Not Only Make You Fat, Fast Food is at Risk of Lowering Male Fertility

JAKARTA - Eating patterns not only affect heart health and weight, but also male fertility. A recent study led by researchers from Harvard University found that young men who often eat Western fast food (Western diet) tend to have lower sperm counts and threaten fertility.

The Western diet in question includes high-fat and processed foods, such as pizza, French fries, large amounts of red meat, as well as various junk foods.

Unlike the Mediterranean diet, which in 2019 was named the best diet for heart health, weight, and longevity, the Western diet is associated with negative effects on male reproductive health.

The research conducted by a team of researchers from the United States and Denmark found that young men who mostly consume processed foods have 25.6 million fewer sperm per ejaculation than those who have a balanced and plant-based diet. For information, low sperm counts are defined as less than 15 million sperm per milliliter or less than 39 million sperm per ejaculation, as reported by CNN.

"Our findings support the growing evidence that following a healthy diet, including its local variations, is associated with higher sperm counts and better sperm function indicators," the researchers said when presenting their study results at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) in Vienna, Austria, quoted from the Eco Watch page.

Low sperm counts can make it difficult for couples to have children. Researchers also highlighted the decline in fertility rates in recent decades and called it a 'crisis'.

Although there are many factors that are suspected to play a role, this study suggests that diet may be one of the important causes. A decrease of almost 60 percent in fertility rates in Western countries since the 1970s - is in line with the increasing consumption of fast food and processed foods.

In this study, researchers analyzed medical data of about 3,000 men who would have served in the Danish military in the period 2008-2017. The average age of participants was 19 years.

Participants were asked to fill out a food pattern questionnaire and were grouped into four types of diets, namely the Western diet (junk food high in fat), the Scandinavian diet (processed meat, whole grains, fish, and dairy products), the vegetarian diet, and the 'prudent' diet consisting of lean meat, fruit, and vegetables.

The results showed that men on a 'prudent' diet had the highest sperm count, followed by the vegetarian and Scandinavian diet groups. Meanwhile, men on a Western diet had the lowest sperm count.

Many of them have met the criteria for low sperm counts, even though they are biologically at the peak of fertility.

The study also examined the participants' hormones and found that men on a Western diet tended to have fewer Sertoli cells, which are cells that play an important role in sperm production.

The actual sperm count can increase within two to three months if a person improves his diet. However, damage to Sertoli cells is feared to be permanent.

"The concern is that poor diets in young age can lead to changes that are permanent until adulthood," said professor Allan Pacey, a male fertility expert from the University of Sheffield who was not involved in the study.

However, the researchers emphasized that this study has not yet been published in a scientific journal that has gone through the peer-review process, so these findings still require further research.