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CAMBRIDGE — Processed meats — like the revered bacon — could harm men’s fertility, a new study says.
Harvard researchers found in their study about meat and men’s fertility that eating processed and red meats can negatively affect sperm shape and count.
The researchers studied 156 men in relationships who were undergoing fertility evaluations at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center. In total, the men provided 364 semen samples and completed a questionnaire about eating habits.
Comparing semen size and shape to a man’s meat intake, researchers concluded that men who ate more processed meat had poorer sperm health by about 34 percent than those who ate white meat fish frequently and went easy on the sausage and bacon.
A healthy sperm count is about 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen, according to the Mayo Clinic. Sperm count and shape can be harmed by lifestyle factors, including emotional stress, alcohol, tobacco smoking and weight. Previous studies have concluded that red meat intake is correlated with weight gain in men and women.
“The relationship between diet and men’s fertility is an interesting one and there is certainly now convincing evidence that men who eat more fresh fruit and vegetables have better sperm than men who don’t,” Dr. Allan Pacey, chairman of the British Fertility Society told The Daily Mail.
“However, less is known about the fertility of men with poor diets and whether specific foods can be linked to poor sperm quality.”
