Research shows smoking can have adverse effects on the health of sperm. It can not only lower sperm count, but also decrease sperm quality and motility, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
Function
The function of sperm is to infiltrate and fertilize the female egg. Sperm is dependent on the following three factors to maximize fertility: quantity or number, quality or normal shape and structure, and motility or movement. According to the Mayo Clinic, lacking in one of these areas can affect sperm health and fertility.
Sperm Quality
According to research published in the 1991 issue of the Archives of Andrology, researchers observed that smokers had lower sperm quality than nonsmokers, but the difference was not significant. However, recent research suggests otherwise. In a 2006 study reported in the journal Human Reproduction, Danish researchers investigated the effects of smoking on sperm quality. Participants were measured for semen quality and filled out a questionnaire regarding their lifestyle. They found that smokers had significantly lower semen quality than nonsmokers. Scientists also noted that smoking lowers testosterone levels, which can affect a man's sex drive.
Sperm Motility
Researchers documented the effects of cigarette smoking on antioxidant levels in infertile men, according to a study published in the May 2008 issue of Fertility and Sterility. They found that smoking decreases antioxidants that protect semen from damage, resulting in low sperm motility.
Smoking and the Offspring
Smoking can not only affect yourself, but also your offspring. Research indicates that exposure to maternal smoking can decrease all the factors associated with healthy sperm, according to research reported in the 2004 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. Researchers observed that participants exposed to smoking in the uterus had reduced number, quality, and motility of sperm compared to those unexposed to maternal smoking.
Improving Sperm Health
Although quitting or reducing cigarette consumption is the best bet for improving sperm health, eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables as well as exercising can help increase the chances of producing high-quality sperm, according to the Mayo Clinic.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Healthy Sperm--Improving Your Fertility
- Human Reproduction: Is Smoking a Risk Factor for Decreased Semen Quality? A Cross-sectional Analysis
- Archives of Andrology: Effect of Smoking on Concentration, Motility and Zona-free Hamster Test on Human Sperm
- American Journal of Epidemiology: Association of In Utero Exposure to Maternal Smoking with Reduced Semen Quality and Testis Size in Adulthood: A Cross-Sectional Study of 1,770 Young Men from the General Population in Five European Countries
