Sperm quality of bacon-lovers negatively impacted by its consumption.
Recent studies show that regular consumption of bacon can have negative effects on fertility of men. On average, men who eat a regular-sized serving of bacon or sausage on a daily basis are exposed to these negative effects on fertility, as reported by a Harvard University study. Scientists also claim that in order to increase the quality of sperm, men should focus on eating fish, specifically cod and halibut.
The study revolved around 156 men that were undergoing in-vitro fertilization treatment. They were asked about their food intake, specifically about consumption habits of processed meat, white meat, red meat, white fish and tuna or salmon. Researchers found that men who ate a half-portion of processed meat every day had only 5.5 per cent “normal” shaped sperm cells, while men who ate less had 7.2 per cent. On the other hand, men who consumed half portions of white fish every day, or full-sized portions every other day, were shown to have higher sperm quality.
Lead researcher Dr. Myriam Afeiche said, “we found the effect of processed meat intake lowered quality, and fish raised quality.”
These findings, however, are not without skeptics. Dr. Allan Pacey, chairman of the British Fertility Society, provides a different perspective. “In this instance, the authors link men’s intake of processed meat with the size and shape of their sperm,” Pacey said. “This may be a real effect, but the study is small, and we know that accurately measuring sperm size and shape in the laboratory is fraught with error.” In other words, these findings may not actually be representative, as the sample is relatively small. Furthermore, it is possible that deviations in sperm quality may be attributed to other factors.
Despite Pacey’s criticism, the Harvard study contributes to the growing evidence that a couple’s chances of having kids is heavily dependent on their lifestyle, alcohol intake, smoking habits, stress, and levels of physical activity.
Scientists are still having difficulties explaining why particular foods boost fertility and why others hurt it. A plausible explanation is that red meat contains high levels of pesticides and other substances that will likely alter hormones negatively. Conversely, white fish is known to be rich in zinc, which is believed to be beneficial for fertility levels.
The impact of processed meat on health presented in last years study at Cambridge University, which concluded that instances of bowel cancer, heart disease and diabetes could drop by 10 per cent if men cut their intake of processed meat in half.