Once when a couple couldn’t have children they automatically assumed that the wife had the problem. Indeed, once male infertility was rare. But today things are different and fertility experts say at least 40% of the couples coming for fertility treatments show the trouble is with the husband. In addition, studies around the world show that male fertility levels are getting steeply lower since the 90’s.
Why is this happening? Here are 6 things we currently know:
1. Poor Nutrition: This is the approach accepted by most alternative medicine practitioners to provide a more balanced diet to the males suffering from infertility. Their treatments based on improving nutrition have yielded positive results in a large percentage of their patients. Western food quite often can lead to malnutrition where a person can feel satisfied and even be obese and still not have a proper balanced nutrition with all the vitamins and minerals necessary to maintain proper health. This makes fertility suffer.
2. Smoking: The warning on the cigarette boxes aren’t fake news, they are scientifically based facts. Men who smoke are in high risk of infertility. This same risk is true for those who smoke marijuana which is considered a ‘light drug’.
3. Exposure to chemicals which can affect hormones: Plastics that contain bisphenol A (BPA) and substances found in food water and even the air can all have an effect. Researchers have documented hormonal changes in both men and women due to exposure to these substances. Male infertility is one of the changes that happen. The FDA says that BPA is safe but has continued ongoing research to review this question.
4. Obesity: Similar to women, obese men have a higher risk of infertility and there’s a correlation between the world’s plague of obesity and the increase of male infertility.
5. Exposure to heat: Men who work in hot environments like chefs and men who wear tight warm clothing also have increased risk of infertility.
6. Drinking alcoholic beverages: In addition to many other health drawbacks related to alcohol consumption it also increases the risk of infertility.