When it comes to coffee and caffeine, there’s an abundance of scientific studies. And yet, scientists are not yet completely certain whether coffee is bad or good for male fertility. The thing about coffee is that it contains so many antioxidants that it’s generally considered a healthy beverage.
Unfortunately, coffee consumption is also linked to poor sleep quality, reduced sleep duration, and certain negative habits like smoking, which are all bad for your sperm count and overall fertility. Continue reading to find out how coffee intake affects your reproductive potential.
The Many Benefits of Coffee
Coffee lovers have a lot of reasons why they shouldn’t quit drinking coffee. For one, this popular beverage contains essential nutrients like magnesium, manganese, potassium, and B vitamins.
More importantly, coffee is extremely rich in antioxidants. In fact, studies show that a lot of people get more antioxidants from the coffee they drink than from the fruits and vegetables they consume.
Given that coffee is packed with antioxidants, it’s not a surprise that this popular aromatic beverage also packs numerous health benefits. Not only does coffee increase your energy levels and stimulate you, but it can also help improve your memory, reaction time, mood, and general mental function.
In addition, coffee helps boost your metabolic rate, which is why you’ll often find caffeine in many fat-burning supplements. And because it stimulates your nervous system, promotes the metabolism of fat cells, and increases your blood adrenaline levels, it’s also great for boosting your physical performance.
With regard to diseases and medical conditions, coffee consumption has been tied to reduced risks of type 2 diabetes. Several scientific studies have shown that coffee can lower your diabetes risks by 7% to even more than 50%.
Thanks to its positive effects on your nervous system and brain, coffee can lower your risks of Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Researchers found that coffee drinkers enjoy a 60% reduction in their risks of Parkinson’s disease.
Regular coffee drinkers also have lower risks of liver diseases like cirrhosis and depression. In addition, a high intake of coffee can help protect you against colorectal and liver cancer.
The Effects of Coffee on Male Fertility
Despite the fact that coffee is rich in nutrients and antioxidants, there’s a lot of scientific evidence showing that a high intake of coffee may not be good for you if you and your partner are planning to have a baby soon.
Several studies have shown that consuming three or more cups of coffee every day may have adverse effects on your fertility. Some studies show that it can increase sperm DNA damage and reduce fecundability. One study, in particular, showed that high coffee intake is associated with a lower live birth rate among fertility patients.
A Danish study involving more than 2,500 men showed that men who drank more than 800 mg of caffeine every day had lower semen volume, sperm concentration, as well as total sperm count.
In an attempt to find out how coffee consumption affects sperm production, scientists tried to test the effects of caffeine on human Sertoli cells, which are the testicular cells that are responsible for spermatogenesis.
The researchers found out that as caffeine concentration increased, the antioxidant capacity of human Sertoli cells decreased, resulting in increased protein oxidative damage. This could cause an alteration in the structure and function of Sertoli cells, which would then result in impaired sperm production.
Nevertheless, most of these studies on coffee and male fertility show that when consumed in moderation, coffee does not significantly impair sperm production, sperm parameters, and overall fertility.
This means that as long as you don’t consume coffee excessively, you don’t really need to worry about your sperm count and sperm quality declining.
Increasing Your Sperm Count Naturally
If you really do need to increase your sperm count, there are many other ways to naturally do it. Supplements like Tribulus terrestris, maca, and Tongkat Ali, for example, have been repeatedly shown to benefit male fertility by increasing sperm count, improving sperm motility, as well as increasing semen volume.
In fact, for men with idiopathic infertility, both Tribulus terrestris and Tongkat Ali are highly recommended. Not only do these two healthful herbs help promote sperm production, but they also enhance sperm health, mainly due to their antioxidant effects.
Maca has also been linked to improved male fertility as well as enhanced sexual function. This amazing Peruvian root vegetable is also packed with antioxidants, and it’s known to increase stamina and energy, improve erectile function, and reduce stress and anxiety, making it an excellent supplement for improving your bedroom performance.
Ashwagandha is also another herb that’s known to have positive effects on sperm count and semen parameters. Just like maca and Tongkat Ali, Ashwagandha can also help lower stress and anxiety levels, thanks to its rich antioxidant content.
Because of its rejuvenating effects, Ashwagandha is also great for increasing energy, reducing fatigue, improving libido, and enhancing male sexual function. In fact, Ashwagandha is popular as a traditional aphrodisiac and male fertility tonic.
Fenugreek is another herb that’s long been used as an herbal remedy for men with poor sperm health. Fenugreek seeds, in particular, are scientifically known to help increase sperm count and overall sperm quality. On top of that, fenugreek can also help normalize free testosterone levels, which also has positive effects on men’s sexual function.
Among the many supplements that you can take to increase your sperm count, zinc is perhaps the most important. Not only do you need zinc to produce sufficient amounts of testosterone, but it’s also extremely necessary for normal sperm production and development.
To produce normal and healthy sperm, you need to have sufficient amounts of zinc. That’s because zinc is needed in various parts of the sperm cell, especially in the head and tail. Zinc deficiency can lead to abnormally sperm tails or poorly attached sperm tails, which then results in poor sperm motility.
The Bottom Line
Although coffee may not increase your sperm count, there are still many other natural options for improving your sperm parameters and enhancing your fertility. And if you do continue to enjoy your daily cup of Joe, just make sure that you don’t drink coffee excessively so as to avoid any detrimental effects it may have on your reproductive potential.
