Influence of Nutrition on Male Fertility and Reproductive Health System in Nigeria: Scoping A Review of Its Impacts, Successes, Challenges, Consequences, and Solutions.
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Background: Male infertility contributes substantially to the global burden of infertility, with nutritional factors increasingly recognized as modifiable determinants of semen quality and reproductive endocrine function. This scoping review examined the influence of nutrition on male fertility and the reproductive health system in Nigeria, mapping evidence on impacts, successes, challenges, consequences, and solutions. Objectives were to synthesize available literature, identify key themes, and propose context-specific recommendations. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a systematic search of PubMed, African Journals Online (AJOL), Scopus, Frontiers, BMC, and ScienceDirect, yielded seven studies meeting eligibility criteria: English-language human studies conducted in Nigeria that examined micronutrients, food contaminants, or nutritional status in relation to semen parameters, hormonal profiles, or male infertility. Data extraction and thematic synthesis were performed independently by two reviewers; risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Results: Results revealed consistent associations between poor nutritional status and impaired male reproductive health. Key themes included micronutrient deficiencies (zinc, selenium), dietary exposure to mycotoxins (aflatoxins), rising obesity-linked dietary shifts, and limited success with local antioxidant-rich plants. Challenges encompass food insecurity, aflatoxin contamination of staples, weak nutritional surveillance, and paucity of interventional trials. Consequences include declining sperm quality, increased idiopathic infertility, and socioeconomic strain on families. Solutions centre on dietary diversification, fortification, public education, and integration of nutrition into fertility services. Conclusion: In conclusion, nutrition exerts profound effects on male fertility in Nigeria; targeted, culturally congruent interventions are urgently required. Recommendations include national policies for aflatoxin control, routine micronutrient screening in infertility clinics, and community-based dietary education programmes. Future research should prioritize randomized trials of locally adapted nutritional interventions.
Source: Nutrimentum et Curae
Institution: University of Ibadan
Language: English
Subfield: Reproductive Medicine
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7217858564