Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42375771›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in nutrition2026

Impact of antioxidant and micronutrient intake on varicocele-associated infertility: a retrospective analysis.

Dian Fu, Xiaowen Tan, Zhigang Zheng, Xiaoming Yi, Changjie Shi, Ding Wu, Wei Zhang, Haowei He, Xuejun Shang

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

9 authors.

Dian Fu *Department of Urology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Xiaowen Tan *Department of Urology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Zhigang ZhengFuxing Road Outpatient Department, Jingnan Medical District of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Nanjing, China.
Xiaoming YiDepartment of Urology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Changjie ShiDepartment of Urology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Ding WuDepartment of Urology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Wei ZhangDepartment of Urology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Haowei HeDepartment of Urology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Xuejun ShangDepartment of Urology, Nanjing Jinling Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Varicocele is a leading cause of male infertility, primarily due to oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dietary intake of antioxidants and micronutrients and semen quality in men with varicocele-related infertility. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 380 men between January 2018 and December 2023. Dietary intake of Vitamin C, E, Zinc, Selenium, CoQ10, and L-carnitine was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Semen parameters and DNA Fragmentation Index (DFI) were compared among intake tertiles (T1-T3) using ANOVA and multivariable linear regression, with adjustments for age, BMI, and smoking status. Results: A higher intake of antioxidants (T3) was found to be significantly associated with increased sperm concentration (38.79 vs. 33.70 million/ml, Conclusion: The findings consistently show that higher intake of certain micronutrients is linked to better semen quality and lower DNA damage in men with varicocele. This underscores the importance of optimizing nutrition as a crucial approach in addressing infertility related to varicocele.

Indexed as

antioxidantsinfertilitymicronutrientsnutritionvaricocele

Identifiers

PMID42375771
PMCPMC13312811

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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 OpenQuestion graph.