JAMA netw open: can men increase sperm count through a healthy diet?

February 25, 2020 / BIOON / -- listen, guys: a new study shows that a healthy diet is good for your brain and heart as well as your sperm In a Danish study of participants with an average age of 19 and a population of more than 2900, the researchers found that those who ate a "western" diet rich in pizza, French fries, processed red meat, snacks, fine grains, sugary drinks and candy had higher sperm counts than those who ate a "western" diet rich in fish, chicken, vegetables, fruits and water "Because healthy eating habits can be followed through changes, our results show that sperm quality of men of childbearing age can be improved through dietary interventions," said feiby nassan, lead author of the study "She is a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard School of public health The number of sperm affects fertility, because the less sperm there is, the less likely your partner is to get pregnant "Generally speaking, healthy eating habits are very helpful for male fertility," nassan said "Image source: https://cn.bing.com in this study, her team compared the sperm count of participants in a healthy diet, a Western diet, a Danish diet rich in cold processed meat, whole grains, mayonnaise, cold fish, spices and dairy products, or a vegetarian style diet rich in vegetables, soy milk and eggs, but not red meat or chicken The highest average sperm count was found in men on a healthy diet (167 million), followed by vegetarians (151 million) and the Danish Diet (146 million) Men who followed western dietary habits had the lowest median sperm count (122 million) The researchers also found lower levels of some of the sex hormones in their bodies that improve fertility Because men report their eating habits, there is room for error, and the results can be biased, the researchers said Dr Christine Mullin, director of fertility at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York, reviewed the manuscript She said that although many diets can improve inflammation, heart and mental health, there are few studies on the impact of diet on fertility "It is well known that the effects of smoking, radiation, pesticides and heavy metals on the environment can have a negative impact on sperm formation, but we know very little about the impact of diet on sperm quality," she said "While these findings from Danish men may not be applicable to other populations, Mullin believes that this will be an important study to repeat in the United States, as the Western diet has the most negative impact on sperm quality "If we focus not only on the diet of women, but also on the diet of men in terms of reproductive success, then we can improve this infertility like diet improves heart health," she said "This report was published in JAMA network open on February 21 Reference: feiby nassan et al Association of dietary patterns with experimental function in young Danish men JAMA netw open 2020; 3 (2): e1921610 Doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.21610