Does eating animal testicles strengthen sexual health?

The testicle is one of the foods that many think is able to improve a man’s fertility and sexual health, and they often advise newly married people to eat it, and the methods of preparing it vary between different civilizations, so how true is that belief?

Does eating testicles actually improve men's sexual health?

And the testicle - or rather the testicles, given that they are two - are egg-shaped glands and are located in the scrotum, which is located outside the body, and they produce testosterone and sperm.

The testicles need a temperature lower than body temperature, so they are located outside the scrotum.

In cases of an undescended testicle that remains in the abdomen, its failure to descend may lead to infertility, and the risk of testicular cancer increases.

Some believe that the common belief among people that the testicle is sexually tonic results from an old conviction found in some societies, and is based on the fact that eating a particular organ strengthens the function performed by its counterpart in the body, for example, eating red meat gives the eater strength, and eating the heart gives courage.

On the other hand, some say that eating the testicles gives the body large amounts of the male hormone "testosterone", which plays a role in several things, such as sexual arousal and sperm formation.

The facts:

Let's start with the facts. Here is a table showing the nutritional information for one hundred grams of lamb's testicles, for example, from the US Department of Agriculture's database:

It can be noted that the most important characteristic of the lamb's testicle is that it contains a large amount of cholesterol, as one hundred grams contains nearly four hundred milligrams of cholesterol.

Noting that the weight of one testicle of a sheep usually exceeds 100 grams.

This means that eating one sheep's testicle gives a person an amount of cholesterol that exceeds the maximum cholesterol that is recommended not to be exceeded per day, which is three hundred milligrams.

Animal testicles before cooking (Getty Images/French)

Testosterone

In terms of testosterone, it is true that the testicle produces the hormone, but there are no scientific data to support the hypothesis that eating the testicle leads to raising the level of testosterone in the eater enough to cause physiological changes such as improving fertility.

It should also be noted that testosterone is not allowed to be used except on the recommendation of the doctor and in certain cases, including if its level is low in the body, because its use has risks such as increasing the risk of clots, reducing semen production and shrinking the testicle.

Therefore, if you eat testicles in order to improve your sexual health or increase your testosterone level, you most likely will not achieve your goal, and if you think that you have a fertility problem, you should see a doctor to recommend the appropriate treatment.

If you eat the testicle because you like its taste - whether it is fried alone or fried with onions - you can continue, but with the need to pay attention to the economy because of its richness in cholesterol, especially if you suffer from high blood in the first place.

Tips for men to improve sperm quality

1- Doing exercise regularly

Besides being beneficial to a man's overall health, regular exercise can boost testosterone levels and improve fertility.

Studies show that men who exercise regularly have higher testosterone levels and better semen quality than men who are inactive.

2- Eat vegetables and fruits, especially those containing vitamin C

Vegetables and fruits provide your body with vitamins and natural substances that fight free radical damage, the latter of which have negative effects on cell health and also on sperm.

Eating enough antioxidants from natural sources, such as vitamin C, may help counteract some of these harmful effects.

There is also some evidence that vitamin C supplementation may improve semen quality.

However, the recommendation here is that you focus on a healthy diet to get vitamins, and do not take any nutritional supplements for the purpose of improving fertility only after consulting a doctor.

3- Relax and reduce stress

Stress and tension may reduce a man's fertility, and researchers believe that the hormone cortisol may play a role.

Constant stress increases cortisol levels, which has strong negative effects on testosterone.

When cortisol rises, testosterone levels tend to fall.

4- Vitamin D

Vitamin D may boost testosterone levels.

Next, one study showed that men with vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have low testosterone levels.

5- Get enough zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral found in large amounts in animal foods, such as meat, fish, eggs and shellfish.

Studies show that low zinc is associated with lower levels of testosterone, lower sperm quality, and an increased risk of male infertility.

6- Don't forget folate

Some studies suggest that low folate intake may impair semen quality.

Among the foods rich in folate are green vegetables, legumes and liver.

7- Practice a healthy life

This includes eating a healthy balanced diet, exercising, avoiding smoking or drinking alcohol, and maintaining a healthy weight.