Oftentimes, the spotlight is on women’s health and fertility. Today, we are all about men’s sperm health and the kind of foods they should avoid to have healthy sperms and an enjoyable sex life.
Alcohol
Alcohol affects just about every aspect of male fertility – it reduces sex drive, throws reproductive hormones out of whack, decreases sperm count and reduces sperm quality. It can also result in reduced motility, abnormal morphology and higher rates of DNA fragmentation, as well as decreasing the chance of fertilization. While the occasional beer or glass of wine is relatively harmless and can still be enjoyed, it will be nice to exercise caution when drinking beyond this amount.
Common Pain Medications
Ibuprofen, a common anti-inflammatory, appears to decrease testosterone as well as causing reductions in motility, viability, count and DNA integrity, and therefore, fertilising capability. The effects also appear to be dose dependant, so the higher amounts of ibuprofen coupled with extended use caused greater issues than smaller doses taken occasionally or for short periods of time.
Paracetamol is another popular pain medication when used at high doses, can result in poorer motility, abnormal morphology, increased sperm DNA fragmentation, and an increased time to pregnancy. The effects on sperm quality may occur via different mechanisms – suppressing testosterone synthesis, inducing oxidative stress, causing sperm cell death among others.
Caffeine
Caffeine is known to have negative and neutral effects on male fertility. The majority of research showing inconclusive results, were studying the effects of caffeine in terms of coffee and tea. So good news, if you love indulging in a cup or two of tea or coffee each day, you don’t need to make any changes. But, if you’re drinking multiple cups a day, you’ll need to start limiting your daily caffeine intake to around 200mg (roughly 2 to 3 single espresso shots or 3 cups of tea).
When it comes to cola and caffeine-containing soft drinks, that’s another story. A huge amount of research has shown that caffeinated soft drinks are consistently linked with decreased semen volume, sperm count and concentration. So cut them out altogether if you can.
Processed Meat
Hey meat lovers, the focus here is on processed meat – things like sausages, salami, ham and bacon. Processed meat, especially processed red meat, has consistently shown quite a significant negative effect on sperm health. The research shows that men who consume higher amounts of processed meat can reduce their sperm count, motility and the percentage of normal morphology.
Alternative Sweeteners
If you’re currently trying to reduce your sugar intake, you might be inclined to use sugar-free sweeteners, drink diet-labelled soft drinks and/or opt for anything that says ‘no sugar’. While most of the research indicates that alternative sweeteners are generally safe for the majority of the population, consuming these can have adverse effects on fertility.
For women that are actively trying for a baby, research has shown that it can lead to problems in developing eggs, embryo development, implantation rate and chance of pregnancy. But when it comes to men, research isn’t quite as robust. Some studies however, found that alternative sweeteners can increase the rate of sperm DNA damage, significantly reduced sperm motility, reduced count, abnormal morphology and decreased testosterone.
