Six factors that affect sperm health; please check this health knowledge guide.

Sperm formation and motility are influenced by many factors, the most common being:

First, tobacco and alcohol. Nicotine in cigarettes can reduce sex hormone secretion and kill sperm. Men who smoke more than 30 cigarettes a day have a sperm survival rate of only 49%, and sperm abnormalities increase. Chronic or acute alcohol poisoning can cause 70% of sperm to be underdeveloped or lose motility.

Second, zinc deficiency. Insufficient consumption of animal-based foods leads to zinc deficiency (zinc, a trace element, is known as the "harmony element" for couples). The total amount of zinc in the body is about 1.5g, mainly concentrated in the testes, epididymis, and anterior chamber glands. It is particularly abundant in semen, with seminal plasma having a zinc concentration more than 100 times higher than that in blood plasma. Therefore, zinc plays an important role in the male reproductive system:

① Zinc is related to semen quality,

affecting sperm metabolism and influencing sperm motility and density;

② It affects the development of the gonads and promotes their function;

③ It participates in the composition of many enzymes, thus affecting reproductive and endocrine functions.

Thirdly, it is sensitive to heat. Excessive or prolonged hot baths can affect sperm production. Wearing tight underwear hinders heat dissipation from the seminal vesicles and affects venous return in the scrotum, thus disrupting the scrotum's "temperature regulator" function, which is very detrimental to sperm production.

Fourthly, excessive sexual activity. Appropriate sexual activity results in a moderate amount of sperm in the semen. Excessive sexual activity reduces sperm count, to the point that although ejaculation occurs, there are no sperm in the semen.

Fifthly, mental fatigue. Depression, anxiety, and other negative mental states can directly affect the function of the nervous and endocrine systems, causing dysfunction in testicular sperm production and even leading to infertility.

Sixthly, the effects of medications. Long-term use of sedatives, antitumor drugs, and other chemical drugs (such as busulfan, nitrofurans, and corticosteroids) can cause sperm growth disorders, sperm chromosome damage, and breakage. Radiation exposure can cause sperm chromosome aberrations and spermatogenesis inhibition.

A historical example is that one of the reasons for the decline of the mighty Roman Empire was population decline, the root cause of which lay in male sperm problems:

① Expeditionary soldiers brought back epidemics (smallpox, measles), resulting in viral infections;

② Excessive indulgence and frequent, promiscuous sexual activity led to impotence and infertility;

③ The prevalence of lead-containing drinking vessels at the time caused chronic lead poisoning. Alcohol consumption and revelry caused alcohol poisoning, resulting in infertility;

④ Hot tubs were the most common social venues at the time, and men typically took one or two long hot baths daily as a social custom. The excessively high scrotal temperature suppressed sperm production, further reducing fertility.