Can Cola Make You Infertile?
A new study has found a link between drinking cola and lower sperm counts in men — which might make it harder to get pregnant.
Struggling to get pregnant? One culprit may be lurking in your fridge.
If you’re a guy and you love your daily six-pack of Pepsi (or if this sounds like the man in your life), you might want to switch beverages.
A new Danish study links drinking large quantities of cola to lower levels of sperm — nearly 30 percent fewer of the little guys. Researchers studied the lifestyle habits of more than 2,500 young Danish men and found that those who drank more than a liter of cola daily had about 35 million sperm per milliliter, as compared to the average 50 million per milliliter among the rest of the group.
While the lower number is still considered normal by the World Health Organization, keep in mind that guys who have lower sperm counts may have a harder time conceiving.
One interesting point, though, is that it may not actually be the cola itself that caused sperm levels to decrease. "The men who drank a lot of cola were also different in many other ways," researcher Dr. Tina Kold Jensen told
Reuters Health. The cola drinkers had additional unhealthy habits, including eating more fast food and fewer fruits and vegetables. So whether it’s drinking cola that causes sperm levels to drop or it’s the soda in concert with a poor diet that is affecting sperm count is, for now, an open question.
Interestingly, the study set out to measure the effects of caffeine on sperm count. While coffee and tea drinkers did have slightly lower counts, it was the liter-plus cola drinkers who had the fewest sperm. So why not be safe and skip the soda?