Eating junk food as a teenager causes permanent damage to sperm 青少年吃垃圾食物會對精子造成永久傷害

【摘要2019.11.20.自由】◎陳成良

Teenage males following a junk food diet are causing irreversible damage to their sperm, a study has found.

一項研究發現，青少年時期的男性吃垃圾食品，將對精子造成不可逆轉的傷害。

Eating foods such as pizza, sugary drinks, chips and burgers can result in significantly low sperm counts compared to following a healthier diet.

相較於吃較健康的飲食，攝取披薩、含糖飲料、薯片和漢堡等食品，將導致精子數量嚴重偏低。

The research, led by Harvard University, looked at nearly 3,000 men who had a compulsory medical exam before entering the Danish army for national service.

哈佛大學主持的這項研究，調查近3000名在丹麥服國民兵役前參加強制體檢的男性。

The average age among those tested was 19.

接受體檢的男性平均年齡為19歲。

Researchers from the US and Denmark found those men following a so-called ’Western diet’ of these high-fat and processed foods had the lowest average sperm count.

美國和丹麥研究人員發現，那些吃高脂肪和加工食品等所謂「西方飲食」的男性，精子平均數量最低。

On average, they had 25.6 million fewer sperm per ejaculation compared to those eating the healthiest diets.

平均而言，這些男性每次射精的精子數量，比飲食最健康的男性少2560萬。

While previous studies have focused on older men trying to conceive, this research shows some men have "clinically low" sperm counts despite being at their peak reproductive age.

此前的研究側重在想要孕育下一代的年長男性，但這項研究表明，儘管處於最佳生育年齡，一些男性的精子數量「臨床結果很低」。

新聞辭典

irreversible：形容詞，不能逆轉的、無法挽回的。例句：Aging, like death, is an irreversible process.（衰老像死亡一樣，是一個不可逆轉的過程。）

compulsory：形容詞，必須做的、義務的。例句︰Attendance at these lectures is not compulsory.（這些課程是不一定要到場的。）

conceive：動詞，懷孕、受孕。例句：Rebecca could not conceive after a series of cancer therapy.（在接受一連串癌症治療後，蕾貝卡已無法懷孕。）