A baby is nurtured in the mother's body, and only when the mother eats well can she have a healthy and smart baby. Therefore, the diet of expectant mothers has always received the greatest attention. However, the latest research from abroad shows that the husband's eating habits and lifestyle also play a crucial role in conceiving a healthy baby.
On this topic, we interviewed Professor Sun Shuzhi, a member of the Clinical Nutrition Branch of the Chinese Nutrition Society and a chief nutritionist. She said, for a baby to be smart and healthy, the husband's diet cannot be taken lightly. The nutritional status of men is directly related to the family's fertility and the quality of their offspring.
Unscientific Diet Harms Conception
Professor Sun reminds young husbands that if they want a smart and healthy baby, they should start with themselves and change their unhealthy eating habits.
Bad Habits
1. Picky eating with a dislike for fruits and vegetables
Many men dismiss fruits and vegetables, thinking they are only for women trying to lose weight. In fact, the nutrients in fruits and vegetables are essential for male reproductive physiology, and their role should not be underestimated. If men lack various vitamins from fruits and vegetables for a long time, it can hinder the normal development of the gonads and sperm production, leading to reduced sperm count or impaired sperm motility, and in severe cases, it may cause infertility.
Foreign research shows that a severe deficiency of vitamin A in men can easily damage sperm and reduce its motility. Even if conception occurs, it can easily lead to fetal malformation or stillbirth. The B vitamins (including pantothenic acid) are directly and closely related to the health of the male testes. Once deficient, they can reduce male fertility. Researchers found that after injecting vitamin B12 into men, the number of active sperm rapidly increased from 1 million to 140 million, and sperm motility was also greatly improved compared to before.
2. Indulgence in smoking and alcohol
Although the dangers of smoking and alcohol are well-known, for young husbands in their prime career years, there is often a sense of helplessness, like "when you're in the world, you can't always do as you please." But no matter how helpless they feel, if they want a healthy and smart baby, it's best to quit smoking and drinking.
There are more than 20 harmful components in tobacco that can cause changes in chromosomes and genes. These harmful mutagens directly enter the reproductive system through the blood of smokers. Men who smoke more than 30 cigarettes a day have a proportion of abnormal sperm exceeding 20%, and the sperm survival rate is only 49%. The duration of smoking is directly proportional to the rate of sperm abnormalities. Moreover, heavy smoking can also lead to a decrease in male libido and even impotence, and it promotes the massive loss of vitamin C in the body.
Alcohol and its toxic decomposition products can easily cause chromosomal abnormalities in the father, leading to birth defects in the child. Here, "alcohol" doesn't just refer to "drinks in a cup"; any beverage containing alcohol or some carbonated drinks, such as rice wine, sweet wine, cola, etc., are harmful to the reproductive health of young men.
If the husband really cannot quit smoking and alcohol completely, his wife should remind him to at least moderate his intake at least 3 months before conception.
3. A preference for high-protein meat foods
Most young men prefer meat; "drinking from big bowls and eating large chunks of meat" is indeed a sign of male generosity. Although sperm production requires high-quality protein, Professor Sun points out that if the intake of high-protein substances is too high while vitamin intake is insufficient, it can easily lead to an acidic constitution, making conception difficult.
For men, high vitamins, high-quality protein, essential trace elements, minerals, and sufficient energy are the four key elements for enhancing fertility.