|
In 2018, scientists started sounding the alarm on a troubling trend: sperm count (SC) in men was steadily declining. According to a recent study, the decline is now accelerating and the implications are dire.
Based on 185 studies on SC conducted between 1973 and 2018, sperm count dropped by a staggering 51.6% over that period. From 1973 - 2000, the decline average 1.16% per year. But then, starting in 2000, concentrations started declined 2.64% per year.
What's scary is that the accelerating decline is putting a huge percentage of males at risk of infertility. Studies show that fertility is viable at a 40 million per millimeter concentration. The current estimate of average concentration in men? 49.
“It’s a crisis, that we'd better tackle now, before it may reach a tipping point which may not be reversible,” warns Professor Hagai Levine, the author of the latest analysis.
So what’s causing this trend? Experts point primarily to unhealthy lifestyles (with smoking, drinking, and a poor diet as common culprits) and extended exposure to toxins found in everyday products - like benzenes in plastic.
While there’s no clear cut solution here, maintaining a healthy weight, managing stress, and staying active all help enormously. That said, more research on counteracting this trend is certainly in order...
|
