Heavy Dringing Damages Sperm

Heavy drinking reduces the likelihood of a man's fatherhood (fertility), according to a new study in the Oct. issue of Fertility & Sterility.
In the study, Dr. K. R. Muthusami and colleagues from the Kovai Medical Center and Hospital in Coimbatore, India investigated the effect of heavy drinking on sperm, a male hormone, fertility and other reproductive functions in men.
The study involved 66 nonsmoking men, who sought treatment for alcoholism and 30 non-smoking men who never drank (as control).
The researchers found that the men treated for alcoholism had less testosterone (a male reproductive hormone) and more abnormal sperm compared with those who did not drink.
Alcohol drinking not only lowered the chances for a man to father children, but affected his s e x life as well. The study found that 71 percent of heavy drinkers had erectile dysfunction (ED), compared to seven percent among the non-drinkers.
Many previous studies had found heavy alcohol consumption reduces testosterone levels in the blood, impairs the function of testicle cells that play an important role in sperm maturation, and decreases the production, release and or activity of two critical reproductive hormones, according to Mary Ann Emanuele, M.D. and Nicholas V. Emanuele M.D., who published an article titled Alcohol's Effects on Male Reproduction in 1998 in the Vol. 22 No. 3 issue of AOD Thesaurus.
However, the new study also found that if a man impregnated his wife during a time that he drank ten or more drinks a week, his wife would have a high rate of miscarriage.
With the testosterone reduced, signs like shrunken testicles and enlarged breasts could be observed in male heavy drinkers or alcoholics.
Researchers suggested that low consumption of alcohol should have no significant effect on men’s fertility, Reuters reported.
The researchers explained direct damage to the testicles was caused by excessive alcohol, which can directly enter the testicles and reduce both testosterone levels and sperm quality.
from Food Consumer