My wife and I are trying for a baby. Can my diet affect my fertility or the quality of my sperm?
Jim Holmes, Merseyside

Definitely. It’s just as important for you to eat a good diet while trying to conceive as it is for your wife. Research shows that poor eating habits and drinking too much alcohol can lower the quality and quantity of sperm, making conception more difficult.

For healthy sperm you need good intakes of vitamin C (found in fruit and vegetables), vitamin E (found in wholegrains, nuts and seeds) and betacarotene (found in red, orange and yellow fruit and veg). Make sure you increase your zinc intake because zinc deficiency can reduce semen volume and testosterone levels. Good sources of zinc include lean minced beef, baked beans and dark chicken meat.