Red Meat and Sexual Health in Men
Do you eat a large amount of processed red meat? Are you also a male? Then you may be at risk for reduced semen quality! Sounds a lot like one of those TV advertisements doesn’t it? According to a recent study that was published in the Journal of Fertility and Sterility – American Society for Reproductive Medicine, men who consume more processed red meat was associated with a lower percentage of morphologically normal sperm, which means that there were more sperm that don’t look normal.
The experiment consisted of 156 men who provided 364 semen samples and completed food questionnaires which determined their eating happens. The men that were in the upper half of the red meat consumption spectrum yielded 1.4% units lower sperm morphologies than those in the lower half of the spectrum. However, those who consumed more white meat fish yielded 1.6% units higher sperm morphologies than those who didn’t consume white meat fish. This means that the consumption of white meat fish is associated with higher percent morphologically normal sperm. The study also found that dark meat fish intake was related to higher sperm counts. Conclusion? Eat less meat and more fish for better and healthier sperm.
However, there are a few other things you can also do to improve your sexual health besides eating less meat and more fish. Here are list of other popular foods which can help:
Oysters – filled with zinc, these increase the sperm count and help with various processes within the body
Avocadoes – rich in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fat make them extremely healthy for the heart and arteries. Keeping the blood flowing properly will help prevent the onset of ED
Arugula – leafy greens which help block absorption of some contaminants that can negatively impact your libido
In addition to diet and food habits proper exercise can also improve vascular health and improve sexual health. Excess belly fat can produce an enzyme called aromatase which converts testosterone to estrogen. This can lead to fatigue, low muscles mass, low muscle power. This in turn leads to low sexual desire and ED. It is important to stay fit and eat properly!