13 ways you could be lowering your sperm count

In case you didn’t have enough reasons to quit, smoking cigarettes or marijuana can hurt your reproductive health. Smoking cigarettes has been linked to reduced sperm motility (aka the little guys’ ability to swim), as well as abnormally shaped sperm, and heavy use of marijuana has been associated with lower testosterone levels and reduced sperm quantity and quality. Other studies have refuted this (see “Alcohol” slide).

The relationship between alcohol use and sperm count is somewhat unclear. Some studies say that heavy drinking can hurt both the quality and quantity of sperm, but a 2012 British study found that neither drinking nor smoking would do any harm. Here’s the easy solution: Drink in moderation and don't smoke; heavy drinking and smoking can do plenty of damage without even factoring in reproductive health.

Being obese — i.e., having a BMI higher than 30 — increases a man’s likelihood of being sub-fertile threefold, according to an MSN UK article. Not only does obesity increase the temperature down there due to fat deposits in the groin, but it can also raise the body’s oestrogen level — both of these effects can hamper the testicles’ ability to do their job.

Additionally, a March 2012 study published in Human Reproduction found that men on high-fat diets had a 43% lower total sperm count and a 38% lower sperm concentration than men on low-fat diets.

While many sexually active people use lubricant to help things, um, move more efficiently, that same product can actually hurt sperms' ability to move freely. If you’re really concerned about sperm count, the Mayo Clinic suggests using vegetable, safflower or peanut oil instead.

There hasn’t been enough research to convict bisphenol A — a chemical found in some cans used for canned food, polycarbonate plastic cups, pitchers, adult dishware and, oddly, receipts — of hurting men’s reproductive health, but at least a few studies have linked high levels of BPA in urine to lower sperm quantity, quality and motility.

Some studies are pointing to our pans as risks for male reproductive health. One study in particular found that men with high levels of certain chemicals called perfluoralkyl acids — which add the nonstick quality to raincoats and pans — in their sperm had half the amount of normal sperm. Don’t go throwing out your expensive pans yet — this study was small, and the relationship between perluoroalkyl acids and sperm levels requires much more research.

Certain medications — such as calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, anti-androgens, anabolic steroids, chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatment for cancer — can cause fertility issues, so be sure to discuss these potential complications with your doctor before starting the medication.

You’ve probably noticed an increase in manufacturers touting their products as “phthalate-free” in the past couple of years. It’s because these substances — which are often added to plastic and can be found in various cosmetics and personal care products — have caused a stir in the past decade after a number of studies linked them to a plethora of health concerns. A few of those concerns: lower sperm count, lower sperm motility and abnormally shaped sperm.

Is there anything that stress doesn’t affect? According to the Mayo Clinic, it can interfere with the hormones needed to produce sperm, and it’s not a bad idea for a man looking to increase his sperm count to find more effective ways to relax. One small British study actually found that men who talked about their problems with loved ones actually had higher sperm counts than those who bottled up their emotions.

If you carry your phone in your hip pocket or on your belt, you might want to rethink that — men who follow this practice were found to have 11% fewer mobile sperm than those who stored their phone in other places. Even when it’s not in the general vicinity of your groin, cellphones have been linked to reproductive issues. One study found that men who spent more than an hour a day on the phone had 17% fewer highly motile sperm than those who only chatted on the device 15 minutes a day.

Like alcohol — or anything, really — caffeine intake should be consumed in moderation for ideal reproductive health. Once you reach three cups of coffee a day, you increase your risk of genetic mutations in sperm, according to Livestrong. A 2002 study also found that a cup of coffee a day was associated with multiple births (e.g., twins, triplets, etc.) — sounds like too much caffeine can make even your sperm a little too jumpy. That said, make sure to check out our tips below the slideshow on how to improve your sperm count, because caffeine has also been linked with positive effects on men’s reproductive health.

Before you get all riled up about this controversial food, we’re only including soy in this list because eating soy foods has been associated with lower sperm concentrations — HOWEVER, those lower sperm concentrations were usually still in a normal range, and the study that produced these findings was small and didn’t prove a causal effect. So it's probably safe to go back to eating your tofu.