Saturday July 12, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- A study reported in Bangladesh Journal of Medical Biochemistry suggests that taking glutathione (GSH) as a dietary supplement may help male infertility.

Glutathione is a tripeptide that as an antioxidant prevents cellular damage caused by reactive oxygen species such as free radicals and peroxides.  The level of this antioxidant indicates the oxidative stress.

For the study, researchers compared 31 infertile men and 30 age-matched fertile men for semen quality including semen volume, sperm count, motility and morphology, and erythrocyte and seminal plasma glutathione concentrations.

Semen volume and sperm count, which are important measures for male fertility, was found significantly lower in infertile men, compared with fertile men.  Men with low sperm count and semen volume have been known to be more likely infertile.  

Additionally, the study found more infertile men had abnormal sperm motility and morphology, compared with healthy men.

Interestingly, the erythrocyte GSH levels in both groups of men were similar, 12.6 mg/grams of Hb in infertile men versus 13.9 mg/gram of Hb in fertile men whereas the seminal concentration was found significantly lower in infertile men, compared with the seminal glutathione level in healthy men, 1.64 versus 4.26 mg/dl, respectively.

The researchers concluded "This finding indicates that low level of seminal plasma GSH (glutathione) level may be associated with male infertility."

The study did not prove that taking glutathione can actually help infertile men.  However, those who have the condition may give it a try to see if this dietary supplement may help them.  

One should be aware that glutathione is not well absorbed and therefore, it is generally difficult to raise GSH levels through direct supplementation in a dose of up to 3 grams per day.

One more effective way to raise glutathione levels is to eat cysteine rich foods or take cysteine as a dietary supplement.  Cysteine is a sulfur compound that can be used to synthesize glutathione in vivo.

Also, calcitriol, an active metabolite of vitamin D synthesized in the kidney may help increase glutathione levels and at least studies have proved that calcitriol increases GSH levels in the brain.  So taking vitamin D may also help infertility.

Other foods and supplements that may help increase GSH levels include those with high level of sulfur-containing amino acids such as eggs, garlic, onions glutathione precursors such as N-acetyl-cystine, which has been used by AIDS patients to boost their glutathione levels.

Foods that may also help raise glutathione levels include cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower, avocados, peaches, watermelon, billbery extracts, cinnamon, cardamom, curcumin and alpha lipoic acid (ALA), which is found in spinach, broccoli, peas, Brussels sprouts and rice bran.

Low glutathione has been associated with many health conditions. Male infertility is only one of them. (reporting by David Liu, PHD)