Could Moderate Drinking Lower Sperm Count?
Men who drank 5 to 10 units of alcohol a week yielded a decrease in total sperm count, sperm concentration, and the percentage of healthy and normal sperm in given samples, according to a recent study.
For the study, researchers evaluated 1221 young, Danish men from 2008 to 2012 (ages 18 to 28 years) who underwent a thorough medical examination to determine their physical fitness for military service.
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Healthcare professionals assessed the participants by asking how much alcohol they consumed the week prior to examination, whether the answer was typical, and how often they binge drank alcohol (5 units in 1 sitting). The men also submitted semen and blood samples for investigators to check their reproductive hormone levels.
The assessment showed that almost 64% of the men had binged, and 59% reported to have been drunk at least twice during the previous month. The mean number of units consumed during the week prior was 11.
The study showed that there was no obvious association between recent alcohol consumption and sperm quality, or any significant impact on samples from binge drinking in the previous month.
However, investigators noticed that alcohol consumption in the previous week induced changes in the men’s reproductive hormone levels. The greater number of units consumed yielded the more noticeable the impact was on the participant’s sample: testosterone levels increased, while sex hormone binding globulin decreased.
“Our study suggests that even modest habitual alcohol consumption of more than 5 units per week had adverse effects on semen quality although most pronounced associations were seen in men who consumed more than 25 units per week,” said the authors of the study.
“Alcohol consumption was also linked to changes in testosterone and SHBG levels. Young men should be advised to avoid habitual alcohol intake,” they said.
Investigators noted that those who drank 40 units every week yielded a 33% lower total sperm count, and 51% lower proportions of normal-looking sperm compared to men who drank 5 units a week.
The complete study is published in the October issue of the BMJ Open.
-Michelle Canales
Reference:
Jensen TK, Gottschau M, Madsen JOB, et al. Habitual alcohol consumption associate with reduced semen quality and changes in reproductive hormones; a cross-sectional study among 1221 young Danish men. BMJ Open. 2014 October [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005462.