Even among young men, healthier diet tied to higher sperm counts

(Reuters Health) – Young men who care about their sperm quality might want to lay off the cheeseburgers and fries, according to a new study that links a typical Western diet with a lower sperm count. Men in the study who ate a mostly Western diet characterized by pizza, fries, sweets, sodas and red and processed meats typically had a lower sperm count – by about 26 million – than men who ate far less of these unhealthy foods. With a Western diet, men also had lower levels of reproductive hormones needed for optimal fertility. Conversely, men with the healthiest eating habits – with lots of fish, chicken, vegetables, fruits, and water – typically had a sperm count 43 million higher than those who ate the lowest amounts of these foods. “Your sperm is what you eat,” said coauthor Dr. Feiby Nassan of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. Diets rich in seafood, poultry, nuts, whole g
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