Millets National Media Portal
Millets National Media Portal
Pearl millet is the most beneficial millet for male fertility, providing zinc (>3 mg/100g), selenium, and vitamin E — three nutrients with the strongest evidence base for supporting sperm health and testosterone production. Zinc is essential for spermatogenesis (sperm production), testosterone synthesis in Leydig cells, and the structural integrity of sperm DNA. Selenium supports glutathione peroxidase activity in sperm cells, protecting sperm from oxidative DNA damage that causes infertility. Vitamin E in pearl millet protects sperm cell membranes from lipid peroxidation — a major cause of poor sperm motility. A clinical study referenced in PMC (2023) found that zinc and antioxidant supplementation equivalent to that found in pearl millet significantly improved sperm count by 74% and motility by 52% in subfertile men.
Key Points
Zinc (>3 mg/100g in pearl millet) is essential for testosterone synthesis, spermatogenesis, and sperm DNA integrity
Selenium in millets activates sperm glutathione peroxidase, protecting sperm from oxidative DNA fragmentation
Vitamin E in pearl millet protects sperm plasma membranes from lipid peroxidation, preserving sperm motility
Polyphenolic antioxidants reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in seminal plasma — the leading cause of male factor infertility
Low GI and anti-obesity effects of millets reduce adipose-derived estrogen conversion that suppresses testosterone in overweight men
Evidence Base
PMC (2023) male reproductive nutrition review and Frontiers in Nutrition (2022) confirm that zinc, selenium, and vitamin E — predominantly found in pearl millet — are the three most evidence-backed nutrients for improving sperm parameters in subfertile men.
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