Daily Coffee Consumption May Boost Sperm and Male Fertility

Coffee has been the object of many studies of contradictory results in the past years. These studies have connected the drink with the chances of different types of cancer, high blood pressure, and infertility. Many studies focus on its effect on women’s health and particularly dangers during a pregnancy. The general advice to pregnant women, as well as to those trying to conceive, has been to lay off this beverage completely. New studies show that this might not be a problem, as results show it can have a positive effect on men who are trying to become fathers. As concerns of sperm quality have risen lately, amid fears that pollution will lower fertility all over the globe, a few recent studies have been focusing on the drink’s effect on conception.

Surprising Results From Sao Paulo

Scientists and researchers of the Coffee Science Information Centre (COSIC) did a study involving 750 males waiting to get vasectomies. The men were divided into four groups based on their daily consumption. The results were very surprising according to the scientists themselves. Doctor Fabio Pasqulotto, employed at the University of Sao Paulo, was the leader of the study, which was presented to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine in San Antonio, Texas. The researchers tested the motility, strength, and endurance of the sperm of the men participating in the study. They started out wondering if caffeine can stimulate sperm cells just like it stimulates dopamine cells in the brain. Doctor Euan Paul, another Brazilian scientist conducting the study, says that motility seemed to be stimulated after the subjects drank coffee. As most infertility problems come from the immobility of the sperm, these researchers now suggest a medicine based on the bean to treat male infertility. The team from the University of Sao Paulo presented results that show that only motility was affected by caffeine, while motion, hormone level, and concentration do not differ between men who consume the drink and men who do not.

Hormones Essential for Conception

Research conducted by Doctor Sunni Mumford for the U.S. National Institutes of Health focused on the effect of caffeine in 500 couples who were trying to conceive. Her conclusion is that two cups a day can benefit in the conception period. The results of Dr. Mumford´s study were presented in Denver, at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine this year. Professor Sheena Lewis, who is an expert in human reproduction of The Queen´s University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, added this crucial explanation: “two chemicals in the body are affected by caffeine, adenosine triphosphate, and guanosine triphosphate. Caffeine prevents them from breaking down and causes all cells to keep the energy for a longer time.” This increases the speed and endurance of the sperm cells. Most infertility problems in men are caused by the so-called bad swimmers, and these recent studies suggest that a solution can be easier and more accessible than previously thought.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

A study recently accomplished by the National Institute of Child Health and Development used 344 couples in a study on caffeine’s effect in humans of the most fertile ages. The study, published in Fertility and Sterility, is, in fact, one of the first to use actual human beings in this type of research. The scientists monitored and controlled the couples’ consumption of fish, alcohol, and caffeine. It was proven that alcohol affects women’s fertility to a much higher degree than that of men, while fish had a positive effect on both genders. Doctor Zev Williams, a spokesman for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, says that women who want to cut their intake of the morning drink should not do so very suddenly. When the body is used to a certain daily amount, it will react to going cold-turkey, and it is therefore not advised. Women who quit this drink will experience headaches and minor discomfort on the day. Doctor Williams stresses that what is crucial to pregnancy is the quantity of B-vitamins, and most of all folic acid.