Teens’ food habits can affect fertility

dubai — Consumption of large amounts of junk diet and processed food in teen years could affect the fertility of men later, according to a study report.

A study led by Harvard University found that men are more likely to be diagnosed with low sperm count and damaged spermproducing Sertoli cells if they had consumed large amounts of junk diet of high-fat and processed foods during their teen years.

As per the study, young men who ate mostly processed junk food had 25.6 million sperm per ejaculation compared to those who reported more balanced and plant-based diets. A low sperm count, it said, is less than 39 million sperm per ejaculation. The report noted an increase in sperm count within three months through diet change, but it stated that damage to Sertoli cells was irreparable.

“The study strongly suggests the after-effects of an unhealthy lifestyle during our younger years. This time, it correlates unhealthy eating with male fertility. While fertility is not something that our teenagers think about just yet, the findings should nonetheless raise an alarm,” said Dr Laura Melado, IVF specialist, IVI Fertility Abu Dhabi clinic.

The medical data of nearly 3,000 men with an average age of 19 were collected for the study. The young participants answered a questionnaire categorising them into four diets, namely the junk diet; a prudent diet of mostly chicken, fish, vegetables, and fruit; a Scandinavian diet of processed meats, whole grains, cold fish and dairy; and a traditional vegetarian diet.

According to Dr Laura, almost 40 per cent of all infertility cases are due to male-related issues and low sperm count is the number one reason for male infertility.