You are what you eat and the same goes for your sperm count. Your diet affects your sperm health drastically. Right from the sperm quality to sperm count, a lot depends on the kind of food you eat. It has always been advised to opt for a healthy balanced diet that maximises on proteins and should also be high in healthy fats. However, quick, unhealthy carbs that you get from junk foods has always been considered a big No-No. A recent study has just the ill-effects of junk food to sperm health as well. A recent study done by US researchers found that young men whose diet includes a lot of junk food also have low sperm count.

A diet full of junk food has been linked to having less sperm. The study found that men who a lot of junk food has a sperm count of 122million compared with 167 million in men with a healthy diet. For the study the team analysed sperm quality of about 3,000 Danish men aged 19 and found that modern lifestyles dependant heavily on junk food are leading to 'spermageddon'.

Which means that men are more likely to have small testicles and a low sperm count if they eat junk food. But what should one eat to increase the sperm count? A balanced died with foods rich in healthy fibres and protein is always considered to be the best. Healthy foods includes fish, chicken, fruit, green veggies. Men must also be hydrated with clean water. A healthy diet sans junk food can help produce the most sperm and have the bigger testicles.

For the study, the men's testicle size was measured, and the number, shape and swimming abilities of their sperm was also analysed, The Sun reports and study leader Dr Feiby Nassan also mentions that men can boost their chances of becoming a father by eating a balanced diet.

But how does a bad sperm count or quality affect your fertility? When a man has a low sperm count the chances of sperms fertilising the eggs become quite low. This reduces the chances of pregnancy. However it doesn't completely eliminates the chances of men becoming a father. Lifestyle changes can impact your sperm health big time. Regular exercise and a balanced diet can do wonders.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 24, 2020 02:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).