Dr. Jeffrey Bland (video, June 28, 2024) warns that male fertility is declining globally—citing a 2023 paper reporting ~2%+ annual decreases in sperm counts—and explains potential causes (environmental toxins and a 'toxic' food system). He describes biological mechanisms (mitochondrial dysfunction, altered sperm RNA with epigenetic-like effects from high saturated-fat diets) and points to dietary interventions (polyphenol-rich foods, omega-3 fatty acids, prebiotic fiber, a healthy microbiome; Mediterranean-style diet) as potential ways to preserve sperm function and viability.
Chapters
Hi, I'm Dr. Jeff Bland and did you know that male fertility is in crisis right now, globally, not just in the United States, globally. And that sperm counts are going down, according to this most recent 2023 paper, across all of the world, going down at 2% or more a year. Now, what does that mean at 2% or more a year? If it was to continue on for 50 years, that means 2% times 50. You're getting close to 100% of the loss of viable sperm for reproduction. That's a serious problem. Now what do we do about that? Where did it come from? Well, there's increasing evidence as to where it's come from. It's come from a toxic environment, that's one thing, but it's also come from a toxic food supply system, that's another. We're not eating right, we're eating as men. Just going to focus here on sperm with men were eating diets that have been found to actually alter the ability of sperm to function properly. Remember, the sperm require a lot of energy to do their work, so they have to swim upstream and they're powered by the energy powerhouse called the mitochondria. And it turns out that diets that are very high in saturated fats have now been discovered, according to a recent paper just appeared in Nature magazine, to alter their RNA level such that it transmits a different message to the fertilized egg. And that creates then problems, metabolic problems actually in the male offspring. It's an epigenetic like effect. And these sperm, also because they've lost some of their energy powerhouse ability to swim effectively, don't make it and don't get the fertilization. So lower sperm, lower sperm activity, lower fertility. And now we have a problem. Okay, so what's the solution? Well, there are papers now demonstrating that diets that are rich in polyphenols, omega 3 fatty acids and a friendly and effective microbiome have the capability of supporting proper sperm formation and function. Wow, that's kind of interesting, isn't it? So the Mediterranean diet is a good example of that diet that's higher in omega 3 fatty acids, a diet that's high in prebiotic fiber, a diet that's higher in polyphenols, these colored constituents of fruits and vegetables. That is the solution to this problem that is becoming globally pandemic, which is male reproductive lack of viability. We need to do something about this before it's too late. It's not a good sign. Now is our chance to do something.
