In today’s world where toxic lifestyle choices become common, it is time to choose health-conscious habits. The impact of lifestyle choices on male fertility play a major role in maintaining health and ensuring fertility. There is a possibility that older men have better fertility than younger men because the lifestyle you choose plays a major role in controlling organ health.
This article will let you explore the impact of lifestyle choices on male fertility, ranging from diet to stress.
Lifestyle factors affecting male fertility
Sedentary lifestyle
A lifestyle that includes no physical activity, and avoiding getting active is called a sedentary lifestyle. Not indulging in any physical activities increases the risk of obesity, and other health complications, causes hormonal fluctuation, and reduces the chances of proper blood flow in the reproductive system. It is also linked with erectile dysfunction, increased oxidative stress, reduced sperm quality, and increased testicular temperature (due to prolonged sitting).
Several studies were conducted on this topic, and it concluded that- even older men who were active throughout their lives with some activity have more testosterone levels than younger men with no physical activity.
Obesity
There is a parallel rise in obesity and male infertility. It exacerbates infertility via several mechanisms, let’s understand each-
- Metabolic dysregulation- visceral fat, or increased adipose tissues contains enzymes that convert testosterone into estrogen, reduce sex hormones binding globulin (SHBG), reduce testosterone production, and impact Leydig cells (which are responsible for the production of testosterone).
- Oxidative stress- obese men tend to have higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and this impacts the DNA of sperm, impairs mitochondrial functionality (it is crucial for sperm motility and energy production), and disrupts sperm morphology.
- Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis-it affects the production of testosterone, pituitary gland, gonads, and reproductive functions. And all this happens because of the increased inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.
- Epigenetic alteration- key drivers of obesity like diet and lifestyle can cause alternation of gene expression without actually changing the sequence of DNA itself. Due to this DNA methylation and histone modification, sperm motility, quality of spermatogenesis, and integrity were impacted.
Even studies stated that obesity not only males who are trying for natural pregnancy, but also those who are trying to become parents through medical interventions like IUI, ART, and IVF.
Lack of sleep
Sleeping is often overlooked, but it has a significant impact on reproductive health. Not getting proper sleep can impact the functions of erectile tissue, impair blood flow, and reduce the level of testosterone, and this can lead to endothelial dysfunction. This is a condition where blood vessels lock or struggle to dilate, influencing reproductive organs. Also, sleep holds a great place in hormonal balance. Due to lack of sleep, hormonal imbalance happens which is one of the reasons behind male infertility. It also influences circadian rhythm, increases stress hormonal, and reduces the ability of sperm to swim. Doctors recommend taking a minimum of 7 to 9 hours of sleep to optimize fertility.
Drinking and Smoking
This might be a part of a social life of most of the men. It takes a minimum of 3 months for male sperm to return to its healthy stage of the production process, and this is because of the consumption of alcohol excessively. Almost 40% to 50% of Indian males experience infertility, and most of the accounts are held by lifestyle factors, and smoking and drinking are one of them.
Alcohol consumption reduces the level of male sex hormones, and further causes issues to maintain erection. Additionally, it disrupts delicate hormonal balance, affecting testosterone levels, and sexual health, decreases sperm quality, causes genetic abnormalities by damaging sperm DNA, alters morphology, and alters the composition of seminal fluid which is responsible for providing essential nutrients to sperm.
Additionally, some men have a habit of consuming coffee on a daily basis and this has extremely negative impacts on the reproductive system. It has the ability to impair reproductive functions and trigger abnormalities in spermatozoa DNA. Not only that, it decreases the volume and count of sperm including low concentrations of sperm.
Lack of nutrition
Diet and nutrition value contribute to 30% of male infertility cases. Let’s understand its role-
- Every mineral, and vitamin, plays a crucial role in the production of testosterone and sperm development. For example; deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids decreases the quality of the sperm, as it is crucial for the fluidity of the cell membrane of the sperm.
- Due to nutritional deficiency, balanced hormones got disrupted, causing a significant impact on the reproductive system; majorly on the production of testosterone.
- An unhealthy diet increases oxidative stress and impairs sperm DNA and its function.
- It causes abnormal chromosomes, decreases motility, and impairs testicular functions.
- All this happens because of the culture of eating fast and saturated food items; the so-called “Western Eating Culture”. As you already read, obesity can cause several fertility challenges in men. And not eating healthy meals increases the chances of obesity.
Stress
Due to chronic stress, cortisol levels are elevated, and this impacts on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. The system is responsible for regulating hormones in the body, but it gets interrupted due to stress. Also, the body triggers fight-or-flight mode which causes physiological changes including increased temperature in the genital area. This increased temperature directly influences testicular atrophy.
Conclusion
It is crucial to update lifestyle because lifestyle factors impact male fertility to the level that the majority of men face issues of infertility. From stress to diet, everything matters, as this significantly influences hormonal balance, resulting in disturbed reproductive health.
Simple changes in your diet and lifestyle can improve fertility. Further, choosing the right fertility clinic can bring a life-changing impact, and Parihar IVF is one of them. With an expert team, cutting-edge technology, and treatments are affordable prices, they ensure to offer the best results to their patient.