Women need to strictly control their diet during the pre-conception period, and the same applies to men. Improper dietary habits can have many adverse effects on health. So, what are the forbidden foods for men during pre-conception? Let's find out!
Male Pre-conception Dietary Taboos
1. Fried Chicken
Men who love barbecue should take note. Experts point out that barbecued and fried starchy foods contain the carcinogen acrylamide, which can lead to oligospermia and asthenospermia in men. In addition, heavy metals like cadmium and pesticide residues are toxic to sperm.
Some studies have found that the decrease in sperm count and motility in patients with oligoasthenospermia is related to the deficiency of the trace element zinc. Therefore, eating more zinc-rich foods such as oysters, dried shrimp, animal liver, seaweed, sesame, peanuts, and beans can ensure "vitality" and energy.
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is an important method for treating urinary tract stones. However, foreign scientists conducted semen analysis on patients undergoing this therapy and found a decrease in sperm motility and density. Therefore, vigilance should be paid to iatrogenic damage.
Kind Reminder: In terms of diseases, varicocele can affect testicular production, so patients with this condition should seek early diagnosis and treatment.
2. Beer
If you already have kidney disease and drink beer without restriction, uric acid will deposit, leading to renal tubular blockage and kidney failure.
If a problem with the kidneys is found during a blood test, the kidney function is likely already severely damaged. Rather than waiting for a blood test to understand your kidney condition, it is better to have regular urine tests, as urinalysis is the simplest and quickest way to assess kidney health.
3. Coffee
The reason coffee has a refreshing effect is that the caffeine it contains stimulates the human sympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system controls all daytime activities; when stimulated, a person becomes mentally alert and energetic. The parasympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is in charge of nighttime physiological activities, erections, and other sex-related functions, and it has an internal relationship with the sympathetic nervous system. When the sympathetic nervous system is frequently active, the relatively weaker parasympathetic nervous system will be suppressed, clinically manifesting as a decreased libido.
Kind Reminder: For people who are emotionally volatile and whose sympathetic nervous system is easily excited, it is best not to drink coffee or other caffeinated beverages before sex, so as not to suppress the parasympathetic nervous system and reduce libido.
Stir-fried Chives with Eggs
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4. Tofu
Men who love tofu and other soy products should be cautious. According to recent reports from multiple US media, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health has once again confirmed that daily consumption of soy products can significantly reduce sperm count in men.
This study was conducted by Dr. George Chavarro from the Harvard School of Public Health. From 2000 to 2006, researchers tracked 99 men. The results were astonishing: men who ate soy products every day had only 41 million sperm per milliliter of semen, significantly lower than men who ate fewer soy products. It is understood that a sperm count of less than 20 million per milliliter is considered too low, which can easily lead to infertility. Furthermore, this association was more pronounced in obese men.
Chavarro believes that soy products have an adverse effect on the male reproductive system, especially sperm production. Soy and its products are rich in isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen. If consumed in excess, they can naturally affect the level of male hormones in the body, leading to a series of adverse consequences.
Andrologists in China have also suggested that excessive consumption of soy products can affect male sperm count. In the past five years, Pan Lianjun, an andrologist from the Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, has been paying close attention to this issue. He also found that men who often eat soy products have a 3.46 times higher chance of developing erectile dysfunction than those who rarely eat them.
Kind Reminder: Eating soy products in moderation is the best way to avoid health risks for men. "Moderation" means eating less than three times a week, with about 100 grams each time.
5. Milk Tea
Most pearl milk teas on the market are made from non-dairy creamer, food coloring, flavorings, tapioca pearls (the "bubbles" in the tea), and tap water. The main ingredient of non-dairy creamer is hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is a trans fatty acid. Trans fatty acids reduce the secretion of male hormones and have a negative impact on sperm motility, interrupting the process of sperm reaction in the body.
Kind Reminder: In fact, many of the foods we often eat, such as biscuits, crispbreads, shortbread, chocolate, salad dressing, french fries, donuts, cream cakes, pancakes, potato chips, and fried instant noodles, all contain varying amounts of trans fatty acids.
6. Pork Kidneys
Many people love to eat animal organs, especially when barbecuing, "kidneys" are a favorite for many men. Recently, doctors in Taiwan have warned: eating organs to nourish the body, be careful of the heavy metal "cadmium" damaging sperm and causing infertility.
Livers, kidneys, pig testicles—those who believe in "like cures like" should be careful. Eating too much not only fails to nourish the body but may also lead to infertility. According to a new study from Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan, pig, cow, and sheep livers and kidneys all contain varying amounts of the heavy metal cadmium. While people are nourishing their bodies, they are also consuming cadmium, which can very likely cause infertility. If they are also smokers, the chance of infertility is as high as 60%.
Kind Reminder: These foods considered to "strengthen sperm" contain high levels of cadmium, which not only reduce the number of sperm but also affect the implantation of the fertilized egg. Due to the damage cadmium causes to chromosomes, the fertilized egg may fail to implant easily, affecting conception.
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You might also like:
Pre-conception Diet Guide
Attention! 16 Foods to Avoid During Pre-conception
Three Meals a Day: Create a Pre-conception Plan for Yourself
Detoxification and Fertility Recipes for Couples Trying to Conceive: Have a Healthy Baby
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