High Beef Diet at Pregnancy = Lower Sperm Counts in Sons?

Filed in archive Cases , Studies on April 1, 2007

I'm allergic to beef and never really liked the meat's distinct smell. Thus, it isn't part of my diet.

If what this study's saying is true, then I guess I may something to be thankful for, for something I didn't eat while pregnant - the first study to examine beef intake and semen quality.

Researchers at the University of Rochester found that a mother's high beef consumption while pregnant was associated with lower sperm counts in her son.

According to Shanna H. Swan, Ph.D., director of the Center for Reproductive Epidemiology at the University of Rochester Medical Center and lead author of the study:

"What we're really doing here is raising an issue. The average sperm concentration of the men in our study went down as their mothers' beef intake went up. But this needs to be followed carefully before we can draw any conclusions."

The most important stage for developing quality semen occurs in the womb and the study's findings suggest that high beef consumption by pregnant women may alter sperm production of the male fetus in utero, particularly at the end of the first trimester during the critical period for testicular development.

In the study, a high beef consumer was considered to be seven or more beef meals per week. Though still needing careful follow-up, the findings revealed a significant link between the lowest sperm counts and mothers who were highest beef consumers.

In their findings, the researchers were not able to pinpoint hormones, Pesticides or other environmental chemicals in the animal fat as a direct cause.

I think seven or more beef meals per week is too much. This might actually be an alarm to high beef eaters to try white meat sometimes.

Find more details from the full report.