Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39891278›Full record

ArticleBMC research notes2025

The association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and sperm quality parameters: a cross-sectional study.

Mitra Soltani, Mohammad Reza Ahmadi, Zainab Shateri, Zahra Maghsoudi, Milad Rajabzadeh-Dehkordi, Moein Askarpour, Amir Hossein Asadi, Mehran Nouri

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Article in BMC research notes, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Mitra SoltaniDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Reza AhmadiStudent Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Zainab ShateriDepartment of Nutrition and Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3725-6686
Zahra MaghsoudiIranian Social Security Organization, Isfahan Province Health Administration, Isfahan, Iran.
Milad Rajabzadeh-DehkordiStudent Research Committee, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Moein AskarpourStudent Research Committee, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Amir Hossein AsadiStudent Research Committee, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Mehran NouriInfertility and Reproductive Health Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran. mehran_nouri71@yahoo.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7031-3542

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile recent studies suggest a correlation between unhealthy dietary patterns, oxidative stress, inflammation, and male infertility, the potential association between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and male infertility remains underexplored. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the association between UPF intake and male infertility by evaluating sperm quality parameters.

methodsThe participants (n = 260) of the current cross-sectional study were recruited from an infertility center in Isfahan Province, Iran. Four semen parameters-such as total sperm motility, sperm concentration, sperm volume, and normal sperm morphology-were evaluated. Also, the participants' food intake was assessed using a validated 168-item food frequency questionnaire. Moreover, the NOVA system was employed to calculate the UPF index. The association between UPFs and sperm parameters was analyzed using logistic regression.

resultsIn the crude model, no significant associations were observed between the second and last tertiles of UPFs with abnormalities in sperm concentration, total motility, and morphology (p > 0.05 for all). However, after adjusting for age, marriage duration, body mass index, physical activity, depression, anxiety, stress, energy intake, cigarette history, and mineral and vitamin supplements, a significantly higher association was identified between the second tertile of UPFs and abnormalities in sperm concentration (odds ratio (OR) = 3.962, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.345-11.670, p = 0.013).

conclusionsIn conclusion, although the analysis did not find significant associations between UPF consumption and impaired sperm motility and morphology, it revealed significant trends linking higher UPF intake with lower sperm concentration. If future studies confirm these results, they could aid in designing interventional and preventive programs aimed at addressing infertility in men of reproductive age in the field of public health.

Indexed as

Fast FoodsInfertility, MaleSemen AnalysisSpermatozoaAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFood, ProcessedHumansIranMaleSperm CountSperm MotilityDietDietary patternsMale infertilityOxidative stressReproductive healthSperm qualityUltra-processed foods

Identifiers

PMID39891278
PMCPMC11786443

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.