Different meat preferences affect male fertility

A new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that different meat preferences will have different effects on fertility. People who eat a lot of processed meat products such as bacon and sausage have a lower success rate of in vitro fertilization, while those who eat more poultry such as chicken have a higher success rate of in vitro fertilization.

Dr. Xia Wei of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and her research team conducted a follow-up study on 141 men in couples undergoing IVF treatment at Massachusetts General Hospital. These men provided information on their diet, including total meat intake and types of meat. The results showed that men who ate more poultry had a 13% higher IVF success rate than men who ate more processed meat products.

Rebecca Sokol, president of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, said many studies have shown that diet can affect adult fertility, but people's diets are very complex and it is difficult to accurately determine which foods have an impact on fertility outcomes.

The study suggests that the type of meat a man eats can affect his sperm's ability to fertilize an egg, and the researchers suggest that men may need to make some changes to their dietary intake for reproductive health.