Are You Accidentally Lowering Your Sperm Count? Find Out Now!
Deciding to have a baby is a big step in a couple’s life. The early months may be full of fun and excitement, but it can easily become stressful when negative pregnancy tests start piling up. Many people focus on the woman’s fertility, but that is only half of the equation. Male fertility is also as important. Here are five factors that can lower a man’s sperm count.
1. Being Obese
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, obesity can lower a man’s sperm count and quality. Obesity affects 400 million adults worldwide and has a direct correlation with male infertility. The more a man weighs, the more problems he will have when it comes to fathering a child. One theory suggests that excessive body fat converts testosterone into estrogen, which decreases the production and quality of the sperm. The goal is to keep his body mass index below the 25 to 30 range.
2. Having $ex Too Infrequently
Many couples strategically avoid $ex in an attempt to save up the man’s sperm so it can be released when the woman is ovulating. It is true that having too much $ex can lower a man’s sperm count, but so can having a $ex too infrequently. When a couple abstains from the $ex for too long the man starts producing less sperm, and the sperm he does produce may become “stale”. This sperm changes the shape and have difficulty swimming to the egg.
3. Eating Soy
Vegetarians may eat a lot of soy, but so can men who follow traditional omnivore diets. Accidentally eating traces of soy probably won’t hurt a man’s sperm count, but Fox News says that consuming even one-half of a serving of soy each day can really lower his fertility. Soy contains isoflavones, and isoflavones mimic estrogen. This sperm counts lowering factor can easily be avoided by eating mixed nuts instead of edamame.
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4. Using Technology
Technology in itself is not the problem. Cell phones and laptops are very useful tools, but men need to be mindful of how they use them. The best way to use a laptop is on a desk instead on of a lap. The amount of heat that a laptop emits can raise the temperature of the scrotum enough to harm the sperm. There is also a correlation between men who carry their cell phones in their front pocket and men with lower sperm counts.
5. Wearing Too Much Sunscreen
Sunscreen is very helpful when it comes to protecting skin from the sun’s harmful rays, but it can really lower a man’s sperm count. According to a recent study, the cocktail of chemicals that are found in sunscreen can reduce a man’s fertility by 30 percent! Balancing good skin and a high sperm count can be difficult. It is still a good idea to use sunscreen, but be sure to wash it off before heading inside. The chemicals that keep the sun from burning the skin can alter a man’s hormones. The right balance of testosterone and estrogen are an important part of preventing low sperm count.
MORE ABOUT SOY: 5 Things That Happens To Your Body When You Consume Soy
Conceiving a child may come naturally to some couples, but others have to wait for a long time before they see those two pink lines. Maintaining a healthy weight, having $ex every other day, avoiding soy, using electronics with caution, and removing sunscreen before the end of the day are five ways to make sure you aren’t accidentally lowering your sperm count so you can get a positive test result even sooner.
