It’s Not Just Bacon, But Other Processed Meats Also Harm Male Fertility

It is not just bacon that is the culprit when it comes to male fertility. Lower sperm counts across the globe have been blamed by a new Harvard University study to other processed meats as well.

The finding was based on observation of 156 males who struggled to get their wives or partners pregnant. The researchers their food intake and linked this to the size and shape of their sperms.

Consumers of more than half a portion of processed meats daily had lower levels of normal sperm compared to those who ate less than half a portion.

YouTube/GeoBeats News

To increase their total sperm count by at least 34 per cent, these men should eat more dark meat fish such as salmon and tuna, the study recommended.

A link was found between better sperm shape for consumers of white meat fish like cod compared to those who did not eat that kind of fish.

Dr Jorge Chavarro, one of the researchers, said the team is studying the effect of live cattle being injected natural or synthetic hormones to stimulate growth a few days or weeks before slaughter on consumers of such type of meat. That is how meat is usually produced in the U.S., he disclosed.

However, Dr Allan Pacey, chairman of the British Fertility Society, doubted the results of the Harvard study. He said while there is a link between men who consumer more fresh fruit and vegetable to sperm quality, connection between male fertility and poor diet and the effect of specific foods is not clear.

So despite the warning on the negative impact of processed meat on male fertility, such items like bacon continue to be a favourite breakfast fare of many men such as this funny young chap.

YouTube/Dwaiyi

In an analysis of 50,000 recipes and based on more than 900,000 comments, tech magazine Wired, in partnership with the Food Network, found that dishes tastes better with bacon.

Among the explanation for this are the crunch and flavour that bacon adds to sandwiches and not becoming soggy when added to salad.

A previous study explained the reason behind the tasty flavour of bacon. It is called the Maillard reaction and happens between an amino acid and a reducing sugar when heat, releasing a big amount of pleasant odour that causes people to salivate.