Factors that impair semen quality: diet, medication, and physicochemical effects.

What foods can damage semen quality?

"Doctor, what foods can't I eat?" Many infertile patients are very concerned about what they can and cannot eat.

These things can damage sperm quality.

Let's look at a report first: Danish scientists have discovered that the more saturated fat men consume, the lower their sperm count.

The lower the concentration, the lower the quality. They selected 701 Danish men as subjects for their study.

Researchers divided the participants into four groups based on their saturated fat intake and compared the results of each group.

Sperm count. Researchers have found that the proportion of saturated fat intake is related to sperm concentration and total number.

A clear correlation exists: the sperm concentration was higher in the group with the highest saturated fat intake compared to the group with the lowest saturated fat intake.

The percentage of individuals with low sperm count was 38% lower, and the total sperm count was 41% lower. Researchers stated that the next research goal is...

The goal is to identify the mechanisms by which saturated fat affects sperm count, and thus reduce saturated fat intake.

This report suggests that eating greasy food can negatively impact sperm quality in men.

Looking at research data from my country, in the 1950s, in Hebei, Henan, and Shanxi provinces of my country...

A type of "burning fever" is prevalent in cotton-producing areas such as Shandong, Hubei, and Jiangsu. People suffering from this disease develop...

Fever, general weakness, emaciation, and loss of labor capacity; many families are unable to have children, and

The wealthier the family, the more patients there are, and the more severe the illness. Chinese researchers have conducted extensive research...

Quantitative studies have revealed that raw cottonseed oil is the culprit. Cottonseed oil is extracted from cottonseeds and processed...

Families with better economic conditions consumed more cottonseed oil. Later, an anti-fertility agent was extracted from cottonseed oil.

The active ingredient, gossypol, has been proven in animal experiments to cause male infertility.

The symptoms of "fever" are also manifestations of gossypol toxicity. The fundamental measure to prevent this type of infertility is...

Avoid consuming raw cottonseed oil. Raw cottonseed oil must be treated with alkali to remove gossypol before it can be consumed.

Edible. In some areas, the "hygienic oil" used for consumption is actually processed, boiled cottonseed oil, which is already...

It has been cleaned of gossypol and is safe to eat.

In addition, pig brain, sheep brain, rabbit meat, winter melon, water chestnut, hemp seeds, and almonds are considered...

These are foods that are detrimental to sperm production. Records indicate that these foods can harm sperm and weaken the kidneys, but...

These claims lack sufficient scientific evidence.

Which drugs are "sperm killers"?

Many medications in daily life have adverse effects on sperm production, and some people even believe that...

Between 10% and 30% of infertility cases are caused by medication. This is mainly because the medication directly affects sperm quality.

It can lead to impaired sperm production or indirectly reduce male sexual function. The extent of this impact depends on a variety of factors.

For example, individual tolerance can be affected by factors such as drug dosage, timing of administration, physical condition, and nutritional status.

The degree of impact varies. According to clinical studies, the following types of drugs have a significant impact on male fertility.

(1) Antibiotics: such as macrolide antibiotics like erythromycin, spiramycin, and midecamycin.

Hormones can reduce the frequency of mitosis in testicular cells and kill sperm, reducing the number of surviving sperm.

Vitality is significantly reduced. Large doses of gentamicin can inhibit mitosis in male spermatogenic cells.

A decrease in DNA concentration within spermatogenic cells leads to the cessation of spermatogenesis. Tetracycline, neomycin, furazolidone...

Some drugs, such as those containing nitric acid, are toxic to the gonads.

(2) Chemotherapy drugs for treating tumors: The vast majority of chemotherapy drugs can cause male infertility.

Side effects. Busulfan (Mallan), a drug used to treat leukemia, can inhibit the secretion of spermatogonia.

Cracks, prolonged use can lead to testicular atrophy; alkylating agents such as chloroethylamine and nitrogen mustard can act on various stages.

Spermatogenic cells; cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, colchicine, etc., can reduce semen volume and sperm count.

Decreased vitality, testicular atrophy, etc.

(3) Endocrine-affecting drugs: Androgens are widely used in the treatment of andrological diseases.

While androgens are widely used, long-term, excessive use can inhibit the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis.

It can impair reproductive endocrine function, interfering with sperm production and thus leading to infertility. Thyroid preparations and other medications can cause male infertility.

Decreased libido and endocrine abnormalities.

(4) Neuropsychiatric drugs: Many sedatives, hypnotics and antidepressants inhibit male sexual function.

Desire, even loss of libido, and can reduce testosterone production in men, causing erectile dysfunction and other problems.

Ejaculation. Treatment and prevention of epilepsy medications, such as phenytoin sodium, can be caused by excessive dosage or prolonged use.

It can also cause azoospermia.

(5) Diuretics and antihypertensive drugs: compound antihypertensive tablets, spironolactone (Aldactone), reserpine,

Methyldopa, cyclophosphamide, and other similar drugs can reduce male libido, leading to erectile dysfunction, difficulty ejaculating, and even an inability to ejaculate.

Ejaculation can also affect sperm production.

(6) Medications for treating peptic ulcers: Cimetidine, ranitidine, etc., can suppress male libido.

It can lead to frigidity and erectile dysfunction in men.

(7) Sulfonamides: such as sulfasalazine, etc., in addition to acting on sperm stored in the epididymis,

It may also affect the spermatogenesis process.

(8) Drugs: Smoking opium, marijuana, or heroin can significantly suppress sexual function and decrease sperm count.

The production of ejaculation is also inhibited, and delayed ejaculation or anejaculation may also occur.

(9) Traditional Chinese medicine: Some traditional Chinese medicines can affect spermatogenesis. These traditional Chinese medicines are roughly as follows.

1) Tripterygium wilfordii: Adults taking 10-20 grams of this product daily for 14 consecutive days may experience adverse reactions.

If sperm count is low, continuous use for 60 days can kill most of the sperm; sperm count will significantly decrease 3 months after stopping the medication.

Increase or return to normal.

2) Paris polyphylla: Its extract and crude saponins both have strong in vitro spermicidal effects.

3) Earthworms: Ethanol extract of earthworm decoction (earthworm powder) and its component amber.

Acid can render all sperm motility in mice inactive within one minute, while earthworm powder can render human sperm inactive.

The minimum content for instantaneous inactivation of the molecule is 5%, and for succinic acid it is 0.5%.

4) Sophora flavescens: It has a strong and rapid in vitro spermicidal effect. Sophora flavescens instantly kills human sperm.

The minimum inactivation content is 15%, and its spermicidal effect is mainly due to causing sperm fragmentation.

5) Extracts from pig bile, Pseudobulbus Cremastrae, Fritillaria cirrhosa, Gynostemma pentaphyllum, and soapwort, among others, have different properties.

It has a certain degree of spermicidal effect.

What physical factors can affect sperm quality?

Many physical factors in our environment can affect sperm quality. The following are some common examples.