Olive Oil, 3 Others Are Dangerous For Sperm, Health Expert Warns

Olive Oil, 3 Others Are Dangerous For Sperm, Health Expert Warns.

See all the latest health news in Nigeria here

Health experts have warned that Olive oil and three other sex lubricants destroy sperms.

This was deduced from research carried out from the University of Pretoria, South Africa.

The result was published in the peer-reviewed, International Journal of Gynaecology & Obstetrics.

Is Olive oil healthy for sperm?

According to this research, these lubricants termed ‘fertility friendly’ destroy the motility of sperm. This can adversely disrupt conception, especially for couples who are trying to conceive.

The researchers revealed that for over 10 months, the effectiveness of four lubricants were compared. They are:

• Opti lube.
• Pre-seed.
• Yes Baby.
• Olive oil.

The researchers also said two natural sex lubricants and three branded lubricants were tested on 60 semen samples. They got these samples from men attending a private fertility clinic.

See the latest health news in Nigeria about Make-up and lead

“It was found that these lubricants can reduce the motility – ability of the sperm to swim in the right direction – of the sperm.

“Olive oil stifled sperm’s ability to spread, whereas egg whites appeared to have no impact on their performance and raw eggs can contain harmful bacteria — including salmonella — and experts do not recommend using them during sex.”

The lead author of the study, Johan Markram gave significant highlight of the study.

In a chat with Daily Mail, UK, Markram said that these lubricants hinder natural conception.

“This study is important because it highlights that these so-called sperm-friendly lubricants may actually hinder normal conception,” he added.

According to Daily Mail, the samples were conducted with men from 18 years and above. They also revealed that the study was conducted at a fertility clinic in Gauteng Province.

The samples were divided into six, then 0.5ml of five lubricants were added. However, one negative control sample was left.

The researchers used the WHO recommended sperm motility score microscopic camera to observe the sperm. The cameras measured the speed and movement of the sperm.

Sperm health Analysis

The results were graded after two hours, 24 hours and 72 hours.

After two hours:

• The sperms mixed with Opti lube and Yes Baby scored zero. What this means is that the sperms had no movement.
• The sperms mixed with Olive oil and Pre-seed samples scored one. This suggests that the sperm had movement but with no direction.
• The sperm mixed with egg white scored two. What this suggests is that the sperm was sluggish with progressive motility.
• The sperm without any lubricant scored above two. This suggests the sperm is more active and progressive.

After 24 hours:

• The three branded lubricants maintained their zero score.
• The olive oil also scored zero.
• The egg white and control group scored one.

After 72 hours:

• Branded lubricants scored zero.
• Olive oil scored zero.
• Egg white scored zero.
• Controlled group also scored zero.

The study concluded that after 72 hours all categories of sperm had no movement.

The researchers opined after this finding that lubes are not sperm friendly. Also, they do not boost fertility.

Must Read: One Important Information You Must Know About Nurses In The UK

Daily Mail said that numerous companies claim their lubricants are fertility-friendly. They are even marked as products that boost a couple’s chances of conception.

The report revealed that the following claims should be abandoned:

• Only acidic lubricants do not damage sperm.
• Non-acidic lubricants will not damage sperm as much.

“Most also do not contain chemicals like parabens — a preservative — which some studies have linked to being harmful to fertility.

“Some have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as ‘fertility-friendly’. The category was introduced in 2017,” it stated.

The take home is that any lubricant both acidic and non-acidic can damage sperm.

Source: PUNCH Health Wise