Home Men's Health 18-Year-Olds Are Damaging Their Fertility Thanks to Western Junk Food Diet

18-Year-Olds Are Damaging Their Fertility Thanks to Western Junk Food Diet

by Glenn Fitzpatrick
young bearded man eating fastfood

In recent years, scientists have confirmed that there is indeed a huge worldwide decline in sperm counts. Similarly, scientists have also observed an increase in reported male infertility.

Several years back, experts have established that dietary factors greatly affect a man’s fertility. Just recently, a groundbreaking study revealed that following a Western-type diet can greatly damage a man’s reproductive capacity even before he reaches the age of 18. Find out what the study has to say and how you can protect your fertility.

The Study

Conducted by experts from Harvard University, the controversial study showed that among young men aged 18-20, those whose diet mainly consisted of fruits, vegetables, chicken, and fish had a much higher sperm count than young men who tend to follow a Western-type diet.

You may not know it, but you could also be following a Western-type diet if your meals usually consist of processed and high-fat foods. When you favor snacks, pizza, and chips over veggies and fruits, then your fertility could be at risk as well. Apparently, burgers, chips, and pizza can make you produce about 26 million less sperm.

burgers with tiny USA flag

The scientists analyzed the sperm samples of 3,000 young men aged 18 to 20 years old. According to the results, the researchers concluded that following a diet which mainly consists of sugary drinks, red meat, and bread can result in a significantly lower sperm count.

In addition, the researchers also found that eating a lot of junk food could end up damaging or even killing the cells which are responsible for producing spermatozoa, thus resulting in impaired sperm production.

This study is basically warning young men and saying that even if you are still a minor, you could already be on the way to becoming infertile due to low sperm counts. And that’s a big deal because 18-year-olds usually view sperm count as a marker of masculinity.

The Connection Between Your Diet and Sperm Count

According to research, antioxidants are one of the main reasons why men who regularly eat fruits and veggies tend to have higher sperm counts. Antioxidants basically combat compounds that cause oxidative stress in the body. Oxidative stress occurs whenever you have fewer antioxidants than free radicals and reactive oxygen species in your body.

The problem with oxidative stress is that it causes a lot of damage to your reproductive system. Free radicals can attach to your developing spermatozoa and cause your sperm cell to have a misshapen or poorly attached tail, or they can cause the DNA material inside your sperm cell to become fragmented and damaged.

What’s worse is that oxidative stress can also result in great damage to your Sertoli cells, which are the ones that basically provide physical and nutritional support to your developing sperm cells.

When your Sertoli cells become damaged, their functions become impaired and they are no longer able to provide support to your spermatozoa. This means that your sperm cells can become damaged, or they can stop growing altogether, resulting in low counts of viable and mature spermatozoa.

The antioxidants that you get from fruits, vegetables, fish, and chicken basically help prevent oxidative stress from causing too much damage to your Sertoli cells, as well as your sperm cells. This can help your Sertoli cells function properly, as well as protect your developing spermatozoa from all sorts of oxidative stress damage.

In contrast, foods that are high in fat and sugar such as pizza and burgers tend to cause an increase in oxidative stress levels. The more oxidative stress your reproductive system suffers, the more damaged your Sertoli cells and sperm cells become, leading to impaired fertility.

How You Can Increase Your Sperm Count

Increasing your sperm count is not an impossible thing to accomplish, but it does entail certain sacrifices on your part. For one, you should lessen your intake of fat and sugar-rich foods like pizza, fast foods, and junk foods. It goes without saying that you should also increase your consumption of antioxidant-rich foods such as green leafy veggies.

Exercising regularly is another way to lessen oxidative stress and improve your reproductive health. By itself, regular physical activity has been found to result in improved sperm parameters, as well as better erectile function.

Taking antioxidant supplements is also another option, especially for adult males who are confronted with fertility issues. Another study has found that for couples undergoing infertility treatment, antioxidant supplementation can greatly benefit the male partner.

young man with male enhancement supplement bottles

Male enhancement supplements are also viable alternatives, especially the ones that contain antioxidant-rich herbal ingredients such as Tongkat Ali, Ashwagandha, Tribulus Terrestris, fenugreek, maca, and Horny Goat Weed.

Tongkat Ali, Ashwagandha, and maca are all adaptogenic herbs, which means that they help reduce stress and anxiety levels. And that’s a good thing for you because high stress levels can also contribute to reduced fertility.

The anti-stress effects of these herbs, as well as their fertility-enhancing properties, are due to the fact that these herbs are extremely rich in antioxidants. Maca, for one, is actually a cruciferous vegetable and just like other vegetables from the same family such as broccoli, maca is also antioxidant-rich.

What’s really interesting about Tongkat Ali, Maca, and Ashwagandha is not just the fact that they can help reduce stress, but that they can also improve your fertility, as well as your sexual function.

In various studies, these three healthful herbs have been found to benefit men with infertility problems by improving their sperm counts, sperm motility, and sperm morphology. In addition, these herbs have also been found to benefit men with erectile dysfunction and low libido.

Tribulus Terrestris and fenugreek are also great for men with fertility issues. These herbs are widely used for their positive effects on testosterone levels. As you well know, you need testosterone not only for your libido but also for normal sperm development. Your Sertoli cells need testosterone in order to provide the nourishment that your developing sperm cells need.

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