By Katie Stobbart (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: October 30, 2013
If bacon wasn’t already the best part of breakfast, lunch, and dinner, its new side effect makes it a must-munch for men worried about overzealous sperm. According to the latest sensational headlines, consistent consumption of processed meat such as bacon has a negative impact on male fertility.
Over 150 men undergoing fertility treatments were the subjects of a Harvard university study and were asked critical questions about their eating habits. How often do they eat bacon? Steak? Halibut? Apparently fish are fertility-friendly, but bacon blows a guy’s chances of family-starting out of the water. As reported in the Province, men who said they ate less than a slice of bacon each day had 30 per cent more healthy sperm, as did men who added white fish to their diets. This would appear to confirm the radical notion that lifestyle choices have a direct impact on health, in this case the shape and quality of sperm.
So what does this mean for birth control? As the idea of male contraceptives becomes more and more popular, it stands to reason researchers will begin to examine how exactly bacon affects fertility – for example, is there a certain chemical or hormone which could be extracted for the purpose of non-surgical male contraceptive measures? Such research would not only mean promising strides for the promiscuous, but could also spell satisfaction for the bacon-addicted without increasing a person’s risk of heart disease or diabetes, provided cholesterol is not the contraceptive extract.
It was not specified in the study whether or not women are adversely affected by excessive bacon consumption, or if it is advisable to avoid processed meat during pregnancy as with smoking, alcohol, and drug use.
But for those who don’t wish to conceive, there seems to be no downside.
“Tastes awesome and stops you from having kids? Is there anything bacon can’t do?” one commenter said in response to an article on the subject by the Globe and Mail. Another commenter linked this study to economic success:
“Eat more bacon. Have fewer kids. Can then afford more bacon. Nice!”
However, it is unclear whether the effects of bacon on sperm quality are permanent or temporary, so tread carefully. Can eating bacon regularly for a few years damage a man’s fertility forever? Or are the effects reversible – does eating white fish or salmon essentially act as an antidote for bacon-induced infertility?
Hamburger, ham, and (ironically) sausages are also reportedly among potential contraceptive meats.
However, it should be noted that bacon-eating should complement, not replace, condom use, as there is no evidence to suggest snacking on processed meat will prevent contracting sexually transmitted infection.
