Apparently the old joke, "Is that a cellphone in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" stopped being funny when cellphones became smaller and smaller. But now that some phones look more like tablets, it doesn't mean the joke is (slightly?) amusing again.
Research shows, for guys, a cellphone in your pocket is no laughing matter.
A recent study found that normal movement of sperm is compromised by around 8 percent when the little guys are exposed to electromagnetic radiation from a mobile phone.
And even if those sperm can swim to their destination, their viability has been compromised by 9 percent. So if you're planning on being a daddy (or just like your sperm to be healthy) get that cellphone out of your pants pocket (laptop off the lap, too).
We recommend that you keep your phone in a case, tucked into a carry-all, or turn it off when you're not using it. (Really, you don't always have to be available!)
And here are some other ways to protect your swimmers.
- Avoid saturated fat. A saturated-fat-laden diet can reduce sperm counts by 38 percent and slow their swimming ability by around 62 percent. Obesity also alters hormone levels.
- Avoid restrictive underwear. It can reduce sperm counts by up to 50 percent.
- Go easy on the alcohol and skip smokes. After two drinks, sperm travel in weird directions, and smoking can reduce sperm count by up to 17 percent.
- Best of all? Daily intimacy reduces DNA damage in sperm by about 30 percent.
© 2014 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.