Building Better Sperm: Cleaning Up Your Act
It’s not just the things you put in your body that affects sperm quality– what’s around you in your daily environment can also hurt your little swimmers.
Toxins, air pollutants, water pollutants and many household products can have a negative effect on men’s fertility. In fact, over the past 50-60 years, exposure to environmental chemicals that interfere with the natural hormones in the body has lead men world-wide to have lower sperm quality. These so-called endocrine disruptors are found in water, soil, air, food, plastic containers, cleaning detergents and personal care products. Many people are exposed in the workplace.
For better sperm, it’s highly encouraged to limit your exposure to the following list of the most common pollutants:
Offending Chemicals
- Organochlorines
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (better known as PCBs)
- Dioxins
- Phthalates
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
Firsthand and Secondhand Tobacco Smoke
There’s no controversy that exposure to both is a detriment to producing healthy sperm. A number of studies have shown that smoking has an adverse effect on semen quality. Common sense even tells us that smoking is bad for fertility for both men and women.
Cell Phones, Laptops, Tablets
There have been some preliminary studies linking cell phone use to a decrease in sperm count, sperm motility and sperm viability. While not all the studies done on the subject agree on the effects of cell phones, but we still think it’s wise to keep your cell phone, laptop and iPad away from your reproductive organs — just in case.
More in This Series
Building Better Sperm: Use It Or Lose It! – How to get your physical health in top shape.
Building Better Swimmers: Nutrients for Healthy Sperm – The vitamins and minerals you need for those little guys to thrive.
Building Better Swimmers: Foods for Healthy Sperm – Food to help those little guys thrive.
Source: NCBI; this article was excerpted from the book SuperFoodsRx for Pregnancy by Steven Pratt, M.D
