Men Who Gorge On Steak Have Slower Sperm

SPAIN - Men who feast on steak, burgers and full-fat cream have such poor quality sperm that they stand little chance of fathering a child.
However those who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables have higher quality sperm that swims faster, according to new research.
Scientists in Spain found good quality sperm is a direct result of a diet high in antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables and especially in peppers, citrus fruits and spinach.
Antioxidants work by slowing or stopping the oxidation of other molecules in the body which has a direct effect on both the number of sperm and their ability move fast.
Sperm are fewer and slower in men who eat few antioxidants and instead feast on meat and full-fat dairy products.
Lead researcher Jaime Mendiola, of the University of Murcia, Spain, said: 'A healthy diet is not only a good way of avoiding illness, but improves the quality of semen.
'Men who eat lots of meat and full-fat dairy products have much poorer quality sperm than those who eat lots of fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products. People who eat more fruits and vegetables are ingesting more antioxidants, and this is the important point.'
The scientists spent four years studying men in two fertility clinics in Spain to see if anything in their diets or exposure to pollution at work was making it difficult for some to father children.
'We saw that, among the couples with fertility problems coming to the clinics, men with good semen quality ate more vegetables and fruit, which means more vitamins, folic acid and fibre and fewer proteins and fats, than those with poor sperm quality,' Professor Mendiola said.
In his next study he will examine if it matters if men receive their vitamins from food or from pills.
The study carried out among 61 men, 30 of whom had reproductive problems and 31 who didn't. The research was published in the journal 'Fertility and Sterility'.
from The Daily Mail