It is already known that occupational and environmental exposure to pesticides is associated with lower semen quality but if the same is true for exposure through diet is unknown yet.

A study published by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Boston) evaluated the relation between intake of fruits and vegetables with high levels of pesticide residues and lower semen quality among men presenting to a fertility clinic. According to the results obtained, high pesticide residue fruit and vegetable intake was inversely associated with total sperm count, ejaculate volume and percentage of morphologically normal sperm, whereas intake of low-to-moderate pesticide residue fruits and vegetables was related to a higher percentage of morphologically normal sperm.

It is important to point out that previous studies have evaluated the relation between organic food consumption and semen quality and have found that men who consumed organic diets had a better semen quality than men who consumed conventional fruits.