The ketogenic diet (keto diet) has gained immense popularity over the past few years. People who have tried it claim that diet has not just helped them lose weight but has also benefited them in many other ways. But is sperm keto friendly?
The Keto Diet: An Overview
Simply put, a ketogenic diet is a very low carb and high fat approach to eating. When done correctly, a ketogenic diet changes the body’s metabolism from using glucose (sugar) as the primary fuel source to ketones (fat). The diet consists of eating large amounts of healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados, flaxseed, nuts, seeds and very very small amounts of carbohydrates - typically from fruits and low carbohydrate vegetables. Dairy products such as heavy cream, butter and cheese are allowed (of course unless you are following a vegan ketogenic diet) as well. Protein is also included on the plan but shouldn’t be consumed excessively because then the body will process it similar to glucose. A typical breakfast may be bacon, eggs and avocado. Lunch a salad with chicken, cheese, avocado, bacon, and an olive oil based dressing. Dinner may be a steak with butter and asparagus.
The body’s primary source of fuel is glucose (sugar) found in carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. During times of fasting or starvation, when there is inadequate carbohydrate consumption, the body begins to use a different type of fuel as a survival mechanism. The keto diet intentionally mimics a state of fasting by reducing carbohydrate so low, only allowing for ~20-50g carbohydrate per day, the body is forced into using fat for energy. This metabolic process is called ketosis and occurs as the liver utilizes fat and produces ketone bodies for energy.
Potential Benefits of Keto
One of the most recent diet trend is the ketogenic diet. It is a rigorously specific, low-carb, high-fat diet that is quite similar to its Atkins and low-carb relatives but is far older than either of them: It was developed in 1921 to control epilepsy in children. Essentially, keto recommends consuming 3 calories of fat for every 1 calorie of protein or carbohydrate. And that puts the body into ketosis, hence the name of the diet. The good news about the keto diet is that it’s great for controlling epilepsy and promoting weight loss. Keto followers typically lose twice as much weight as low-fat dieters. The reason it’s so good at weight loss is that the body prefers getting its energy from carbs if at all possible. When carbs are scarce, the body turns to fat for energy, burning up fat stores instead.
Keto-friendly foods include fish, shellfish, meat, poultry, eggs, cheeses, Greek yogurt, olives and non-starchy vegetables such as avocado, spinach, Brussel sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. Nuts and seeds are great as are most berries. And believe it or not, butter, cream and dark chocolate fit the bill as well.
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Weight loss isn’t the only reason it has become so popular in the last few years though as claims have been made that ketogenic diets can help a variety of disease states including but not limited to diabetes, migraines, traumatic brain injury, autism, acne, chronic pain, cancer and autism. Some of these diseases do have good evidence/studies for ketogenic diets helping while others are purely speculation and need a lot more research.
Weight Loss and Fertility
Using a ketogenic diet to improve body weight can definitely help women who do not ovulate - release an egg - regularly, including those with polycystic ovary syndrome [PCOS]. If they lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight, they may resume ovulating. (For the record, PCOS, a metabolic and hormonal disorder, is a leading cause of infertility in women.)
Sperm Quality and Keto
Talking about other benefits of keto diet, apart from weight loss, a new study has found that the diet can increase the sperm quality and count in obese men.
In fact, some research suggests that besides helping women with PCOS lose weight, the ketogenic diet may help rebalance their hormones - and in some cases help women who had previous infertility problems become pregnant on their own.
Excess weight and a poor diet can affect men’s fertility, too. "The standard American diet, filled with refined carbohydrates and sugar, has been associated with poor sperm health, negatively impacting sperm motility, morphology [shape], and shape count," notes Will Cole, a doctor of chiropractic and a functional medicine expert in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, and author of Ketotarian. (Even a super-fertile woman is going to have trouble getting pregnant if her partner doesn’t have enough good-quality sperm.) "Conversely, diets rich in healthy fats, like nuts, seeds, and omega fatty-acid-rich fish, have been shown to improve sperm health," Dr. Cole adds.
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Potential Downsides and Considerations
But there may be downsides to eating keto. Bad or fruity-smelling breath, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, weakness and fatigue are common at the start. Constipation, short-term decreases in exercise performance, elevated cholesterol, kidney stones and constipation have also been described. As a woman embarks on the path to motherhood, she should be nourishing her body-not inducing a state of metabolic starvation like ketosis.
Nutrient Deficiencies
Dietary Guidelines recommended 10% of total calories per day, the keto diet has been found to increase LDL (bad) cholesterol levels which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Rapid weight loss inevitably leads to a decrease in both fat mass and lean muscle mass. Loss of lean muscle mass can potentially decrease metabolic rate which in turn, greatly increases the likelihood of weight regain once stopping the diet, especially without resistance training and regular exercise to help rebuild muscle mass.
Impact on Pregnancy
While a ketogenic diet may help a woman who wants to get pregnant drop pounds quickly, it would be best to use it “to kick-start a new health routine and lose weight” before trying to conceive, Dr. Kudesia says, because you don’t want your body to be in a state of ketosis around conception (or any part of pregnancy). Also, for a healthy conception and pregnancy, it’s important to eat enough nutrient-dense whole foods, rather than to restrict calories, Cole says. “Just because something is high fat and low carb or keto doesn't mean it is necessarily healthy.”
Unfortunately we do not know exactly what happens with a women is pregnant and in ketosis (again the body/brain functioning off of fat). What does that give the baby in terms of energy - glucose/sugar or fat/ketones? Will the baby grow normally? Will the baby develop normally? Those are the research questions we just don’t have answer to at this point in time. So I cannot recommend ketogenic diets for pregnant women at this time. Of course my answer may be different in 5 years as research in this area continues to evolve.
Alternatives to Keto
In contrast to the keto diet, a fertility friendly diet is nutrient dense, low-glycemic and anti-inflammatory. While it is important to focus on incorporating protein and healthy fats and eliminating processed carbohydrates and added sugars, it is equally important to balance your diet with nutritious fruits, starchy vegetables, legumes and whole grains. For instance, whole grains and legumes provide B-vitamins which are crucial for optimal egg development and ovulation. Folate, another B vitamin, found in vegetables, fruits, dairy and grains, is essential for fetal development and prevention of neural tube defects. Berries and cherries are packed with strong antioxidants that combat inflammation in the body and protect cells against oxidative stress. Beans and lentils are good sources of protein, potassium and folate and while they do have carbohydrates, they’re net carbohydrate load (net carb = total carbohydrate - dietary fiber) is low because they’re packed with fiber. Soluble fiber from whole grains and legumes help bind excess hormones and cholesterol so the body can excrete them instead of absorbing them. It also attracts water to stool which can improve bowel regularity and prevent constipation.
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The Mediterranean Diet: A Balanced Approach
For these reasons, Rachelle Mallik, RDN, who specializes in reproductive nutrition in Chicago, believes that following the Mediterranean diet or a so-called Dutch-style diet - which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, whole-wheat bread (and cereals), and healthy fats - is a better approach to preconception because it has a more balanced distribution of macronutrients. “Glucose (a form of carbs) is the primary source of fuel for a growing baby, so a balanced diet is important during pregnancy,” says Mallik.
Modern vs. I’ve recommended other diets before to optimize reproductive health, including Paleolithic and Mediterranean, depending on whether you look back 333 generations (Paleo) or 33 generations (Mediterranean) into human history. Keto and paleo diets are very similar in that they are both low carb-based. Keto was specifically designed to manage neurological disease and not necessarily weight loss. Paleo was designed for weight loss and focuses more on meat eating and acquiring calories from protein, much like early human cave dwellers did who had little access to grain and greens. Paleo gets its energy from animal products high in protein and low in carbs and simply eliminates all dairy, grains and processed foods, but offers no formal prescription regarding the intake of these sources of energy. Keto focuses on specific ratios of the three major energy sources: fat, carbs and protein.
The Mediterranean diet is far less of a “diet” than a philosophical “way” of eating when compared to keto. It focuses on plant-based foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean protein and avoidance of processed foods, but doesn’t specify how many grams of this or that to consume. The Mediterranean diet also includes exercise and sharing meals, and promotes a deeper appreciation of life. So which diet is best for a man’s fertility? Who knows? All three are far more antioxidant rich and healthier than the bloaty, starchy-carb, airport-food-based American diet to be sure. So, choose one and stick with it.
Semen Composition and Nutritional Value
Semen contains a small number of calories and traces of some nutrients. However, there is no evidence consuming semen offers any health benefits. Most internet sources say that semen contains between 5 and 25 calories per teaspoon, but there isn’t a lot of research to back this figure up. Each ejaculation produces about one teaspoon, or 5 millimeters (mL), of semen on average. A 2013 review of studies looked at the nutritional composition of semen. It found that the average protein concentration of semen is 5,040 milligrams (mg) per 100 ml. Since one ejaculation usually produces 5 ml of semen, we can say that the average amount of ejaculation contains around 252 mg of protein.
Semen also contains:
- fructose
- sodium
- cholesterol
- fat
- traces of vitamin B-12
However, since such a small amount of semen is ejaculated at once, it won’t really have an effect on your nutritional intake for the day.
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