Olive Oil Treats Male Infertility by Lowering Cholesterol

Male Infertility

Cholesterol is a soft, fatty substance that comes from two main sources:

  1. The body itself (total blood cholesterol)
  2. The foods we eat (dietary cholesterol)

It is a lipid found in both the blood and body tissues, especially in the liver, pancreas, spinal cord and brain. When there is an increase in cholesterol in the blood, there is a greater likelihood that it will build up in the arteries, which can lead to cardiovascular and/or brain problems.

Types of Cholesterol

Although it is common when we say “I have cholesterol” or other cholesterol-related expressions, we are generally referring to one of the two types of cholesterol, when we should really distinguish them clearly:

  1. LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) is the so-called “bad cholesterol”, since an excess of it can accumulate as fat in the arteries, producing blood blockages and increasing the risk of heart and brain attacks.
  2. HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) refers to the “good cholesterol”, whose function is to redirect excess fat in the blood to the liver for elimination by the body. Therefore, high levels of HDL are associated with a lower risk of heart disease and vice versa.

Relationship between cholesterol and fertility

It is known that there is a close relationship between male fertility and changes in cholesterol metabolism, since the latter is necessary in the seminiferous tubules for the proliferation and differentiation of germ cells to sperm.

Due to this slowdown, an excess of LDL can cause changes in the normal cholesterol metabolism in the germ cells, affecting the essential processes of spermatogenesis or sperm production in the testicle.

Failures in any of these processes, such as training, can lead to an increase in the number of poor quality spermatozoa and thus decrease fertility in the male.

Olive Oil Fights cholesterol

Olive oil is the base oil of the Mediterranean diet and it is known that its consumption is very beneficial to health as it is the most important source of unsaturated fats that are indispensable for the body.

In addition, olive oil has a cardio-protective effect since it increases the levels of HDL, preventing the accumulation of cholesterol in the arteries. This is why the normal formation processes of spermatozoa will be favored, thus helping to preserve fertility in men. Virgin olive oil contains substances that prevent cell oxidation, such as hydroxytyrosol. In addition, it has an immuno protective capacity in the testicles, which helps to reduce abnormalities that lead to impaired fertility or male infertility,

To benefit from the excellent properties of olive oil, it is important to consume it raw.

There are studies that state that the consumption of olive oil triples the probabilities of achieving pregnancy in the in vitro fertilization treatments, due to its high content in monounsaturated fats and its low level in other fats harmful to health.

Finally, it should be noted that the consumption of olive oil also benefits fertility in women.

Author: Nilam

Nilam Author

This article has been written by Nilam Mehta and she is one of the owner of this site/blog.

Nilam has worked in Pharmaceutical industry and have studied – Lifestyle Medicine from Doane University; Science of Exercise from University of Colorado Boulder. She believes that many of health problems can be cured naturally.

You can reach her on [email protected]

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