Study Warns of the Harmful Effects of Ultra-Processed Foods on Men's Fertility

SadaNews - The consumption of ultra-processed foods has harmful effects, particularly on fertility and heart and metabolic health in men, regardless of their calorie count, according to a recent clinical study.

This study, published on Thursday in the American journal "Cell Metabolism" and prepared by researcher Roman Paris at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology in Sophia Antipolis, France, found that "the consumption of ultra-processed foods in itself, regardless of calorie intake, is detrimental to human health.".

Chronic Diseases

There has been a sharp rise in the consumption of ultra-processed foods globally, and an increasing number of epidemiological studies have highlighted their close association with an elevated risk of chronic diseases (such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and others), cancer, and mental disorders, according to the authors of the study conducted on a random sample.

So far, only three clinical studies, through a drug-like assessment process, have sought to measure the direct impact of this diet on health, demonstrating that it leads to excess calorie consumption compared to minimally processed foods.

In the new study, 43 healthy men aged between 20 and 35 were divided into two groups and followed two successive diets, with a gap of three months between them, one rich in ultra-processed foods and the other based on minimally processed or unprocessed products, for three weeks, according to what was reported by "Agence France-Presse".

Pollutants

Members of a subset received both diets, which were matched in calories, in moderate amounts appropriate for their age, weight, and level of physical activity, while another group received both diets with an additional daily intake of 500 calories.

Blood tests, semen analyses, and other measurements (weight, cholesterol, etc.) were conducted regularly.

Among the most significant findings of the study was that it demonstrated the impact of the ultra-processed food diet on fertility, as a decrease in the sperm-stimulating hormone and testosterone was recorded among most participants, alongside a decline in the number of motile sperm.

Researchers noted that the contaminants present in ultra-processed foods, which have endocrine-disrupting effects, may play a significant role.

Other findings indicated that "consumption of ultra-processed foods over three weeks led, compared to unprocessed foods, to a weight increase of 1.4 kg and 1.3 kg respectively in the two groups that consumed sufficient and excessive calories," particularly in fat mass.

Individuals who reduced the level of processing in their diet lost a significant amount of weight.