Avid Cola, Can Damage Sperm?

LONDON, KOMPAS.com - For those of you who avidly drink cola or soft drink, you should think again. Recent research scientists from the Danish state, the consumption of up to 1 liter of cola drinks per day can damage sperm quality.

As American Journal of Epidemiology, male drinkers of soft drinks have a low sperm count. When averaged, the number of sperm cells of men is almost 30 percent lower than men who did not drink cola.

Although sperm count is still considered as normal by the World Health Organization (WHO), a man whose sperm count slightly greater risk of experiencing infertility or infertility.

The researchers said the discovery of the relationship of cola with a lower sperm quality was not caused by caffeine. According to them, the coffee did not show similar effects although the content kefeinnya higher. Other substances contained in the beverage or an unhealthy lifestyle that others could be the cause.

Kold Jensen, who led the research, said that so far the research that revealed the impact of caffeine on male reproductive health is still very little. Previous studies involved only participants from specific groups, such as male infertility. The results of his research was still being debated.

Jensen held research is stimulated increased consumption of soft drink beverages containing caffeine among the citizens of Denmark in the last decade. They wanted to examine the extent of its influence on reproductive health.

More than 2,500 young men involved in this research. Those who do not drink cola had better sperm quality-average 50 million sperm per milliliter of semen, and tend to have a healthier lifestyle.

Meanwhile, as many as 93 men who drank more than 1 liter per day only has 35 million sperm per milliliter of semen. They also had a bad lifestyle. More often eat fast food, little consumption of fruits and vegetables.

Caffeine intake from other sources, such as coffee or tea, is also explored in this research. However, its connection with the decline in sperm quality is not too obvious.

It remains unclear whether cola beverages, lifestyle, or a combination of both, the cause of low sperm quality. Jensen and his team recognized that there needs to be further study to prove it.

kompas.com