Fertility: Red Meat Lowers Sperm Count, Some Fish Improves Quality

Remember that old saying? "You are what you eat."  Well, it just so happens to be true, but in a less obvious way.

Of course, if you eat a bunch of donuts every day, your hips will widen and your body might look doughy--just like the doughy bread you've been consuming. (That is, unless you have magic genetics.)

In any case, a recent study shows that men who eat a lot of red meat will look meaty. (Just kidding!) The study actually shows that those in the United States that gobbled up an excess amount of mince, bacon, hamburgers  and sausages had a decreased sperm count. Yet those that ate more white fish showed an improvement in their semenal levels, according to The Telegraph.

"We found that processed meat intake was associated with lower semen quality and fish was to higher semen quality," Dr Myriam Afeiche, from the Department of Nutrition, at Harvard School of Public Health, via The Telegraph.

The study looked at 156 men, all of whom had long experienced difficulties conceiving. Dr. Myriam Afeiche and colleagues collected information about the participants' food habits as well as the nature of their sperm, including its size and shape.

Men that consumed higher amounts of bacon showed lower amounts of normal sperm compared to others.

Yet the researchers couldn't fully explain the factors that led to this occurrence. One argument suggests that pesticides found in red meat may interfere with hormone production and thus, affect fertility. On the other hand, some believe that high levels of zinc in white fish may improve sperm's quality, according to The Daily Mail.

These findings suggest the importance of improving overall lifestyle with the right diet and exercise. The Mayo Clinic via the United States notes that healthy sperm production is critical for a successful pregnancy. Are you following the right steps?