A recent study published in BMJ Open reveals that consuming moderate amounts of alcohol every week could have a direct impact on the quality of sperm. The researchers, led by Prof. Tina Kold Jensen of the University of Southern Denmark, based their recent study on previous ones conducted on animals and how alcohol can affect sperm quality.
To be able to come up with viable data, the researchers conducted the study on 1,221 Danish men who are aged 18-28 and underwent military service medical exam from 2008 to 2012.
The assessment included questions on how much alcohol they intake in the week prior to the medical exam. Also, they asked if this was habitual, how often they binge drank and have them defined if they were drunk in the preceding month.
Furthermore, they were then prompted to have a semen sample. This was done to check the sperm quality. Blood samples were also taken to determine reproductive hormone levels. On an average, the number of unit drunk were 11 and 64% binge drank. Subsequently, 59% said they have been drunk more than two times in the past month.
As a result, they analyzed the results and found out that recent drinking has no link in sperm quality but alcohol consumption in the preceding month was linked to certain changes in the reproductive hormone levels.
Half or 50% of the men said that their typical alcohol intake in the past week was habitual and typical of their weekly drinking levels. Also, the higher the amount of weekly units, the lower the sperm quality which included sperm count and sperm ratio in shape and size.
The researchers opined that indeed, alcohol has direct link to sperm quality. Although, additional and further information are encouraged for confirmation and additional information regarding the topic.
