Post Date April, 15 2023
The speed of urbanization is getting faster and faster, and at the same time, the number of infertility patients in China is also increasing day by day. Experts say that this is closely related to the speed of urbanization in China, especially in terms of the quantity and quality of sperm.
Why does urbanization lead to an increasing number of infertile males? Experts believe that the main reasons for this phenomenon are:
Environmental pollution
There are many types of pollutants containing environmental hormones, mainly present in pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides, detergents, plastic products, plasticizers, asbestos, chemicals, car exhaust, gases generated from garbage incineration, certain heavy metals, and cosmetics. Among the more than 200 compounds that people often come into contact with, over 60% have irreversible toxicity to sperm, and more than 20 occupational toxins can also harm sperm.
Due to the increasing severity of environmental pollution, the amount of male semen has almost halved in the past 50 years. Acute or chronic poisoning caused by environmental pollution can reduce the activity of enzymes in the testes, affect the process of spermatogenesis, increase the proportion of abnormal sperm, and decrease their vitality, penetration, and pregnancy rate.
It can be said that environmental pollution is the first killer of sperm. Its greater threat to humanity lies in its latency, persistence, and irreversibility, making it difficult for people to detect its harm in the short term (several years, more than a decade).
Excessive smoking and drinking
Nicotine in cigarettes can kill sperm, causing poor sperm development, an increase in the proportion of deformed and defective sperm, and even causing sudden chromosomal mutations in sperm, resulting in genetic changes. Excessive smoking can also cause an increase in the content of thiocyanate in semen, thereby inhibiting sperm motility. The survey found that the longer the smoking age and the higher the smoking volume, the fewer the number of sperm, the higher the deformity rate of sperm, and the lower the motility of sperm.
It has been proved that alcohol can slow down the synthesis of testosterone and affect the normal metabolism of testosterone, resulting in low gonad function, affecting sperm production and semen quality. Some people in Western countries like to drink too much and often get drunk on Sundays. Babies born during nighttime sexual intercourse are called "Sunday babies". These infants often have weak physical constitution, stunted development, and even deformities or dementia. Therefore, it is best for men to drink less or even no alcohol during the first two to three months of planning pregnancy to ensure the quality of their sperm. Excessive drinking in men can also cause impotence or temporary impotence.
Irregular diet
Sperm production requires the supply of nutrients, and malnutrition or imbalance directly affect sperm production. Cholesterol, arginine, and zinc are the most closely related nutrients to fertility. Cholesterol is an important raw material for synthesizing sex hormones; Arginine is a necessary component for sperm formation; Zinc is an important trace element in the human body, and the content of zinc in semen is nearly a hundred times higher than that in plasma. Zinc directly participates in the glycolysis and oxidation processes within sperm, maintaining the integrity and permeability of sperm cell membranes, and maintaining sperm vitality. Zinc deficiency can lead to testicular atrophy, decreased sperm count, decreased sexual function, and in severe cases, even loss of fertility.
Temperature too high
The process of sperm production requires lower temperatures. The testicles are located in the scrotum where the temperature is lower than the body temperature in order to produce sperm smoothly. For example, the testes of cryptorchidism patients are not in the scrotum, but in other parts of the body where the temperature is 2~3 degrees Celsius higher than the scrotum for a long time. spermatid are irreversibly damaged and cannot produce sperm. Therefore, any clothing, lifestyle habits, and environment that causes excessive temperature in the genital area may reduce sperm count and affect conception, even leading to infertility.
Survival pressure
Excessive work pressure can cause the body to be in a state of fatigue for a long time. At the same time, irregular living conditions and negative mental states, as well as tense and anxious emotions, can directly affect the nervous system and endocrine function, leading to dysfunction of testicular spermatogenesis.
The number of infertility patients in China is also increasing day by day. Experts say that this is closely related to the speed of urbanization in China, especially in terms of the quantity and quality of sperm.
(Intern Editor: Cai Junyi)
