Genetic evidence for the correlation between relative nutrient intake and male reproductive health: a Mendelian randomized study.

BACKGROUND

The relationship between the composition of dietary macronutrient intake and male reproductive health (MRH) has been a topic of interest in public health. This study aimed to evaluate the causal effects of dietary macronutrient composition on MRH.

METHODS

Data on the four relative macronutrients intake and seven MRH outcomes were obtained from large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and FinnGen Biobank. Multiple MR (Mendelian Randomization) methods were utilized in our study, including inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted median (WM), and MR-pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO).

RESULTS

Our results revealed that a higher relative intake of carbohydrates (RC) was associated with a reduced risk of erectile dysfunction [OR = 0.43; CI = 0.18-1.00; p = 0.0049]. Additionally, a higher relative intake of fat was observed to be a risk factor for abnormal spermatozoa [OR = 19.98; CI = 1.16-345.25; p = 0.039]. The relative intake of sugar (RS) was positively correlated with levels of bioavailable testosterone [OR = 1.23; CI = 1.03-1.47; p = 0.022].

CONCLUSION

These findings contribute to the evidence of a causal relationship between four relative macronutrients intake and MRH. However, further confirmation of these causal effects through clinical trials is warranted.