Too Much Television Can Reduce Sperm Count

15 Aug, 2016 16:40 IST|Sakshi
A lifestyle of binge-watching can be harmful 

Do you spend more than 5 hours a day watching television? Then this could be a bad idea if you’re planning to have a family as it could reduce your sperm count by over a third.

Researchers at the Copenhagen University studied 1,200 men to ascertain if their ‘couch potato’ lifestyle had any bearing on their capacity to reproduce.

The results of the study show a positive correlation between binge-watching and average sperm count. While those who hardly ever watched television were seen to have about 52 million sperm per ml of semen, the coach potatoes could only produce an average of 37 million.

They also should reduced levels of testosterone, a hormone which is used by the body to produce sperm.

Curiously, those who spend a lot of time in front of a computer rather than a television did not show a similar effect. Scientists believe that this maybe because those who watch too much TV are less likely to exercise and have a healthy diet, both of which are crucial habits for fertility.

Declining sperm count a cause for worry

Studies conducted over 20 years have shown a worrying decline in the sperm count of men. The reduced production of sperm has been attributed to several reasons- from high-fat junk food diets to traces of contraceptives in drinking water to presence of a chemical BPA in certain plastics.

Sperm counts range from 40 million to 300 million per millilitre of fluid. A low count is judged to be anything below 15 million. The study results showed TV addicts had sperm counts of nearly 30 per cent lower than those who had less sedentary lifestyles.


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