RAISE A GLASS TO ENHANCED FERTILITY
Post-work pints could give you a better shot at expanding your fit fam in 2019. Cheers to that
Between 1995 and 2014, births in the UK regularly peaked in September. As the mathematicians among you will have worked out, that means festive joy is no myth. Despite this, male fertility is in a state of crisis: according to scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, sperm counts in the Western world have more than halved in the past 40 years and are falling at an annual rate of 1.4%. While the precise cause for the decline has yet to be determined, a new paper published in the Andrology journal suggests a timely solution.
In a study of 323 men, Italian researchers found that a few beers each week can boost your fertility. Of these subjects, those who drank between four and seven units of alcohol per week (one bottle of beer contains roughly 1.7 units) had a higher median semen volume and greater sperm concentration than teetotallers. Cheering news, especially when your abstemious peers are trying to pressure you into a joyless Dry January.
But before you prop up the bar, be warned that the relationship between alcohol and fertility is U-shaped. After eight or more units per week, the positive effects level out; after serious overindulgence, your sperm count declines. As with most things in life, moderation is key. If your priority is your body goals, cut back on booze, by all means – but if your aspiration for 2019 is to bulk up your family, say yes to a guilt-free fireside drink with friends. The first round’s on you.