Study: It Turns Out That Sperm Quality Affects Life Hope Age

Sperm illustration (Photo: Freepik/Freepik)

JAKARTA - A recent study reveals that men with better sperm quality tend to have a longer life expectancy. This research involved more than 78,000 men over 50 years and the study was published in the journal Human Reproduction.

It is found that men with stronger sperm and motility can live nearly three years longer than they have weak sperm. Motility is the ability of sperm to swim through women's reproductive channels to reach and fertilize egg cells.

"In absolute terms, men with a total number of sperm motility of more than 120 million per milliliter of sperm can live 2.7 years longer, compared to men with a total sperm number of motilities of between 0 to 5 million," said L seriouske Priskorn, lead author of study and doctoral candidate at Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, quoted from the CNN page.

When associated with age, men with very poor sperm motility are estimated to live up to 77.6 years. Meanwhile, men with very high sperm motility can last up to 80.3 years.

Dr. Michael Eisenberg, professor of urology and director of male reproductive health at the Stanford University School of Medicine, said that the relationship between sperm quality and longevity is an important finding.

"Previously there had been research showing a connection between reproductive health and overall health," said Eisenberg.

In this study, the researchers compared the quality of sperm samples from men who underwent fertility tests in Copenhagen between 1965 and 2015. Their sperm quality was then compared to national medical data from Danish health services.

"The results show that the lower the quality of sperm, the lower the hope of a person's life," said Priskorn.

"This relationship cannot be explained by the disease that occurs within 10 years before the sperm quality assessment or the male education level," he added.

Usually, sperm motility is measured in percentage form, not in total. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers normal men who have about 42% sperm in each ejaculation sample, capable of moving towards their destination.

If sperm motility is less than 5 million per milliliter of sperm, it indicates the condition of oligospermia or the number of low sperm which often causes male infertility.

According to Eisenberg, sperm motility of around 125 million per milliliter is normal for fertile men. However, this figure does not guarantee full male fertility.

Although many people associate sperm testing with fertility, this study shows sperm quality can also be an indicator of men's health problems at a young age.

John Aitken, professor of emeritus from School of Environmental and Life Sciences at the University of Newcastle, Australia, who was not involved in the study, said male sperm appeared to provide important information about their health and well-being in the future.

"If sperm can really be an indicator of male health as a whole, the question that needs to be asked is, why?" wrote Aitken in this study.

"What are the factors that can connect the life expectancy of men to the quality of their sperm at a young age?" he continued.

One possible explanation of this relationship is oxidative stress. Oxidative stress occurs when radicals are free in the body is excessive. Free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage DNA and cell function, including in testes and sperm.

"Any factor, whether genetic, immunological, metabolic, environmental, or lifestyle that increases oxidative stress levels, can contribute to sperm changes and early death patterns," said Aitken.

Some things that can trigger free radicals include smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, excessive sun exposure, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and air pollution.

However, the body has a way to fight free radicals by using antioxidants. Antioxidants function to prevent and repair damage caused by free radicals.

Although antioxidant supplements have not been shown to be effective, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds rich in antioxidants can help maintain health.

Some major sources of antioxidants include:

- Vitamin C: Found in oranges, red peppers and green, as well as broccoli.

- Vitamin E: Many are found in nuts, sunflower seeds, spinach, and broccoli.

- Selenium: Contained in salmon, tuna, red rice, eggs, and whole wheat bread.

- Beta carotene: Can be found in carrots, apricots, kale, mango, and sweet potatoes.

By maintaining a healthy lifestyle and consuming nutritious food, men can improve sperm quality and most likely prolong their lifespan.