Saturday June 15, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Eating too much saturated fat can not only increase the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, but also lower the sperm concentration and sperm count to make men infertile, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study led by Tina K Jensen of University Department of Growth and Reproduction, Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark and colleagues found men in the highest quartile of saturated fat intake had a 38% lower sperm concentration and a 41% lower total sperm count, compared with men in the lowest quartile.

Enrolled in the study were 701 young Danish men who were subject to examinations for their fitness for military service from 2008 to 2010.  Subjects submitted a semen sample, underwent a physical exam, and completed a food frequency questionnaire.

The researchers analyzed the data and found high intake of saturated fat associated with a lower sperm concentration and lower total sperm count in the subjects.

Other types of dietary fat were not associated with the semen quality.

The researchers concluded "A reduction in saturated fat intake may be beneficial for both general and reproductive health."

Saturated fat is high in meat and low in vegetable oils (reporting by David Liu PHD)

Some Basics About Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms. There are many kinds of naturally occurring saturated fatty acids, which differ mainly in number of carbon atoms, from 3 carbons (propionic acid) to 36 (hexatriacontanoic acid).

Various fats contain different proportions of saturated and unsaturated fat. Examples of foods containing a high proportion of saturated fat include animal fats such as cream, cheese, butter, and ghee; suet, tallow, lard, and fatty meats; as well as certain vegetable products such as coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm kernel oil, chocolate, and many prepared foods. (cited from wikipedia)