Beef Diet Decreases Male Fertility

Sons of mothers who ate a lot of beef during pregnancy are likely to have low sperm counts, - a study carried out by University of Rochester suggests.

The research team examined sperm counts among a group of US men born between 1948 and 1983.

Findings

It was found that those men whose mothers ate a lot of beef (at least seven beef meals a week) had an average sperm concentration of 43.1 million sperm per millimeter of seminal fluid compared with 56.9 million sperm per millimeter of seminal fluid of those men whose mothers ate less beef during pregnancy.

Among men whose mothers ate much beef during pregnancy 17.7 percent turned out to have a sperm concentration below fertility threshold of 200 million sperm per millimeter of seminal fluid. For sons of mothers who did not eat so much beef, this figure comprises 5.7 percent.

Growth promoters to blame

Professor Shanna Swan, leader of the research team suggests that low sperm counts in adult men could be the consequence of exposure to growth promoters contained in the meat that these men's mothers ate during pregnancy.

The use of growth promoters was banned in Europe in 1988 and it the US in 1979. Nevertheless, other hormones, for instance sex hormones testosterone and progesterone are still being used in beef industry.

The use of growth promoting chemicals was banned in Europe in 1988.

But although the US banned the use of some growth promoters in 1979, others, such as the sex hormones testosterone and progesterone, are still in use in the beef industry.

At the same time the professor admitted that the researchers had no accurate data on which chemicals the beef contained. Also Shanna Swan admitted that there could be some other causes like pesticides, lifestyles and some other factors that could not be taken into account.

Professor says that the fetus and little children are quite sensitive to sex steroids. In this connection the consumption of meat containing these steroids by pregnant women and children is of especial concern.

According to Shanna Swan to specify the role of growth promoters there should be another study involving men born after 1988.

Scientists consider that the findings of the study could be the evidence to suggest that Europe was right to ban using growth promoting chemicals in beef industry.