Stress, smoking, obesity render 15% of Delhi's males infertile

Over 15 per cent of Delhi's male population is infertile and there has been a 30 per cent reduction in the capital's sex life, IVF experts said on Sunday.

According to the doctors, the sedentary lifestyle of Delhi can make one in three men loss libido. 

"In Delhi, over 15 per cent of the male population is infertile, a rate greater than that of females. Apart from stress, smoking, obesity, inactivity and steroid consumption, air pollution adds fuel to the fire," said Sagarika Aggarwal, specialist at Indira IVF hospital.

"Delhi's changing lifestyle and the polluted environment is one of the main contributing factors to cause infertility in male and increases the chances of miscarriage. Over 30 per cent reduction has been observed in the sex life (as told by patients to IVF centres)," she added.

Stating that such infertility problems occur due to low count and degeneration of sperm, Aggarwal said: "In such cases the sperm can't reach inside the fallopian tube, hence female partner gets unable to conceive in spite of countless attempts."

The major reason behind this problem also is loss of interest in intercourse due to male infertility.

Shubhdeep, an IVF expert from Delhi, said that there are a lot of heavy metals which directly affect the hormones in the body. 

"Reduction in testosterone or estrogen level may lead to low desire for intercourse, thereby hindering the sex life. And with the increasing level of ozone, sulphar dioxide and particulate matter has led to a higher concentration of free radicals in the blood, that causes a lower sperm quality in men," said Shubhdeep, who uses only one name.

The experts also said that age definitely plays a role in male infertility as the sperm's ability to move and the proportion of normal sperm tends to decrease with age, affecting man's fertility and libido but a lot also depends on the quality of his sperms.

"Eating well and nutritious diet rich in antioxidants, which include tomatoes, sweet potatoes, melon, carrots, pumpkin seeds, fish, walnuts, blueberries and pomegranate etc., is the key to having healthy sperm cells," said Ranju Deb, gynaecologist at city based Ram Manohar lohia Hospital. 

"Taking regular dose of multivitamins is helpful too. Zinc is a recommended supplement for sperm health, because this mineral is an important building block of the sperm cell," Deb said.

According to Deb, dark chocolate, a rich source of the amino acid l-Arginine, is also said to increase the volume of ejaculation and improve sperm count and motility. 

"Also water is the simplest way to increase the sperm count and quality. Semen is water based and increasing liquid consumption definitely helps in improving sperm production. When it comes to fertility, weight plays a crucial role. If you happen to be overweight or obese, then exercising is very crucial as diet modification alone won't work," said Deb.