Beer and Sperm: A Lethal Combination

Have you looked in the mirror recently and noticed a slowly (or rapidly) growing beer gut? Not only is it unsightly, and remind you of just how much money you spend on alcohol, new research shows that a beer belly could be affecting men where they least want it- right below the belt. Hospitals and universities in Denmark published their results in the reproductive magazine Fertility and Sterility. Researchers worked with over 1,500 men. They took semen samples and analyzed sperm count, concentration, volume, shape, and hormone levels. Researchers then calculated each participants body mass index, an accurate measure of obesity that takes height and weight into consideration. Sperm counts and concentrations were reported as 28 percent to 36 percent lower in underweight men, and 21 percent to 26 percent lower in overweight men, in comparison to men whose body mass index was exactly where it should have been. There was also variation in hormones. Men need a certain amount of estrogen, which is produced by fat cells. Having too much or too little fat results in inaccurate estrogen levels, which could be the reason hormone and sperm levels vary. Other researchers say that smoking and drinking too much can cause sperm problems. When a couple is having trouble conceiving, doctors are now recommended to check men’s fertility levels, as men are now just as likely as women to have fertility issues. Doctors are now asking how much men drink and smoke when looking for answers as to why conception isn’t happening. According to this research, it looks as if having that extra beer or two may be having negative effects in ways you’ve never considered. This is not just something older men have to worry about, but younger ones as well. You could roll your eyes and say this doesn’t apply to you right now, but take this into consideration: the average age of the men that were tested is nineteen.