Key components in tomato could boost male fertility

The key nutrient that gives tomatoes their bright red colour could boost fertility in men, the Daily Mail reported, citing a recent study.

The research shows that lycopene could increase sperm count by up to 70 per cent.

The discovery will bring new hope to Britain’s one in six childless couples.

Now a leading support group for infertile people is embarking on a year-long survey to see if giving a daily high-lycopene supplement will lead to more pregnancies.

|Karen Veness, a spokeswoman for Britain’s Infertility Network, said: “We are really positive about these findings.

“They fit in with message we are trying to get out there, and we’re very keen to do an observational study to see if we can help men.

“There’s an assumption that infertility is a female issue because women are the ones who have the babies, but half the time it is down to problems with sperm function or quality.”

The report, which was published by the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, reviewed 12 studies by different groups around the world.

All of them showed that lycopene improved sperm count and swimming speed, and reduced the number of abnormal sperm.

Ashok Agarwal, director of the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Reproductive Medicine, who led the study, said it was part of a general pattern showing lycopene benefited men’s reproductive organs.

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