Can men abstain from sex for a period of time to improve sperm quality? Healthy sperm often have these 4 characteristics
Some time ago, Xiaojiu saw a request for help from a fan in the background:
"My current wife and I have been married for almost a month. She is my goddess. I pursued her for a long time before she agreed to marry me. Last week, we had our first time. After the end, she said that my semen was Few and thin, it must be low sperm quality.
I felt very frustrated after hearing this. I searched the Internet and heard that abstinence for a period of time can improve the quality of sperm . Is this true? "
Many men may have had the idea of "improving sperm quality". Does abstinence really have this effect? Today Xiaojiu will talk to you about the secrets of male sperm.
1. Men abstain from sex for a period of time, will the quality of sperm become higher?
A man's body is a sophisticated instrument. In order to ensure sufficient "ammunition", the testicles will always ensure the production of sperm. But if sex is too frequent, the production of the testicles can't keep up, and the sperm count will drop.
So, does abstinence for a period of time improve sperm quality?
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that couples abstain from sex for a period of time in order to increase their pregnancy rates, but this practice is not advisable.
The number and proportion of motile sperm reached a low point after six days of abstinence and remained low thereafter, while abnormal sperm began to gradually increase after a few days of abstinence, the researchers said .
It can be seen that long-term abstinence does not indicate sperm quality, but will lead to an increase in the proportion of aging sperm in the semen, resulting in a decrease in semen quality.
What should normal semen look like? Generally meet these four characteristics.
Quantity : A normal male ejaculate volume is 2~6ml, with an average of 3.5ml;
Color : normal semen is milky white or milky yellow, semi-fluid liquid, if it has not been released for too long, it will be light yellow;
Viscosity : Under normal circumstances, the semen excreted quickly condenses into a jelly, and then gradually changes;
Liquefaction time : At room temperature, semen will liquefy within 15 minutes after ejaculation.
So if the above 4 criteria are met, then congratulations to the semen is quite healthy, but if there is an abnormality, it is recommended to check as soon as possible.
2. After entering the human body, where do those sperm that fail to fertilize go?
I don’t know if you have ever had such a question: only one sperm can successfully combine with an egg, so where do the remaining “hundreds of billions” of sperm go? In fact, if sperm wants to successfully "see" the egg, it needs to go through many levels...
The first pass: the cervix
Shortly after entering a woman's vagina, most of the sperm will be discharged from the vagina, and only a small part of the "elite" can stubbornly advance in the cervical canal.
In order to hold the position, the cervix will secrete mucus that blocks the advancement of the sperm troops. At this time, those lazy, deformed and dead bad sperm will be left on the road .
Level 2: The Immune System
After passing the first level, the invasion of "sperm" troops is found inside the uterus, which will activate the immune system, and then the white blood cells will go to hunt them. After several rounds of fighting, the white blood cells were exhausted, and the remaining sperm broke out and entered the third level.
The third pass: the reproductive cavity
After a fight, the sperm troops came to the genitals to "rest". After upgrading all the way to "kill monsters", the sperm had changed in morphology, physiology, and biochemistry, and had the ability to fertilize . Brand new sperm awaited the call of the egg. .
The last level: egg membrane
The egg is already ready to send a strong signal to the sperm, but if you want to "steal the tower" successfully, you need to tear off the film that wraps the egg.
And there is often only one winner who successfully passes through this membrane , which inhibits other sperm and enters the egg by itself.
It is conceivable that to win this "war", both sperm count and sperm quality are important.
3. How to improve the global sperm quality "plunging"?
In a study of sperm quality in Frontiers in Human Reproductive Medicine, a study of 43,000 men from 1973 to 2011 found that sperm counts and concentrations decreased by 50% to 60% in North America, Europe and Australia .
The situation in China is also not optimistic. Since 1995, the total number and concentration of sperm in Chinese men have also shown a downward trend.
Why is the global male sperm quality declining trend?
The researchers speculate that the reasons for the decline in sperm may be related to physiological, genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors. Among them, dietary composition and nutritional composition in lifestyle are one of the most important influencing factors .
Some daily bad habits have brought a crisis to sperm quality. For example, after staying up late, sperm motility will drop significantly; after sitting for a long time, the blood flow of the scrotum and perineum will be poor, which will induce prostatitis; smoking and opportunities will also affect the Spermogenic ability; high-fat, high-protein diet will also affect hormone secretion, resulting in decreased sperm density and motility.
So what are the ways to improve the quality of male sperm?
1. Don't wear tight pants
It is recommended that men's underwear and pants should be made of loose and breathable fabrics. Wearing tight and airtight underwear and jeans for a long time will cause the scrotal temperature to be too high and the health of sperm will also be affected .
2. Avoid prolonged sitting
Prolonged sitting for a long time will slow down the blood circulation of the lower body and increase the temperature of the environment around the testis, which is not conducive to the smooth development of sperm. For office workers, they should get up and move around for a while to promote blood circulation in the lower extremities and help the testicles breathe.
3. Eat more nuts
A study published in Andrology shows that eating more nuts can significantly improve sperm count, viability, motility and morphology.
Research analysis shows that nuts can have a subtle effect on sperm DNA methylation in specific regions. Eating about 60g of nuts a day can improve male function .
The quality of "little tadpoles" will change with the influence of the living environment. Therefore, for the sake of health, the majority of male friends should not only eat enough for three meals, but should pay attention to the balanced nutrition of food. At the same time, it is also necessary to adjust the unhealthy lifestyle in time, which are closely related to sperm quality.
References:
[1] "The sperm you are using now is "used goods" 3 months ago! Does abstinence for a period of time make it more and better? 》. Family Doctor. 2022-01-21
[2] "Where are the sperm that failed to conceive? 》.Health Industry.2020-09-08
[3] "Sperm quality plummets, how do modern men survive in the cracks? ". Mays Medicine. 2021-05-13
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