JUNK FOOD LINKED TO INFERTILITY IN YOUNG MEN
Males who eat unhealthy food produce fewer sperm than those who eat a
balanced diet
( Article in Times of India Wednesday June 26, 2019)
Interesting! Well, until now, we blamed unhealthy food for our waistlines
only, but now, we have actual documentation of the "internal" damage
that it can cause.
Not only the western world, but also several Asian as well as Indian
studies have clearly found that sperm counts are steadily dropping, compared to
what they were, in the 70s.
While there may be several contributing factors
like smoking, sedentary lifestyle, exposure to heat from gadgets, obesity,
increased incidence of lifestyle diseases like diabetes and hypertension, this
article is about a study which looks at
DIET alone as a significant contributor to a poor sperm count. The study
has been conducted in Europe. In a group of 3000 men, those following a balanced
non vegetarian diet ( fish, lean meats, fruits and vegetables) and those who
consumed predominantly vegetarian ( with soy and eggs ) or scandinavian diets (
processed meats, whole grains, cold fish and dairy) had the best sperm counts. There is no similar Indian research study but we are seeing a substantial
increase in the occurrence of obesity and diabetes in India. Consuming
processed or junk food as well as a sedentary lifestyle are the biggest
contributors to this epidemic. When it comes to treating infertility,
conventional wisdom has focused more on women. The onus of infertility was
never on the men. Here is a study which should be a wake up call to all
aspiring fathers- to-be to "Eat healthy and Stay fit"with regular
physical activity.
As far as actual dietary planning is concerned, there is no " One size
fits all" diet plan. With the huge variations in cuisines that India has,
it would be a shame to give a sample dietary plan suggesting only a particular
type of cuisine. The treating physician or a qualified dietitian would be your
best guide for dietary changes, after they perform some preliminary tests.
We, at Siddhilife Asisted Reproduction Centre, therefore, have a dietician
on our team who guides, not just the women but the men as well, from the
pre-conception itself.
Whatever changes are made to diet or lifestyle, with or without medications
( like anti-oxidants) typically positive results in the form of an increased
sperm count, will show only after about 3 months. Sperm formed in the testis
have a development and maturation process which takes approximately 90 days or
3 months.
Last, but not least, some men have primary testicular failure, which will
not respond to lifestyle changes or
medications. Or there may be permanent damage to the function of the
testis ( infection, prolonged smoking, diabetes) due to which therapies may not
work. When that happens, typically
advanced treatments like IVF or ICSI ( test tube baby) offer the only hope.
Until the next blog, hope this article helps men with dietary problems
contributing to weight and fertility issues.
Best Wishes from,
Your Fertility Guide.
