Sperm and Smoking

So yes, this one isn’t strictly nutrition related… but if we are on the subject of optimising our health for fertility, then this one is certainly part of the picture. 

Smoking. In this blog we will cover mostly tobacco smoking… but if you have questions about smoking other things, you can check out our other blog post. 

For many years the role of smoking on fertility and male reproductive health was disputed, but in the past decade research has been coming to more aligned conclusions. Smoking is not good for reproductive health. 

In males smoking has been found to be damaging to sperm quality: it has been found that regular smoking can be detrimental to the shape and swim-ability of sperm, as well as reducing the number of sperm in any one semen sample. This means that there are less likely to be sperm that can make it to fertilise an egg. Furthermore, cigarette smoking has been linked to increased damage to the DNA that sperm carry: this presents risk factors for early miscarriage and birth defects. 

But damage to sperm and DNA are not the only negative outcomes of smoking. Smoking has been found to be a  contributing factor to erectile dysfunction. This is likely due to the chemicals released from smoking interrupting the availability of nitric oxide, which is needed to modulate vasodilation to maintain blood flow and ultimately maintain an erection. And without an erection, the likelihood of ejaculation is… diminished, to say the least. 

But, it is not all doom and gloom. The human body has an incredible capacity for improvement. 

It only takes around 90 days for sperm to be made and matured, so stopping smoking for just 3 months can lead to significant improvements in sperm quality. We know it is not as simple as just ‘stopping’, but fortunately there are many avenues for help and support. You can try the Smoke Free app, NHS Quit Smoking resources, or face-to-face services and programs local to you. It can also be helpful to have your friends and family on board! 

If you have questions about optimising your health and fertility, or would like more personalised support, you can talk to your Doctor or Dietitian.

References:
doi: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2009.05.004
doi: 10.1097/EE9.0000000000000055
doi: 10.1186/1477-7827-11-66