The effect of micronutrient supplementation on serum anti-Mullerian hormone levels: a retrospective pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The anti-Müllerian-hormone (AMH) is secreted by the granulosa cells of the oocytes and can be used as a marker of the ovarian reserve; helpful to estimate female fertility or the menopause onset. Although various factors may influence AMH levels, the correlation with nutritional factors needs more research. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a micronutrient supplementation on female AMH levels. METHODS: This retrospective analysis includes a total of 244 women, who attended the Karl Landsteiner Institute, Korneuburg, Austria from January 2013 to June 2019 due to an unfulfilled desire for a child. All women were treated with an oral micronutrient preparation consisting the dosage of one soft capsule and one tablet per day for 3 months. The soft capsule contains omega-3 fatty acids and the tablet is a standardized combination of coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, folic acid, selenium, catechins from green tea extract, and glycyrrhizin from licorice extract. Serum AMH levels before and after 3 months were compared. In addition, available clinical data such as ovulation frequency, endometrium thickness, and luteal phase duration were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the women was 37.3 ± 1.8 years, the mean body mass index of 24.3 ± 4.6 k/m2. The mean serum AMH levels and endometrial thickness values were significantly higher after micronutrient supplementation as compared to baseline (1.42 ± 0.86 versus 1.86 ± 0.82 ng/mL and 6.10 ± 1.76 versus 7.29 ± 1.65 mm, respectively). In addition, ovulation frequency and luteal phase duration significantly improved in more than 60%. CONCLUSION: Proposed micronutrient supplementation had a positive effect on serum AMH levels, endometrial thickness, ovulation frequency, and luteal phase duration. It could be a simple, risk-free therapeutic option to improve female fertility. More research is warranted to prove this effect.

Recovery of sperm quality after COVID-19 disease in male adults under the influence of a micronutrient combination: A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a standard micronutrient preparation to improve semen parameters and seminal oxidative stress in adult male subjects after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease. METHODS: For this prospective pilot study, 30 males aged 20-50 years who had recently recovered from a symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection were recruited from June to October 2021 through a public call for participation. Participants of the study group (n = 30) received two semen analyses according to WHO criteria at an interval of 12 weeks, during which they daily received a micronutrient preparation (L-carnitine, L-arginine, coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, zinc, folic acid, glutathione and selenium). Changes in major semen variables and seminal oxidative stress levels before and after therapy were analyzed and compared to a control group (n = 10) adhering to the same inclusion criteria, including subjects who recently recovered from symptomatic COVID-19 disease without micronutrient supplementation within the 12 weeks between the two semen analyses. RESULTS: After 3 months of micronutrient supplementation the rate of normal semen analysis results in the study group increased significantly (p = 0.009) by 66.7%: from 50.0% before to 83.3% after therapy. There was a significant increase in progressive (p = 0.014) and overall motility (p = 0.05) as well as in the vitality (p = 0.0004) of semen cells after 12 weeks of micronutrient intake. In the control group there were no significant changes in any semen parameter or in the rate of normal semen analysis results over the 3-month observation period. In both groups, sperm density, morphology and oxidative stress did not improve significantly. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that supplementation of certain micronutrients may be a safe way to support recovery of impaired semen parameters in male adults recovered from COVID-19 disease.