The scientific world has explored a study between technology and biology. It has linked that as harmless as TV may seem, watching too much of it can lower sperm count. Now, this leaves too many unanswered questions, including why and how excessive watching TV would affect a man’s sperm count.
Well, researchers have linked an inactive lifestyle and short wavelength light with lower sperm levels. Then, another report links to a possibility that stillness increases the temperature in the scrotum and this may be a factor. There is so much more to be explored about this fact in this article.
Why Does Watching TV Affect Sperm Count?
At the time of this report, science has not fully found the reason why TV can reduce sperm count. However, research conducted by the Havard School of Public has proven that inactivity lowers sperm count. Therefore, sitting for 20 hours a week watching TV is enough to cause the reduction.
The study focused on 189 young men between the ages of 18 to 22 years old. It pays attention to how many hours they spend on physical activities and those watching TV.
The result shows that men who spend at least 20 hours a week had a sperm count of 44%. This means that these men have about 29% lower sperm count than men who are more physically active.
These men who are engaged in more physical activities have about 73% higher sperm count.
How Watching TV May Reduce Sperm Count
Researchers have not found out specifically how TV reduces sperm count. However, there are pointers to sitting for long periods. This causes an increase in the temperature of your spectrum and this will in turn reduce sperm production.
Secondly, there is another study that links exposure to light-emitting digital devices (especially in the evening) to sperm reduction. Well, TV falls under this category and this may partially explain why the sperm count may reduce due to long hours of watching TV.
In the study, 116 men between the ages of 21 to 59 were examined and the frequency of watching TV can lead to a reduction in sperm motility. Other devices that have this same effect include phones, tablets, and laptops.
As a further explanation, getting exposed to short wavelength light (SWL) from devices such as TV hinders the secretion of melatonin. Now, this melatonin, a hormone that your brain produces in response to darkness can be blocked. Then, it becomes difficult for you to sleep.
This same study, headed by Amit Green, PhD shows that men who have more adequate sleep tend to have higher sperm counts as compared to men who do not have sufficient sleep.
In a nutshell, TV, mostly in the evenings can cause a reduction in sleep levels. This reduction can thus reduce sperm count.
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How to Stop TV From Reducing Your Sperm Count
Now, since the count of sperm can drastically reduce due to watching TV for long hours, how do you avoid that?
For starters, a study shows that watching TV for about 5 hours a day increases your risk of low sperm count. Therefore, you will have to strike a balance of watching on average (less than 5 hours in a day and less than 20 hours a week).
Then, another important thing is to not be still while watching. Since one of the reasons we have given in this article as to why TV reduces sperm count is long hours of sitting, it is important to take breaks while watching
Moreso, since SWL is linked to low sperm count, watching TV at night puts you at risk. Therefore reducing how much you watch at night is beneficial.
Other Factors that Can Reduce Sperm Count and Its Effect
Other factors linked to the increasing drop in sperm counts apart from watching too much TV are exposure to chemicals used in pesticides and plastics, obesity, smoking, stress, and diet.
The reduction in the count of sperm has numerous disadvantages. In a study, researchers evaluated the findings of about 200 studies on sperm counts. They found that semen quality had shrunk to its previous quality about 40 years ago. Their findings made the lead researcher, Dr Hagai Levine announce that humans could become extinct if sperm counts in men continued to drop the way its falling.
He said humanity will battle with serious reproduction problems in the near future due to a sperm count drop.
