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At least 10-15% of couples who are trying to have children experience infertility or infertility problems. Many things affect fertility, one of which is the food consumed. As in the results that have recently emerged which states that consuming carbohydrates and milk affects the quality of sperm in men so that it can lead to infertility.

Excess carbohydrate consumption decreases sperm count

This research is discussed at a regular meeting held by American Society for Reproductive Medicine in San Diego. The researchers involved as many as 200 healthy men in the age group 18 to 22 years who have high physical activity and have an average body mass index (BMI) value of 25.3 kg / m2. Then, it is known that the group consumes almost half of its total daily intake of carbohydrates. From these studies it is known that people who eat more carbohydrates have lower sperm counts than people who eat less carbohydrates.

In addition, this study also found a relationship between the glycemic index and the number of sperm. The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly the carbohydrates eaten are then converted into blood sugar in the body. The results found that people who ate foods that had a high glycemic index had a lower sperm count, the lower the glycemic index of the food consumed, the more sperm that group produced. The group of people who ate foods with the highest glycemic index had a sperm count of 32 million / ml, while the group with the lowest glycemic index was able to produce sperm as much as 59 million / ml. However, this study did not find a relationship between carbohydrate consumption and the shape and movement of sperm.

Why can carbohydrates affect sperm?

The relationship between carbohydrates and sperm is unclear. However, the most sensible and most likely answer is that consumption of foods that contain high carbohydrates and a large glycemic index can cause a person to experience overweight or even obesity. Another study published in the Human Reproduction Journal states that men who have BMI values that exceed normal tend to have low sperm counts and poor semen quality. This can happen because too much fat storage in the body can convert the male hormone testosterone into the hormone estrogen which is a hormone that is in women.

Another theory also states that the increased leptin hormone in the body can affect sperm quality. The leptin hormone is a hormone that functions to suppress appetite and will appear when a person's stomach is fully filled. However, due to eating too much, the hormone leptin no longer works properly and according to its function, then affects sperm in men.

Consumption of milk affects the movement and quality of sperm

Not only was the dietary dietary source of carbohydrates studied, but the milk consumption habits of this group of men were also taken into account. Respondents were asked to fill out a questionnaire related to the food they eat daily. Previously, it was determined that as much as 28 grams of cheese, one tablespoon of cream, one big spoon of ice cream, or one glass of milk full cream expressed as a serving of dairy products. In the study, the experts looked at the shape and speed of the movement of sperm from a group of people who usually consume milk or dairy products. From the research results, it is known that the group who consumed dairy products at least 3 servings in one day had a decrease in sperm quality by 25% compared to the group that consumed less dairy products.

Researchers concluded that the hormone estrogen commonly contained in milk and other products can affect the male reproductive system, including the quality of sperm. The hormone estrogen is a hormone found in the female body and functions to regulate the female reproductive system.

The pesticides in milk also have an effect

In addition, researchers also think that the pesticides that may be present in milk affect the movement and shape of the sperm produced. Pesticides can be in the milk because the cows that produce the milk are given plants or food contaminated with pesticides, so that the cow's milk is also contaminated. This is evidenced by the results of a study conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health which found that people who ate food contaminated with pesticides in their food produced 50% less sperm than people who did not eat food contaminated with pesticides.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't eat carbohydrates and milk

The information above does not mean that you should cut back or not eat carbohydrates or dairy products at all. All you need to pay attention to is the type of carbohydrates and milk consumed. It is better to reduce the consumption of simple types of carbohydrates, namely in the form of sugar, and various other sweet foods, and increase the complex carbohydrates such as potatoes, whole wheat bread, and cereals. In addition, pay attention to the levels of the glycemic index of the foods you eat.

Meanwhile, if you are accustomed to consuming milk every day, it doesn't hurt to try soy milk or other vegetable-based milk that might be safer for consumption.