Men’s Health: Dos & Don’t Of Diet For Better Fertility In Men

This article is a repost which originally appeared on DOCTOR NDTV

Edited for content. The opinions expressed in this article may not reflect the opinions of this site’s editors, staff or members.

The ability of a person to reproduce naturally is referred to as fertility. When a man’s chances of getting his female spouse pregnant are poor, this is known as male infertility. Usually, it depends on how good his sperm cells are. Infertility can sometimes be related to sexual function, and it can also occasionally be related to the quality of the semen.

Male fertility really depends on a healthy sperm count. Sperm count can be affected by a variety of elements, such as nutrition and way of life. You can increase sperm count and overall fertility by incorporating particular nutrients into your diet. We’ll look at some fundamental dos and don’ts that have been demonstrated to have an impact on sperm count below.

Dietary do’s & don’ts to boost fertility in men:

Do’s

  1. Eat a balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
  2. You certainly already know that vitamin C can strengthen the immune system. According to some research, consuming antioxidants like vitamin C may increase fertility.
  3. Cut back on processed and fast food, as they contain high levels of unhealthy fats, sugars, and artificial additives that can negatively impact fertility.
  4. Increase your intake of antioxidants such as vitamin E, and selenium, as they can help protect sperm from damage.
  5. Fertility in both men and women can benefit from vitamin D. Another vitamin that might raise testosterone levels is this one. Men who were vitamin D deficient had a higher likelihood of having low testosterone levels, according to one observational study.
  6. Fenugreek is an appreciated herb for both cooking and medicine. Supplements containing fenugreek have been demonstrated to considerably raise testosterone levels.
  7. One of the foundational elements of male fertility is getting adequate zinc. Additionally, taking zinc supplements may prevent the lower testosterone levels linked to overdoing it on high-intensity exercise.
  8. Ashwagandha is a herb used for medical purposes which can be added to your diet. According to studies, ashwagandha may increase testosterone levels, hence enhancing male fertility.

Don’ts

  1. Avoid or limit foods that are high in saturated and trans fats, such as red meat, fried foods, and baked goods, as they can decrease sperm count and motility.
  2. Reduce intake of soy products. Soy is abundant in isoflavones which causes an oestrogenic effect that drops the levels of testosterone.
  3. Avoiding consuming predator fish such as tuna and swordfish. These fish are high in mercury which can negatively affect our reproductive health and lead to fertility issues.
  4. Reduce your caffeine intake, as high levels can negatively impact sperm quality.
  5. Avoid or limit alcohol intake, as excessive consumption can decrease testosterone levels and impair sperm production.
  6. Avoid smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke, as they can damage sperm DNA and decrease sperm count.
  7. Don’t skip meals, as it can negatively affect hormone levels and overall sperm health.
  8. Foods in cans and tins are lined with a substance called bisphenol (BPA). Since bisphenol mimics oestrogen in the human body, it can have consequences akin to too much soy.

Follow these dietary dos and don’ts to improve your fertility and increase your chances of conceiving.

 

Human sperm count dwindling, penis shrinking at alarming rate, scientist warns

Human sperm count dwindling, penis shrinking at alarming rate, scientist warns

This article is a repost which originally appeared on

Edited for content

Amid the many global problems we are facing today, one of humanity’s biggest issues comes relatively unnoticed: the decline in reproductive health, especially for males.

Specifically, the sperm count of males in the West has significantly decreased by 59% between 1973 and 2011 due to chemicals found in everyday items, a study co-authored by Dr. Shanna Swan in 2017 has found.

In the study, which has been making headlines around the globe, scientists noted that sperm count is of considerable public health importance for several reasons including the decline of male fertility and the rise of other health issues, such as testicular cancer.

“If you look at the curve on sperm count and project it forward—which is always risky—it reaches zero in 2045,” Swan said in her new book titled “Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race,” as cited by Axios on Feb. 24.

In the book, Swan also noted that aside from the decline in sperm count, penis size and testes volume have been decreasing among humans in the past few decades.

“The current state of reproductive affairs can’t continue much longer without threatening human survival,” Swan writes in the book.

Swan has since doubled down on her warning via Scientific American on March 16, where she co-wrote with Stacey Colino that the decline in reproductive health is happening to females as well.

They found that reproductive problems in males have been increasing by 1 percent every year, while the miscarriage rate for females in the United States is also increasing by 1 percent annually.

Swan and Colino noted that while 1 percent may not seem like a big number to the public, it actually is as this means a 10% increase every decade and a 50% increase in just 50 years.

This increase in reproductive health problems is faster than the rate of global warming, but the public has not been as vocal or informed regarding the issue, which threatens humanity’s existence.

Hormone-altering chemicals

This decline in reproductive health is largely due to the hormone-altering chemicals found in items found all around us: from plastic containers, food packaging, water bottles to electronic devices, pesticides and many others.

These items contain chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenol A and flame retardants, among others. It is no coincidence that the decline in reproductive health began in the mid-20th century when these items started being produced in large numbers, the researchers noted.

“Exposure to these chemicals is especially problematic during pregnancy because what happens during pregnancy doesn’t stay in pregnancy. Rather, an expectant mother’s exposure to toxic chemicals in the air she breathes, the water she drinks, the foods she eats and the products she slathers on her skin can enter her body (and hence the fetus) and influence her baby’s reproductive development,” Swan and Colino explained.

“This is particularly true early in pregnancy—in what’s called the reproductive programming window—and it’s especially true for male babies,” they added.

Among the many health issues, these chemicals’ effect on reproductive health has also been associated with premature death.

The researchers urge humanity “to shift our collective focus” and prioritize demanding the replacement of the said chemicals from our everyday items with chemicals that do not affect our hormones.

” It’s also time to establish better testing methods and regulatory actions so that only safe chemicals can enter the market and our bodies. In other words, we need to stop using each other and our unborn children as lab rats for EDC exposures,” Swan and Colino stressed.

“The health and the future of the human race really do depend on it,” they added. Ian Biong /ra