Health Farm

-- Diet under spotlight as sperm and testosterone levels slide

Feeling frisky, fellas? Pectorals still firmly in place? New research shines a light on a disturbing drop in testosterone among men.

Sperm counts are waning, too, dropping by 60% between 1973 and 2011 among men tested in North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

While experts debate a range of possible causes, including smoking, alcohol consumption, and obesity, a new study published in JAMA Urology suggests the lower nutritional quality of the typical Western diet could be part of the problem.

The study found that men who followed a Westernised diet of pizza, snacks, sweets and processed foods produced around 68 million fewer sperm in their ejaculate than men who ate a more healthy, balanced diet.

Pizza-loving blokes might also worry about their long-term health, with fertility status predicting later mortality. Though some will argue all that pizza might kill them first.

Switch to a Mediterranean diet to do your bit for the preservation of our species.