August 10th, 2016
Maternal diet and lifestyle is believed to influence the health and wellness in the offspring. Various research and clinical studies indicates that high consumption of certain drugs or exposure to environmental toxins during pregnancy can interfere with the fetal growth and well-being (1). In some cases, the deleterious effects may last for a long period of time.
But what about nutrients and macromolecules in the diet? Is it true that excessive consumption of some otherwise healthy foods during pregnancy can lead to negative consequences?
Beef is considered a great source of acquitting essential proteins but prior research also suggests that excessive beef consumption is hazardous for health for a variety of reasons; such as (2):
According to a new study reported in the Human Reproduction journal (3), investigators obtained the semen samples from 387 adult males and compared the findings in relation to the self-reported maternal beef consumption during pregnancy. The data was obtained from 5 US cities during a period of 1999 and 2005 and regression analysis was performed to analyze results.
The investigators identified that:
Investigators identified that various factors may play a role. For example:
Besides beef consumption, several other factors also play a huge role in the pathogenesis of spermatogenesis and poor semen quality. For example, a previous study provided statistical evidence that men living in Missouri region are more prone to develop fertility issues due to high use of pesticides and herbicides in the agricultural activities (4).
1. Bergkvist, C., Öberg, M., Appelgren, M., Becker, W., Aune, M., Ankarberg, E. H., … & HÃ¥kansson, H. (2008). Exposure to dioxin-like pollutants via different food commodities in Swedish children and young adults. Food and chemical toxicology, 46(11), 3360-3367.
2. Siri-Tarino, P. W., Chiu, S., Bergeron, N., & Krauss, R. M. (2015). Saturated fats versus polyunsaturated fats versus carbohydrates for cardiovascular disease prevention and treatment. Annual review of nutrition, 35, 517.
3. Swan, S. H., Liu, F., Overstreet, J. W., Brazil, C., & Skakkebaek, N. E. (2007). Semen quality of fertile US males in relation to their mothers’ beef consumption during pregnancy. Human Reproduction, 22(6), 1497-1502.
4. Swan, S. H. (2006). Semen quality in fertile US men in relation to geographical area and pesticide exposure. International journal of andrology, 29(1), 62-68.
5. Afeiche, M. C., Williams, P. L., Gaskins, A. J., Mendiola, J., Jørgensen, N., Swan, S. H., & Chavarro, J. E. (2014). Meat intake and reproductive parameters among young men. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 25(3), 323.