Obesity Bad For Sperm

A recent study from England attempted to find the relationship between BMI and sperm quality. The research showed that as men get heavier and heavier, their percent of abnormal sperm also increases. Semen volume also decreases as the weight goes on. The lead researcher said there were a number of possible explanations, including different hormone levels in obese men, overheating of the testicles caused by excessive fat in the area, or simply the lifestyle and diet that leads to obesity also causing poorer semen quality. There are many benefits that result from an ideal body weight and these findings indicate that improved sperm quality can be added to the list.

Another recent study on the effectiveness of various popular diets showed that the low carb diets showed the best results. Subjects on the low carb / high protein (with some vegetarian sources of fat) diets showed not only weight loss but also the largest decline in cholesterol. The average weight loss for the participants was ten lbs for the low carb diet vs six lbs for the low fat diet.