A new study has found that men with sperm problems have a higher risk of death compared to men with healthy sperm.

According to a study by a researcher from the Stanford University School of Medicine, men who were found to have two or more "abnormalities" in their semen twice as likely to die in a period of eight years than men who had normal semen.

Michael Eisenberg, assistant professor of urology and director of male reproductive medicine and surgery at Stanford University, has studied records of men between 20 to 50 years of age who consulted the centre for infertility problems. Professor Eisenberg and his colleagues had found men with more than two semen defects doubled their risk of death.

The study also found that the greater the number of sperm problems, the higher the risk of death. The recent study was published in the online journal, Human Reproduction.

Boosting male fertility

A previous study has revealed orange and yellow-colored fruits and vegetables may boost male fertility. But eating carrots is found to help develop healthy sperms.

According to a Harvard University study, carrots have betacarotene which helps create antioxidants and Vitamin A. Antioxidants fight free radicals from damaging DNA and cell membranes.

Aside from carrots, researchers also found other yellow-colored fruits and vegetables like melon and sweet potato to improve the quality of the sperm up to 10 percent. The study came after concerns that male fertility is declining in Western countries due to poor quality of the sperms. Other studies discovered a great reduction in average sperm count.

Based on research estimates, about 30 percent of couples resorting to IVF are known as subfertile while 2 percent of IVF couples have been evaluated as totally infertile.

Researchers tested 200 young men to determine what fruit or vegetable provides the most benefits to the sperm. Orange and yellow foods boost sperm health while red fruits, including tomatoes, help reduce the chances of the male-producing abnormal swimmers.