US Edition'Major Finding': Processed Foods Impact Weight and Hormones
Men consuming ultra-processed diets showed lower follicle-stimulating hormone levels and trends of reduced testosterone and sperm motility, linked to increased intake of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
- A 2025 study compared effects of ultra-processed and unprocessed diets on 43 men aged 20 to 35, revealing impacts on weight and reproductive health.
- This study arose amid worldwide sperm counts dropping 60% since the 1970s while consumption of ultra-processed foods rapidly increased in Western countries.
- Men eating ultra-processed diets gained about 1.4kg on average, had lower follicle-stimulating hormone levels, reduced sperm motility, and trends toward lower testosterone.
- Researchers linked higher levels of phthalates like cxMINP, known endocrine disruptors found in food packaging, to hormonal changes and weight gain; ultra-processed meals also contained less fibre.
- The findings suggest ultra-processed foods may contribute to declining male fertility and metabolic health, prompting calls to reconsider diet quality despite practical challenges in avoidance.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Ultraprocessed foods affect reproductive and metabolic health regardless of the amount of calories consumed compared to an unprocessed diet, according to a study conducted with men published by Cell Metabolism. These foods cause weight gain, alter hormones and introduce harmful substances related to decreased sperm quality into the body, according to the article signed by French and Danish researchers.
ledauphine.com
They are not only bad for health. Ultra-processed foods from industrial food also have harmful effects on male fertility, according to an international study.
"The consumption of ultra-processed foods per se, regardless of excessive calorie intake, is harmful to human health," says a study published on Thursday, regardless of the quantity
Sydney Morning Herald
The Age‘Major finding’: New study links ultra-processed foods to lower male sex hormones
While a diet of ultra-processed foods has long been linked with higher rates of heart disease and obesity, the small but rigorous study has found it also has a negative impact on male reproductive health.
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