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A new study has revealed that eating 75 grams of walnuts a day could improve the vitality, motility and morphology of sperm in healthy men aged between 21 and 35. 

Previous studies have suggested that human semen quality has gown down in industrialized nations, perhaps, due to pollution, poor lifestyle or because of the increasingly intake of junk food or Western-style diet. 

The new study was undertaken by Dr. Wendie Robbins and her colleagues at the University of California, Los Angeles, to examine whether increasing polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), critical for sperm maturation and membrane function, played a role in increasing sperm quality in men consuming the Western-style diet, Medical Xpress reported. 

Walnuts, fish, fish oil and flax seeds are some of the best sources of dietary PUFAs in the Western-style diet.

For the study, the researchers selected 117 healthy men between the ages of 21 and 35 who ate the Western-style diet. The participants were divided into two groups of 58 men (who would avoid eating tree nuts) and 59 men (who would eat 75 grams of walnuts per day).

There are studies conducted previously which have indicated that a dosage of 75 grams of walnuts could change blood lipid levels in healthy young men while not making them gain weight.

The semen quality of men was analyzed according to conventional methods of assessing male fertility at the beginning of the experiment and again 12 weeks later. 

It was found that after 12 weeks there was no significant change in the BMI, body weight, or activity level in either of the two groups. 

However, the men consuming walnuts were found to have improvement in sperm vitality, motility, and morphology and fewer chromosomal abnormalities.  

The research shows that consuming 75 grams of walnuts per day can positively affect a young man's sperm quality. However, it is unknown if it will help men with fertility problems.

Approximately 70 million couples experience sub-fertility or infertility worldwide, with 30 to 50 percent of these cases attributable to the male partner, the report has said.