tomato-based diet supplement to see how it affects sperm in men with fertility issues.

Previous studies at the University of Sheffield found that lycopene, a compound found in cooked tomatoes, can improve sperm quality in healthy men.

Jessop Fertility at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has now teamed up with the university to study the impact on men using fertility clinics.

It "could transform the outlook for men with fertility problems", experts say.

The earlier research showed that healthy men taking a dietary supplement of LactoLycopene had almost 40% more fast- swimming sperm with improvements to sperm size and shape, the university said.

The new 12-week pilot study will involve 80 volunteers, aged 18 to 50, recruited from Jessop Fertility, which provides a range of fertility treatments to NHS and self-funded patients.

Half will take LactoLycopene supplements and the other half will take a placebo every day.

'Exciting' research

The study is being led by Allan Pacey, Professor of Andrology at the University of Sheffield and Dr Liz Williams, Senior Lecturer in Human Nutrition at the University of Sheffield in conjunction with researchers at the Jessop Fertility Clinic and others.

Prof Pacey said: "It's currently estimated that impaired testicular function contributes to around 50% of all cases of heterosexual infertility.

"One key cause of poor sperm quality is an increase in oxidative stress and we want to see if LactoLycopene can increase sperm quality for those men and whether it can help couples avoid invasive fertility treatments."

Lycopene can be found in some fruits and vegetables, but the main source in the diet is from tomatoes.

It is the pigment that gives tomatoes their red colour, however it is poorly absorbed by the body so a commercial version LactoLycopene will be used.

Prof Pacey said work so far had not investigated the mechanism for lycopene's beneficial action, but it was a known powerful antioxidant, so potentially inhibited the damage caused by oxidation to sperm which is a known cause of male fertility problems.

Mr Jonathan Skull, clinical head of assisted conception at Jessop Fertility and consultant in reproductive medicine at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said it was "exciting" to be working with the university on "innovative research looking at whether this food supplement could help to improve men's fertility".