Men often take fertility for granted, yet male infertility is the cause in about 50 percent of couples who are unable to conceive a child, even after frequent intercourse for more than one year. Junk food contributes to risks of infertility. Junk food includes foods that contain high amounts of calories, sweeteners, unhealthy fats and sodium, which can affect your fertility. Consult your doctor about the disadvantages of junk food for men's fertility.
Fertility
Fertile men have healthy sperm. Your sperm health is associated with the quantity, quality and motility of your sperm cells. Physicians consider you fertile when you have 39 million sperm per ejaculate with normal shape and structure in more than 4 percent of these cells and movement in more than 40 percent of your total sperm count. The five key diet and lifestyle factors that affect your sperm health include eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, taking a multivitamin, having a healthy weight, managing stress and being physically active. Male infertility is associated with low sperm count, immobile sperm, blockages that prevent delivery of sperm and chronic health problems. Eating junk food may also increase your risk of infertility.
Calories
Eating high-calorie junk food adds fat and weight to your body, yet consuming excess calories also increases your risk of infertility. Scientists at the University of Szeged in Hungary found that increased waist circumference and hip circumference are associated with increased risk of infertility, according to research published in "Andrologia" in October 2005. The results demonstrate that infertile males with larger waist and hip circumferences have lower levels of testosterone, sperm count and sperm motility.
Acrylamides
Eating potato chips or french fries reduces your sperm count due to their acrylamide content. The sugars and an amino acid called asparagine that are all naturally present in the potatoes react when heated at a high temperature by frying, baking or roasting to form acrylamides, a chemical that has cancer-causing properties that also cause infertility. Scientists at Shanxi Agricultural University in the People's Republic of China found acrylamides have an adverse effect of spermatogenesis, the process by which males produce sperm cells, according to research published in "Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods" in February 2010. The scientists also found that consuming corn oil and pork fat in addition to acrylamides exacerbates the adverse effects on sperm production.
Animal Products
Hamburgers, hot dogs, cheese steaks and milk shakes are common menu items at fast food restaurants. These junk foods contain high amounts of calories, saturated fat and sodium that increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. These foods also increase your risk of infertility. Scientists at the Bernaneu Institute in Alicante, Spain, found that frequent consumption of meat and milk products may negatively affect semen quality in human males, whereas increased consumption of fruits and vegetables may maintain or improve semen quality, according to research published in "Fertility and Sterility" in March 2009.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Male Infertility; June 10 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Sperm: Improving Your Fertility; 2010
- "Andrologia"; Is Semen Quality Affected by Male Body Fat Distribution?; I. Fejes, et al.; October 2005
- Food and Drug Administration; Acrylamide Questions and Answers; 2009
- "Toxicology Mechanisms and Methods"; Enhanced Fat Consumption Potentiates Acrylamide-Induced Oxidative Stress in Epididymis and Epididymal Sperm and Effect Spermatogenesis in Mice; J. X. Zhang, et al.; February 2010
- "Fertility and Sterility"; Food Intake and Its Relationship with Semen Quality: A Case-Control Study; Jaime Mendiola, et al.; March 2009
