Soft drink

There is a common belief in Nigeria that taking to many sugary things can affect a man’s ability to perform sexually.

Well it appears that this may be true.

A new study shows sugar-sweetened drinks such as soft drinks may also lower semen quality.

The researchers found that high consumption of sugary drinks was associated with low sperm motility, or sperm movement — but surprisingly, this was true only for healthy, lean men.

The researchers found no relationship between sugary drink consumption and sperm motility in overweight or obese men.

In the study, which was detailed this month in the journal Human Reproduction, researchers analyzed the semen of 189 US men between the ages of 18 and 22. Each participant was subject to a physical exam, answered a questionnaire about his health habits and diet, and provided a semen sample.

The researchers relied on the men to self-report how often they consumed sugar-sweetened drinks over the past year, from zero to six drinks per day.

Higher sugary drink intake was also associated with lower levels of a reproductive hormone called the follicle stimulating hormone, or FSH. This hormone helps control sperm production, and the men in the study, both lean and obese, who consumed the most sugary drinks had slightly lower FSH levels.

Previous studies have shown that excess body weight can negatively affect sperm production. Extra fat around the waist and testicles can cause an increase in scrotal temperature, resulting in lower sperm quality.

The researchers expected weight to influence the results, because high sugar intake is often associated with a high body mass index, or BMI. However, the results showed an association between sugary drink intake and sperm motility only in lean men. Sperm motility in overweight or obese men was not affected.