Table 1.
Active ingredients with evidence of efficacy, references, evaluated sperm parameters, employed daily doses and minimal effective dose (mED).
| Active Ingredients | References | Evaluated Sperm Parameters | Employed Daily Dose | Minimal Effective Dose (mED) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc | [13] * (Rev) | concentration | 50 mg | 50 mg |
| [14] * (RCT) | concentration | 66 mg | ||
| [15] * (RCT) | morphology | 66 mg | ||
| Selenium | [13] (Rev) | linear progression | 50 µg | 50 µg |
| [16] (Met) | concentration | 100 µg | ||
| [17] (RCT) | concentration/motility | 200 µg | ||
| Vitamin B12 | [18] (Rev) | count | 25 µg | 25 µg |
| [19] (RCT) | count | 1500 µg | ||
| [20] (RCT) | count | 6000 µg | ||
| Folic Acid | [21] (RCT) | count/motility | 400 µg | 400 µg |
| [22] (RCT) | volume/motility | 500 µg | ||
| [23] (Met) | DNA damage | 500 µg | ||
| L-Arginine | [24] (RCT) | progressive motility | 1.4 g | 1.4 g |
| [25] (RCT) | concentration/motility | 1.4 g | ||
| L-Citrulline | [26] (RCT) | volume/concentration motility/vitality |
1.2 g | 1.2 g |
| α-Lipoic Acid | [27] (RCT) | concentration/motility | 600 mg | 600 mg |
| [28] (Rev) | motility/morphology | 600 mg | ||
| L-Carnitine (LC/LAC) | [29] (RCT) | motility | 1 g | 1 g |
| [30] (RCT) | count/motility | 2 g | ||
| [31] (RCT) | concentration/motility | 2 g | ||
| [32] (Rev) | motility | 3 g | ||
| N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) | [33] (Rev) | motility/DNA damage | 600 mg | 600 mg |
| [34] (RCT) | motility/DNA damage | 600 mg | ||
| [17] (RCT) | motility/morphology | 600 mg | ||
| Coenzyme Q10 | [35] (RCT) | motility | 200 mg | 200 mg |
| [36] (RCT) | count/motility | 200 mg | ||
| [37] (RCT) | concentration/morphology | 300 mg | ||
| Astaxanthin | [38] (RCT) | motility | 16 mg | 16 mg |
| D-Aspartic Acid (DAA) | [39] (RCT) | count/motility | 2.7 g | 2.7 g |
| Tribulus Terrestris DE | [40] (RCT) | count/motility | 250 mg | 250 mg |
| [41] (RCT) | morphology/motility | 500 mg | ||
| [42] (Rev) | count/morphology | 6000 mg | ||
| Myoinositol | [43] (Rev) | motility | 2 g | 2 g |
| [44] (Rev) | concentration | 4 g | ||
| α-Tocopherol | [45] (RCT) | motility/DNA damage | 20 mg | 20 mg |
| [32] (Rev) | motility/morphology | 268.46 mg | ||
| [46] (RCT) | motility/lipid oxidation | 300 mg | ||
| [47] * (RCT) | DNA damage | 1000 mg | ||
| Vitamin C | [48] (RCT) | concentration/motility DNA damage |
0.5 g | 0.5 g |
| [49] (Rev) | 1 g | |||
| [47] (RCT) | 1 g | |||
| EPA + DHA EPA + DHA |
[50] (RCT) | concentration/motility | 0.72 g + 0.48 g | DHA 0.48 g |
| [51] (RCT) | DNA damage | 0.14 g + 1 g | ||
| Lycopene | [52] (RCT) | concentration/motility | 4 mg | 4 mg |
| [53] (Rev) | count/morphology | 8 mg |
* The employed dose exceeded/reach UL. LC: L-Carnitine; LAC: Acetyl L-Carnitine; EPA: Eicosapentaenoic acid; DE: Dry Extract; DHA: docosahexaenoic acid. Rev: Review; Met: Meta-analysis.