Processed Meat Affects Sperm Quality

Processed meat products may lower sperm quality, according to an abstract presented by Harvard at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s annual conference this month. Researchers analyzed 364 samples of semen from 156 men who were having reproductive difficulties and asked the men to complete a food record. Those participants with higher intakes of processed meat products (more than one-third of a serving per day) saw more abnormalities in sperm count, size, and shape, compared with men who ate less.

These findings support a recent study which showed similar results between semen quality and dairy products.