The world has created 1 billion new people in 12 years, which seems to be a very rapid reproduction rate. However, the fact is that the world's population growth has been slower and slower in the past decade.

On November 15, 2022, the total population of the world exceeded 8 billion .

The world has created 1 billion new people in 12 years, which seems to be a very rapid reproduction rate.

However, the fact is that the world's population growth has been slower and slower in the past decade.

When discussing whether to have children, should we think first, can we still give birth to children?

This is not an alarmist statement, nor is it a conspiracy theory that deceives us to speed up the birth of children, but a real and realistic problem with scientific basis.

On November 16, a research team led by Hagay Levin, a professor at the Hebrew University of Israel, published a paper in the journal Human Reproduction Update, saying that for the past half a century, men's fertility has shown a cliff-like decline and is still accelerating.

This study analyzed hundreds of publications covering semen samples in 53 countries over the past 40 years. From 1973 to 2018, the average sperm count in males fell by 62%, and the sperm concentration in the semen decreased by 52%.

This makes the life and team who are preparing for [Good Egg Pregnancy Training Camp] feel a great responsibility. Although "Good Pregnancy, Start with Egg", the quality of sperm is also crucial.

What does the number of sperm indicate?

The sperm count is declining and the sperm abnormality rate is increasing, telling us that men's fertility is facing a serious crisis. In addition, sperm count is also an indicator of male overall health, and low levels are related to chronic diseases, increased risk of testicular cancer and decreased life span.

On a broader scale, this decline means global problems related to modern environments, lifestyles, reflecting a damaged pathological world, at least for human reproduction.

Why are sperm "small, weak, sick and disabled"?

Sperm is the key to nurturing new life. Over the past decades, has it been the "whose monster" that has repeatedly suffered "hard damage" in terms of quantity and quality of sperm?

Global Warming : Research team from the Institute of Molecular Biology at the University of Oregon found that for every 2 degrees Celsius increase in temperature, the DNA damage to sperm increases by 25 times. In other words, global warming is quietly "murdering" male sperm.

Air pollution: Air pollutants are mixtures containing gaseous pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide , sulfur dioxide , ozone , and inhalable particulate matter such as PM10. They are mainly derived from motor vehicle exhaust, factories, fires, households, agriculture, waste treatment, oil refineries, etc.

In February 2022, a small research team composed of Shanghai Tongji University School of Medicine and Jiaotong University School of Medicine and other institutions, studied the health records of 33,876 male patients who have been treated in fertility clinics in 130 cities in China, and found that men living in severely polluted areas may have poor sperm motility.

Harmful chemical substances: Everyone will inevitably be exposed to various chemical substances in their daily lives. Many harmful chemicals have serious adverse effects on the function of the human body, especially the reproductive organs.

☞The bisphenol A in the inner wall of canned food and beverages, phthalate in food plastic packaging, bromine flame retardant in furniture, and other chemical substances will interfere with the hormone pathway in thyroid and inhibit the performance of testosterone.

Since the research shows that if a boy has been exposed to the above endocrine disruptor in the uterus, their anal distance (AGD) will be shortened. The so-called anal distance is the distance between the anus and the genitals. For men, the shorter the anal distance, the worse the semen quality and the lower the testosterone level.

☞House dioxin contained in car exhaust is a very strong environmental endocrine interference substance, which can change the testicular morphology of men, reduce the sperm count, and reduce the sperm production ability.

☞Heavy metal lead accumulates in the body, which will affect men's sexual function and lead to changes in the quality and quantity of sperm, such as a decrease in sperm count, an increase in sperm malformation rate, and a weakened activity.

☞Insecticides containing phosphorus and other synthetic organic compounds, herbicide are also known as "sperm killers".

Hot exposure: Long-term bathing in hot springs, steaming saunas, and wearing tights will cause the temperature of the vagina to rise, which is not conducive to sperm production.

The experiment of the National Institute of Basic Biology of Japan found that when the testicle temperature reaches 37℃~38℃, the sperm production process will be severely collapsed, and meiosis will appear, resulting in sperm cell death; if the temperature reaches 40℃, basically no germ cells will survive.

Smoking and drinking: The main ingredient in tobacco is nicotine , nicotine can directly affect sperm production. Smoking can also cause penile arteries to contract, testicles and epididym hemodynamic changes, which can affect the development of spermatogenesis and hinder sperm occurrence and maturation.

Alcohol will inhibit the secretion of testosterone and inhibit the production of sperm. It can also induce prostatitis and and other men's diseases, causing sperm failure to liquefy and sperm malformation.

Mental stress: Sperm can also get angry, and depression and poor spirits will have adverse effects on the human endocrine system.

After analyzing 1,000 semen of men during stress period, researchers in Israel found that men during stress period lacked vitality and were difficult to combine with their eggs and complete fertilization.

In addition, excessive stress can also lead to neuroendocrine disorders, which interferes with the sperm production of testicles.

Electronics: Radiation from mobile phones and computers also has an impact on sperm quality. If you always keep your phone very close to your genitals, such as in your pants pocket, your sperm quality will decrease.

Studies have shown that men who often place their mobile phones within 50 cm of the genitals are more likely to have sperm problems. People who use their mobile phone to talk for more than one hour a day are twice as likely to have sperm defects than those who do not have much contact with their mobile phones.

There are also some clichés, such as obesity, staying up late, substance abuse, etc., which are quietly "killing" sperm.

Functional Medicine has something to say

Maybe you can't escape global climate warming and you can't escape the increasingly serious air pollution... But you can at least restrain yourself, "curve sperm saving", start a "sperm defense battle", and go against the current in the tide of declining sperm quality in men around the world!

throw away tights: tights, especially tight shorts , will cause the scrotum temperature to be too high and cause the sperm to "heat stroke". Men in loose shorts have a lower risk of developing low sperm count than men in tight shorts.

Reduce toxin exposure: Stay away from disposable plastic paper cups, lunch boxes, avoid contact with insecticides, unqualified dyes, surfactants, and choose natural toiletries.

Quit smoking and quit drinking: To ensure the quality of sperm, you must avoid smoking and quit drinking. The nicotine in cigarettes will directly affect the production of sperm, and the harm of second-hand smoke should be avoided as much as possible; alcohol will reduce androgen levels, resulting in a decrease in sperm motility.

Avoid staying up late: Staying up late for a long time will reduce the body's immunity , leading to endocrine disorders. As the influence accumulates, it will lead to abnormal hormone secretion of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which will cause the ratio of male-estrogen to be imbalanced and lead to spermatogenesis disorders in the testicles.

Multi-exercise: The impact of obesity on male sperm quality is multifaceted, and it has a negative impact on semen volume, sperm concentration, and sperm motility. Moreover, the fertility of obese men is also on a downward trend.

In addition, the impact of male obesity on semen quality and fertility may also be passed on to offspring or cross-generational generations, resulting in abnormal semen quality and fertility in offspring or cross-generational generations.

Reasonable diet: "Food is the most important thing for people". Eating well and eating right is also conducive to improving sperm quality.

☞Eat more foods containing high-quality protein : protein is an important part of cells and an important raw material for producing sperm. Reasonable supplementation of foods rich in high-quality protein is beneficial to coordinate male endocrine functions and improve the quantity and quality of sperm.

foods containing high protein include lean meat, beef and mutton, chicken and duck, eggs, fish and shrimp, soy products, etc.

☞Eat more calcium-containing foods: calcium ion can stimulate sperm maturation, such as shrimp skin, salted eggs, soybeans, kelp, sesame paste, etc.

☞Eat more zinc-containing foods: zinc has been proven to improve sperm count, quality and activity. Foods rich in zinc include oyster , beef, mutton, sesame , pumpkin seeds, shrimp and yogurt.

☞Eat more vitamins rich foods: vitamin A, vitamin E and vitamin C, all help increase quantity and vitality, delay and avoid sexual function decline.

Eat more pig liver, chicken liver, sheep liver, carrot , dairy products, green leafy vegetables, egg yolks and liver, etc.;

Vitamin C is mainly found in fresh vegetables, fruits and other foods, especially in some dark vegetables such as green vegetables, leeks, potatoes, spinach, bell peppers and , cauliflower, citrus, oranges, lemons, red fruit , grapefruit , kiwi , sour jujube and other fruits.

The main sources of vitamin E are vegetable oils and nut foods.

☞Eat more foods containing arginine : arginine is a necessary ingredient for sperm formation. This type of food has a characteristic manifestation in nature. Animals with particularly slippery body shapes are rich in arginine, such as eels, catfish , loach , etc.

Defending sperm is a long-term project, and an article is not enough to explain it clearly. In order to actively respond to the national three-child policy, the Life Plus team will soon launch the [Pregnancy Preparation Training Camp] to provide feasible and good pregnancy plans for couples who are preparing for pregnancy. Stay tuned!