Ok, so it seems like energy drinks and sodas definitely aren’t great for your swimmers – but what about your favourite oat milk latte? Well, another study looked at coffee consumption specifically and found that there was a marked tendency towards lower sperm quality in men that drank more than 3 coffees a day. So, the good news is, you don’t have to give up your morning coffee altogether if you’re trying to conceive If you’re keen to make healthy lifestyle changes that support your fertility, it’s a good idea to keep your caffeine consumption to a moderate level, but most importantly, be aware of where that caffeine is coming from. Klinikk Hausken works closely with ExSeed Health, and it is now easy for you to test sperm quality at home in a private environment. The test can also help you with lifestyle changes that can improve sperm quality. If you later consider fertility treatment, you can take the test to our clinic for further examination. We recommend a regular sperm test and analysis at the clinic for those who have already started the fertility treatment process. The test gives you answers to the following:

ExSeed analyses your sperm cells and provides you with a Semen Quality Score based on your Total Motile Sperm Count. This is a reliable indicator of the chances of your sperm cells being able to successfully fertilise an egg. Reduced sperm quality and damage to DNA in sperm cells are believed to cause reduced fertility in approximately 40% of infertile couples. In addition to decreased fertility, damage to sperm DNA often contributes to an increased number of point mutations in the foetus and baby. This can result in spontaneous abortions, congenital malformations or illnesses in children and adolescents such as autism and schizophrenia. With this project, poor sperm quality is attempted to be improved with the help of ExSeed’s personalized lifestyle guidance. The project is expected to be finalized in Q4 2021. Get your sperm in the best possible shape The next step requires you to transfer a small amount of the collected semen onto the glass slide using the pipette provided- sounds complicated but the ExSeed equipment is cleverly designed to make this as easy as possible. You then pop the slide into the ExSeed device and you”re ready for the fun part!Men’s sperm health has been on the decline for decades, with sperm counts falling by an alarming 50% worldwide. While the exact causes of this decline are still being investigated, a new study has found a strong association between exposure to certain pesticides and lower sperm concentration. What are Pesticides?

The average man drinks 2.4 cups of coffee a day and over half of us say we struggle to function without a cup of joe in the morning. But does coffee – and other drinks containing caffeine – have an impact on our fertility? By summarising all this information into one score, you can see whether the health of your sperm is low, moderate or optimal. ExSeed also provides you with tailored advice on how to improve the health of your sperm through lifestyle changes and a customised plan based on your sperm test results. According to the findings, men with higher exposure to pesticides, particularly those working in agriculture, exhibited significantly lower sperm concentrations compared to men with minimal exposure to organophosphates and N-methyl carbamates. Sperm concentration is a metric indicating the number of sperm per milliliter of semen, while sperm count encompasses the millions of sperm in the entire ejaculate. Experts highlight that sperm count, in conjunction with the total number of progressively swimming sperm in the semen, holds greater significance in predicting future fertility. What are the Common Pesticides of Concern? The study we mentioned before indicates that consuming less than 800mg of caffeine a day shouldn’t have a massive impact on your fertility – but it does depend on where that caffeine is coming from. The average cup of coffee contains less than 100mg of caffeine, so a couple of lattes a day probably isn’t going to affect your swimmers (if you skip the sugar that is). Damage sperm cells: Pesticides can damage the DNA of sperm cells, making them less likely to fertilize an egg.

Verdict

A semen sample is collected in a cup. The sample should rest for approx. 15 minutes until it is liquid. Follow the instructions on the ExSeed app to turn your mobile phone into a microscope to actually see your sperm cells. The app will also help you record a video of your swimmers in action for analysis. What does ExSeed measure?

There are several male fertility home test kits available on the market, both in pharmacies and online. Most of these tests claim to indicate whether your sperm quality is low or normal. But how good are these tests? Make sure to be getting enough selenium ( some studies have found that selenium intake correlates to improved motility) Washing fruits and vegetables: Even if you buy organic produce, it is still important to wash fruits and vegetables to remove any pesticide residue that may be present. Accuracy for the sperm cell concentration per mL has been tested in the range of 5M/ml to 125M/ml. If the test repeatedly shows less than 5M/ml, we recommend that you seek further medical consultation. If the test shows more than 125M/ml, it means that you are in the very high range. The test result in this range may be presented with less accuracy”.Even in a healthy semen sample, you may see a mix of all three types of motility. However, problems start to arise when the immobile sperm or non-progressive sperm cells outweigh the motile ones. So, the research is fairly mixed when it comes to the impact of caffeine on male fertility, but are there other factors we should be considering here? A vital yet missing component of the standard fertility investigational process in couples is sperm health . Research has shown that 20-40 % of men with ‘unexplained’ infertility have high DNA damage (or fragmentation) in their sperm (3) (4) and this has been shown to have strong links with miscarriage as well as the likelihood of Assisted Reproductive Treatment (ART) success (5) . The quality of sperm DNA is vital as it carries a copy of the genes that a man passes on to their baby. Not only do these genes pass on characteristics like eye color or height, but they build our brains and determine our behaviour and future health.