Male Fertility Supplements: Do They Actually Work? Here’s What the Latest Research Says
Dietary supplements for male fertility are everywhere—promising to boost sperm health, improve your chances of conception, and support overall reproductive wellness. But do they actually work?
A major new study published in Nutrients (2025), titled “The Effect of Dietary Supplements on Male Infertility in Terms of Pregnancy, Live Birth, and Sperm Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis,” offers one of the most thorough answers yet.
Researchers reviewed 50 high-quality randomized controlled trials, focusing on supplements taken for at least 12 weeks, to evaluate their effects not just on sperm—but on real-world outcomes like pregnancy.
This is what they found—and what it means for you.
Can Supplements Improve Fertility?
This review analyzed 3,137 studies and narrowed them down to the 50 most relevant and rigorous trials. The primary outcomes were pregnancy, while secondary outcomes included:
- Sperm concentration
- Total sperm count
- Total motility
- Progressive motility
- Morphology (normal sperm shape)
- DNA fragmentation index (DFI)
Researchers used strict tools to assess bias and certainty (RoB2 and GRADE), and all data was meta-analyzed using validated statistical methods.
No Proven Benefit for Pregnancy or Live Birth
Let’s start with the most important finding: none of the supplements studied showed a convincing effect on pregnancy or live birth rates.
That includes popular choices like zinc, folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, CoQ10, and vitamin D.
While some supplements improved individual sperm parameters (more on that below), there’s still no strong evidence that this translates into better chances of conceiving or having a baby.
Some Supplements May Improve Sperm Parameters
Although the clinical outcomes weren’t significant, some supplements did improve specific sperm metrics, which could be meaningful in certain contexts—especially for men with borderline or poor baseline sperm health.
- Zinc + Folic Acid: Helped improve sperm concentration.
- Selenium, L-carnitine, and Coenzyme Q10: Each improved sperm motility (how well sperm swim).
- Alpha-lipoic acid: Improved normal sperm morphology (shape).
These changes could potentially support fertility in men with specific sperm abnormalities, but again, there’s no proof they increase pregnancy or live birth outcomes.
❌ What Didn’t Work at All
Some well-known supplements showed no improvement in sperm parameters at all:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Omega-3 fatty acids
These are often included in male fertility supplements, but this review found no measurable benefit for sperm count, motility, morphology, or DNA quality.
⚠️ What About Study Quality?
One of the key takeaways from this review was that the quality of evidence was generally low or very low, and many studies had a high risk of bias. That means the results—even the positive ones—should be interpreted with caution e.g., many trials were small and some used unclear or non-standard supplement formulations.
Dr Hunt on What This Means for You
“This review gives us a much-needed reality check. While supplements like zinc, carnitine, and CoQ10 might improve sperm quality on paper, there’s still no strong evidence that any supplement improves your actual chances of pregnancy or birth. That doesn’t mean they’re useless—but it does mean they shouldn’t be your only strategy. Focus on the basics: a nutrient-rich diet, good sleep, stress reduction, and avoiding smoking and alcohol.
And remember: sperm take over two months to develop, so any intervention—nutritional or otherwise—requires patience and consistency.”