Study: Too Much TV Linked to Lower Sperm Count

If you’re trying to conceive, you might want to tell your guy to put down the remote. A new study from Harvard University shows that guys who love the boob tube could have lower sperm counts than those who limit their TV watching to less than 20 hours per week, NBC News reports.

 

According to the study, men who go over this recommended amount of viewing have a 44 percent lower sperm count than those who watched almost no TV. While 20-plus hours of tube time might seem like a lot, one of the authors of the study, Jose Chavarro, says many of us do in fact find that kind of time to veg out in front of the screen – it comes out to about three hours per day, which in those terms, may seem like a normal Tuesday night.

 

Plus: Why Low Sperm Count Is A Big Deal

 

TV might not be the only issue, either, since studies done on this subject during the past decade haven’t taken into account lifestyle changes that may also affect sperm count, like what we’re eating, all the tech we’re consuming and how little exercise we’re getting. That last part might be the most important, too. According to the Harvard study, the men in the study who exercised 14 hours per week or more had the highest sperm count.

 

Plus: More Causes That Hinder Conception

 

Television consumption and exercise might not seem to be related, but there’s a considerable body of research that links television watching with obesity, and obesity with low testosterone and lethargy, so low sperm count in excessive TV watchers makes serious sense.

 

What are your guy’s TV habits? Do you make a conscious effort to curb viewing time? Leave a comment.