New Study Links Sperm Quality to Longevity
Could sperm quality be a window into overall health and lifespan? A new study suggests that men with highly motile sperm strong enough to reach and fertilize an egg may live nearly three years longer than those with sluggish swimmers.
Researchers tracked over 78,000 men for 50 years, finding a clear link between sperm motility and life expectancy. Men with a total motile sperm count above 120 million per milliliter lived an average of 2.7 years longer than those with less than 5 million per milliliter, according to lead researcher Lærke Priskorn from Copenhagen University Hospital.
While sperm count is often viewed through the lens of fertility, experts believe it may also be a marker for overall health. Dr. Michael Eisenberg, a professor at Stanford, notes that prior research has suggested a connection between reproductive and general well-being.
So, what’s behind this link? One theory is oxidative stress-a harmful process caused by free radicals that damage cells, including sperm. Factors like smoking, pollution, and poor diet can trigger oxidative stress, while antioxidants-found in foods like citrus fruits, nuts, and leafy greens—help neutralize these effects.
This research highlights the broader importance of men’s reproductive health. If sperm quality reflects overall health risks, routine semen analysis could become a powerful tool for predicting and preventing future health problems- long before symptoms appear.
Could sperm truly be a “canary in the coal mine” for men’s longevity? Science seems to say yes.
