Folate may boost male fertility

Folate, a vitamin found naturally in leafy green vegetables, may help men make healthier sperm, a new study shows. The importance of folate was established after several studies recognized that pregnant women who took the vitamin were less likely to have babies with neural tube defects. While folate remains a standard part of the diet for women readying to conceive, the role of the vitamin in the diets of fathers has been unclear. Researchers, including co-investigator Brenda Eskenazi from the University of California Berkeley's Public School of Health, decided to investigate how folate might affect sperm. Folate is a key ingredient in making DNA, RNA, and protein: the essential machinery for running cells - including the sperm. After surveying 97 non-smoking men who had no prior history of fertility problems, they found that men who had the highest intake of the vitamin had nearly a 20 percent reduction in the number of abnormal sperm. "If these results hold up in large studies," Eskenazi said, "one day we may be recommending folate for men as well."

BOTTOM LINE: Men who take higher doses of folate make healthier sperm - potentially reducing the chances of miscarriage or genetic problems in the baby.

CAUTIONS: "We can't be sure that folate is solely responsible for the decreased number of abnormalities," Eskenazi said, since men who eat higher folate may have an overall better diet.

WHAT'S NEXT: A randomized control trial is necessary to evaluate the possible role of folate in reducing genetic abnormalities in sperm.

WHERE TO FIND IT: The Journal of Human Reproduction, March 19.

SUSHRUT JANGI

Astronomers have found evidence of organic molecules in the atmosphere of a planet outside our solar system, findings that could aid scientists in the search for life on distant worlds. Researchers used the Hubble Space Telescope and a device called a spectrometer to study wavelengths of light emitted from a planet 63 light-years from Earth in the constellation Vulpecula. They discovered evidence of methane and water, which under certain conditions and when combined with certain other organic compounds, can form the basic building blocks of life. The planet under study, HD 189733b, orbits its star closely, resulting in temperatures far too high to host life. However, the process used in this study could be used to detect organic molecules on cooler, more habitable planets beyond our solar system, said Mark Swain, lead author and a scientist with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "This is a dress rehearsal for future searches for life on more hospitable exoplanets," Swain said. So far, scientists have discovered 277 exoplanets the name for planets outside our solar system. A number of factors make studying the biochemical makeup of these worlds difficult, including their distance from Earth and the light emitted by the star at the center of their universe. "It's like trying to see a firefly next to a car headlight," Swain said. HD 189733b makes a good study target because the planet eclipses its star as seen from earth. When the light dims, scientists can capture precise information about wavelengths emitted by molecules in the planet's atmosphere.

BOTTOM LINE: Scientists have discovered the first evidence of organic molecules on a planet outside the Earth's solar system.

CAUTIONS: Though methane can have a role in the creation of life, Swain says the methane on this exoplanet is not evidence of life on HD 189733b.

WHAT'S NEXT: The study did not offer details on carbon monoxide levels on the planet, something the scientists are now studying to get a better idea of the planet's atmosphere.

WHERE TO FIND IT: Nature, March 20.

KELLI WHITLOCK BURTON