There’s a strong link between your fertility and what you eat. Just as certain foods can greatly increase your fertility, there are also certain foods that contribute to male infertility.

Your sperm count, as well as your sperm motility, can decline when you eat a lot of processed meat and junk foods. However, junk foods and processed meat aren’t the only ones that have negative effects on your ability to father children.

Here are 5 more foods that you need to avoid if you don’t want to become infertile.

1. Soy Foods

The main reason why soy foods are believed to have deleterious effects on male fertility is due to the high phytoestrogen concentration found in soy foods. Phytoestrogens are estrogen-like compounds naturally found in legumes like soybeans.

Long-term exposure to phytoestrogens obtained from dietary sources like soy foods can actually cause a reduction in sperm count and fertility. This negative effect on male fertility is attributed to the high concentrations of isoflavones in soy foods.

2. Potatoes

Potatoes are low in calories, so many people think that it’s a healthy food. That’s more or less true unless you’re diabetic. Potatoes are actually rich in starches that have a high glycemic index.

This means that the carbohydrates found in potatoes are quickly digested by your body, and they’re easily absorbed and metabolized. This also means that the carbohydrates you get from potatoes make your blood glucose levels spike up, also causing an increase in your insulin levels.

The problem with this is that when your blood glucose and insulin levels continuously spike up, it can result in high levels of oxidative stress. Your semen quality is actually negatively affected whenever your oxidative stress levels are high.

That’s because oxidative stress can cause various kinds of damages to your sperm cells. For instance, the cellular membrane of your spermatozoa can get damaged by free radicals that cause oxidative stress.

The DNA material of your sperm cells can also be damaged by reactive oxygen species. When this happens, your sperm DNA can get fragmented or the DNA material can get altered. This results in lower sperm viability and decreased sperm quality.

Aside from impairing your fertility due to increased oxidative stress, frequent consumption of potatoes is also associated with increased risks for diabetes. When you’re diabetic or hyperglycemic, your sperm quality will also be negatively affected. In addition, diabetes or hyperglycemia can also adversely affect your erectile function.

3. Full-Fat Dairy Products

Not all dairy products are bad for your fertility. In fact, skimmed milk and low-fat dairy products are actually tied to better sperm parameters. On the other hand, cheese, total dairy products, and full-fat dairy products are associated with poor semen quality.

The detrimental effects of commercial milk on sperm quality are attributed to its estrogen content. Commercial milk is derived from pregnant and non-pregnant cows. Thus, naturally occurring estrogens from the cows get included in the milk you drink.

When you eat foods that contain estrogens, it can increase your estrogen levels while reducing your testosterone levels. And when your testosterone levels are low, your sperm count and quality decline.

Thus, if you don’t want to stop drinking milk, just make sure that you drink either low-fat milk or skimmed milk. Both low-fat milk and skimmed milk are tied to higher circulating levels of insulin, which may benefit your sperm production. Insulin is actually required in the cell division phase of spermatogenesis.

4. Processed Meat

Processed meat products are bad for your fertility because they contain high concentrations of xenoestrogens. The problem with xenoestrogens is that they mimic the actions of some of the structural parts of estrogen compounds that you naturally produce. In short, xenoestrogens can interfere with the activities of your endogenous estrogens.

Aside from containing a lot of xenoestrogens, processed meat products are also packed with saturated fatty acids. When your levels of saturated fatty acids are high, it can spell bad news for your sperm parameters, especially if it’s accompanied by low omega-3 fatty acid levels.

If you’re in the habit of eating processed meat from fast food restaurants, you should also watch out for trans fatty acids. A high dietary intake of trans fatty acids has been linked to reduced serum testosterone levels as well as low sperm count, decreased sperm motility, and interrupted spermatogenesis.

5. Sugar-sweetened Beverages

A high intake of sugar-sweetened beverages can make you diabetic and obese. It can also increase your risks of metabolic syndrome. Diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and obesity are all strongly associated with poor semen quality due to elevated oxidative stress levels.

In addition, these disorders can also cause your insulin resistance to increase, which can also lead to higher levels of oxidative stress. Frequently consuming sugar-sweetened beverages can also mess up your hormonal balance since increased glucose and insulin levels affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal production of hormones.

Moreover, sugar-sweetened beverages also often contain various contaminants such as phthalates which may have leached from the containers to the drink. These contaminants can also negatively influence your sperm quality.

A recent study also showed that when you drink 7 or more servings of sugar-sweetened soda every week, it will greatly reduce your fecundability. According to the results, the fertility of both male and female participants in the study was negatively affected.

Enhance Your Fertility

When you’re troubled with fertility problems, you should try one of the most well-known male sex enhancement supplements today. This is formulated with herbs that naturally enhance your sexual and reproductive health.

This contains Tongkat Ali, an Asian herb that’s widely popular for its positive effects on male fertility and sexual performance. Aside from being able to promote testosterone production, Tongkat Ali also enhances sperm production. In fact, Tongkat Ali is known to improve sperm count, sperm motility, and sperm viability.

Aside from Tongkat Ali, it also contains maca, Tribulus terrestris, and horny goat weed. These herbs are also known to have positive effects both erectile function and sperm quality. With these natural ingredients, it can help you see dramatic improvements in your sexual performance as well as your fertility.