For the purposes of the study, researchers at Harvard University and Murcia University in Spain asked a panel of men aged 18 to 22 to write down in a notebook everything they consumed for several month.
After analyzing their food diaries and their semen, the doctors came to the conclusion that men who were very heavy consumers of fatty and sugary foods such as cookies, cakes, chocolate, chips, fried foods and processed foods had of lower quality semen. Fewer and less rigorous sperm, therefore a much lower fertility rate.
In contrast, men who ate a balanced diet of whole grains, vegetables and fish had much higher quality semen. Among the foods that would boost male fertility are eggs, salmon, plain yogurts, seeds (whole grains), berries (pomegranate, blueberries), sweet potatoes, broccoli and asparagus.
Other causes of male infertility
A number of substances affect fertility in men. Among these there are products as different as lead, haloalkanes, certain mineral derivatives such as cadmium (present in cigarettes) or organic such as glycol ethers (often associated with other solvents) or benzopyrene (hydrocarbon aromatic carcinogen resulting in particular from cigarette combustion). In short, the most toxic products are cigarettes, drugs and alcohol consumed in large quantities.
Endocrine disruptors
Endocrine disruptors are also singled out. These are chemicals, of natural or synthetic origin, which disrupt hormonal functioning. Under certain doses or frequencies of exposure, they can impair reproductive function. Beware of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), dioxins, phthalates and organochlorine pesticides.
Phthalates are the most abundant pollutant of human origin present in plastics, certain cosmetics, food packaging … It is not the product itself but the dose that creates the poison.
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Fertility: the quality of sperm decreases!
