Post Date December, 03 2023
Eating too much animal viscera is bad for male infertility
When eating barbecue, eating a few strings of sheep "kidneys" is a favorite of many men. In addition, influenced by traditional concepts such as "what to eat to make up for what to eat", many men can't miss animal viscera that have aphrodisiac functions or are rich in zinc, such as bullwhip, sheep kidney, pig liver, and chicken kidney. Recently, however, some experts have pointed out that the nutritional value and risks of animal viscera should be scientifically recognized, as animal viscera, despite its unique nutritional components, contains heavy metal cadmium, and eating too much can have a sterile effect on men.
High content of heavy metals in viscera
"Animal viscera, which contains a large amount of sexual hormones and adrenocortical hormones, can enhance sperm vitality and enhance sexual desire, and is recognized as an aphrodisiac product by the public." Ding Degang, chief physician of urology at Henan Provincial People's Hospital, said, but seemingly aphrodisiac animal viscera hides a infertility crisis.
Recently, experts in Taiwan have pointed out that there are different levels of heavy metal cadmium in the liver and kidneys of pigs, cattle, and sheep. However, according to the monitoring of food pollutants released by the Health Department of Hubei Province, the content of metal cadmium in animal kidneys exceeds the national standard value by 100 times. "Cadmium can induce degenerative changes in the structure and function of tissues and organs such as the male testis and epididymis, ultimately leading to decreased reproductive ability." Ding Degang said that in addition to the heavy metal cadmium, as well as lead, all can directly act on the core organ of the male reproductive system - the testis, causing a decrease in the number of sperm, an increase in sperm malformation rates, reduced activity, and affecting fertility. Theoretically, the human body has a certain ability to detoxify itself, and toxic substances will not accumulate in the body. However, if ingested in excess, the body's own detoxification capacity appears insufficient, and toxic substances will accumulate in the body. When a certain amount is reached, it will harm the body.
Men should limit their intake of animal viscera
"Not only are heavy metals, but animal viscera are prone to contamination by pathogenic microorganisms and parasites. If not cooked thoroughly, it can also increase the chance of people contracting diseases." Fu Sanxian, a nutritionist at the Nutrition Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, said that men are not prohibited from eating animal viscera, but they should pay attention to the amount of intake. She recommends eating animal offal at most once or twice a week, and not more than 50 grams each time. "In addition, when eating animal viscera, it is best to mix some coarse grains and vegetables to supplement dietary fiber." Fu Sanxian said that animal viscera contains cholic acid, and coarse grains and vegetables have a binding force with cholic acid, which can increase the excretion of cholic acid and reduce the absorption of cholesterol, thereby achieving the health effect of lowering blood lipids.
(Intern Editor: Cai Junyi)
