Organic food vs. Male fertility 

The environment

It is no news that the environment we live in is no longer pristine nature, but is increasingly contaminated by various chemicals that are difficult to degrade. These are known professionally as persistent pollutants — substances which, although they may not have been used for decades because of their known side effects, are still present in nature. Many of them act as so-called endocrine disruptors (let’s just say you’ll definitely be pulling out the glossary at home!). This means that these substances somehow affect the hormonal system of humans or other animals. Thus, by their structure similar to the original hormone, they can amplify or completely block the effect of natural hormones. Examples are various pesticides, paints and substances used in the manufacture of plastics. But even if you live in the Boubin forest, you can’t avoid them altogether. It is probably one of the main causes of declining male fertility.


So are organic foods an option?

Organic food often gives us the impression that it is something very healthy and that conventional food is basically toxins served on a silver platter. And especially in conjunction with better fertility, organic food is appearing more and more often.

As far as the above-mentioned hormone disruptors are concerned, they are also unavoidable when eating organic food. Everything has a side and a side. Although organic foods contain significantly less pesticide and fertiliser residues, some studies suggest that some organic foods are even higher in PCBs or dioxins (which are the hormone naughty ones) than conventional foods. This is because, for example, cows are happy to run around in large spaces, live longer, don’t eat artificial feeds, and thus have the opportunity to suck up a bit more toxic substances from the environment.

If we look at organic food directly in relation to fertility, studies show that eating organic food can improve sperm quality, ensure a better IVF outcome, and at the same time, participants in the studies showed smoother pregnancy progression and fewer antenatal complications. However, the study authors themselves point out that these results may be biased and the credit cannot be attributed solely to the consumption of organic food. In fact, it is thought that people consuming predominantly organic food are much more likely to be concerned about what passes through their digestive tract and live healthier lives in general.

So, in summary, what can we take from this? You certainly can’t go wrong with organic food, but you also can’t assume that pouring organic beer all morning and night will make your sperm cheer. It’s always about the context of the whole diet.


Sperm weight and quality

The hormone most involved in sperm quality and spermatogenesis (sperm production) is undoubtedly the well-known testosterone.

If a man is too thin, in a huge caloric deficit (he just doesn’t eat enough) and his body fat percentage is kept below 10% for a long time (although it always depends on the genetics of the individual), it can happen that the body starts to conserve and slowly shut down the functions that ​“eat” energy, which is, for example, the production of testosterone. This will decrease and thus sperm production will also decrease.

Conversely, however, if a man is overweight or obese and has a body fat percentage above 26%, this is also not quite the case. Adipose tissue can be a beast and can increase the production of aromatase, which converts active testosterone to estradiol, which also results in lower testosterone production and affects sperm production and quality.

Therefore, a man should maintain a BMI between 18.5 and 25, plus a body fat percentage that should not fall below 10 or rise above 26% in the long term. But no extremes are necessary.


Foods to avoid

Generally speaking, men’s health and sperm quality are definitely not benefiting from the Western diet, which often includes a high intake of processed red meat (beef or pork), semi-processed foods, sausages, sugar and trans-fatty acids. Not only does this diet smack of obesity and a higher % of body fat, but it can also increase oxidative stress in the body, to which sperm are very sensitive. The intake of any toxic substances, even in the form of smoking or alcohol, can damage the DNA of sperm and affect their number and structure. So if you want your sperm to be as happy as two grapefruits, you’d better avoid these indulgences.

If you were expecting to find information about milk, which is supposedly full of hormones, you are mistaken. If we are talking about artificially added hormones, then all food in the EU is subject to strict European legislation on food safety and any addition of hormones to animal feed, for example, is strictly prohibited. Well, yes, but the bovine hormones are in the milk, you will argue. Yes, they do, but their concentration in milk is about 6 000 times lower than the concentration of these same hormones in a man’s body, and even 2 8000 times lower than in a woman’s body. Studies have shown that consuming milk does not affect fertility and on the contrary — dairy products should be an integral part of the diet.


Top foods for happy sperm

What’s just right for male fertility is the Mediterranean diet. This diet is characterized by a rich consumption of omega‑3 fatty acids, whose increased intake has been shown to improve sperm count, motility and structure. At the same time, they also improve their energy metabolism, which means that sperm are really energized and would swim slowly across the English Channel. So try to regularly include oily sea fish, nuts, vegetable oils (especially olive) or flaxseeds and chia seeds in your diet.

Another specific feature of the Mediterranean diet is a high intake of fruit and vegetables. These are a source of vitamins and minerals, in addition to fibre, which also has a very positive effect on the overall health of the body. In many cases, these act as antioxidants, which alleviate the aforementioned oxidative stress that sperm do not like. Increased intake of antioxidants is widely used in the prevention and treatment of male infertility, and after antioxidant therapy, pregnancy rates can rise by up to 41%! So the advice about a minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables a day really isn’t entirely off the mark.

If a spermogram shows sperm a little sad or lazy, supplementation with vitamins B12, folic acid, selenium or zinc can also help, which are not only involved in the production of male sex cells but can also increase the number of motile sperm.


Wise words of wisdom in conclusion

If I had to pick out a few hints and tips, I would mainly like to mention that there is no need to look for great complexity. Try to get enough exercise and especially sleep, as sleep is one of the most underrated factors in a healthy lifestyle. And no, 6 hours a day really isn’t enough. Try to buy mainly low-processed foods and definitely don’t skimp on fruit and vegetables, and don’t go overboard with alcohol. And most importantly — stress yourself as little as possible, because sperm under stress will definitely not perform as well as you would like.

The author of the article is nutritional therapist Ing. Mgr. Šárka Knížková

Sources:

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