Junk food damages sperm in healthy young men: study

A study out of Harvard University has found that healthy young men who indulge in junk food binges are putting their fertility at risk. And those who ate foods high in trans fats -- like deep-fried and processed foods -- fared the worst.

In the study, researchers from Harvard and the University of Murcia in Spain asked hundreds of men ages 18-22 to keep a log of everything they ate for months.

After analyzing the food diaries and their sperm, doctors found that those who binged on high-fat foods like cookies, cakes, chocolate, chips and fried and processed foods had poorer-quality sperm than those who followed a healthy diet, reported British paper The Sun this week.

The same was true of men who were of a healthy weight and exercised regularly: doctors said their sperm was less likely survive the perilous journey to fertilize an egg.

Those with the weakest swimmers were men who consumed diets high in trans fats like hydrogenated oils, while men who ate whole grains, vegetables and fish produced the best-quality sperm.

Foods that have been shown to boost men's fertility include eggs, salmon, natural yogurt, nuts, seeds, berries, sweet potatoes, broccoli and asparagus.