A high protein diet bad for fertility?

The High protein diet Does it affect fertility? according to one study Published in the magazine Nutrition and health On March 7, a high-protein diet can reduce the chances of men having children. English researchers have shown it Men who ate more than 35% of protein had lower levels of testosterone High levels of the stress hormone (cortisol)
harmful to fertility.

High-protein diet: less testosterone

Many men choose this type of diet in order to increase their muscle mass or lose weight. So researchers at the University of Worcester examined a total of 309 patients, all of them healthy men around the age of 27, whose diets contained varying amounts of protein. Some had a high-protein, low-carb diet while others ate more carbs and less protein.

The University of Worcester called the “moderate carbohydrate” diet a diet in which carbohydrates make up less than 35% of an individual’s total energy intake and estimates thatThe “high-carbohydrate” diet was one in which carbohydrates represented more than 35% of total energy intake. The researchers also called for a 20% difference between the total carbohydrate composition of the two regimens. Meals also had different durations of two to eight weeks for fertility risk assessment depending on the length of the dietary restriction.

Watch out for the negative endocrine effects

As a result, the researchers found that study participants who followed a moderate-protein, low-carb diet saw no long-term changes in their testosterone levels, while High-protein, low-carb diets “lower total testosterone levels.” and after exercise”, suggesting that “people who follow such diets should do so.” Watch out for the negative endocrine effectsIndeed, a significant decrease in testosterone levels was observed in men who ate more than 35% protein. The average decrease in testosterone levels in people on a high-protein, low-carb diet was roughly the same. 37%.

Maximum protein intake of 25%

“The Low-carb diets may have endocrine effects, although individual studies are conflicting. This is why this work was done on the effects of high-protein diets on testosterone and cortisol (the stress hormone) in men,” the study outlines. According to Joseph Whitaker, the study’s lead author, “people who follow a high-protein diet should Limit their protein intake to no more than 25%.“.

So researchers warn of the dangers of dieting, too High in protein on reduced male fertility, but point out that this does not concern most people who follow a well-balanced diet. “Most people eat about 17% protein, and the high-protein diets that caused low testosterone were above 35%, which is very high,” said the study’s lead author.