Winter Maladies: Natural Approaches
June Russell's Health Facts
Alcohol - Men (Sex and Reproduction)
[Sexual Behavior]
[Testosterone/Sperm Production]
[Fertility/Offspring Health]
[Impotence]
[Prostate]
Alcohol and Sexual Behavior
When a woman's partner was drinking alcohol they were less likely to use condoms. When the man drinks, it is a red flag for risky sexual behavior.
{"Risky sex linked to partner's alcohol use," Reuter's Health, healthcentral.com - Nov., 2000}
Testosterone and Sperm Production
Alcohol can interfere with the function of the male reproductive system, and can lead to tissue shrinkage, reduced testosterone production, and sperm abnormalities, in the testes. This can lead to male infertility and to other deleterious effects throughout the body, such as bone loss and decreased muscle function.
{"Alcohol's Effects On Male Reproduction," Alcohol Health & Research World, NIAAA, 1998}
Stop drinking alcohol if you want to preserve testosterone, help prevent impotence and improve your quality of life.
{HealthSense newsletter, Stephen Sinatra, MD, Aug. 1999}
Alcohol may interfere with normal sperm structure and movement by inhibiting the metabolism of Vitamin A, which is essential for sperm development.
{"Alcohol Impairs Reproductive Functions," Alcohol Alert, NIAAA, 2000}
Alcohol slows sperm production, and its breakdown product, acetaldehyde, is toxic to sperm.
{Srikanth V., et al., "Effects of ethanol ingestion on sperm monosaccharides and fertility, Biochem. Mol. Biol. Int. 1999. On VitalCast, Feb. 2000}
Alcohol is directly toxic to the testes, causing reduced testosterone levels in men.
{"Alcohol Impairs Reproductive Functions," Alcohol Alert, NIAAA, 2001}
Testosterone production is depressed by alcohol's toxicity.
{"Alcohol's Effect on the Liver," Charles Lieber, MD, Alcohol Research and Treatment Center, Professor of Medicine and Pathology, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York, Sep. 2002 - www.health20-20.org}
Fertility and Health of Children
Like any cell, a sperm is subject to genetic damage, and the seminal fluid or the sperm itself, may carry harmful materials, such as drug residues. It is only common sense to think that a prospective father's health, his use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and his exposure to environmental toxins will affect his fertility or the health of his children.
{University of California Berkeley Wellness Letter, Apr. 1994}
The March of Dimes (pamphlet) suggests that parents refrain from the use of alcohol for several months prior to conception. There can be genetic damage from alcohol use at the time of conception.
Even light drinking (one to three drinks a month) had a 32% reduction in the concentration of spermatozoa, and in those who drank four to five times a week there was a 56% reduction. Erections of the male may be considerably diminished after alcohol use. Even a single drink can have a negative effect on sexual pleasure. There is no safe drinking level for men who are concerned about their sexuality.
{in the book, "You are What you Drink," Luks and Barbato, 1989}
Alcohol depresses the immune system, disrupts the liver and directly enhances malnutrition. Research implies that even moderate alcohol consumption may induce genetic damage and increase the occurrence of physical and mental handicaps in a child due to alcohol's effects on the egg and sperm.
{in the book, "Planning for a Healthy Baby," by G. Barnes and S.G. Bradley}
Dr. Marvin Legator, one of the world's leading experts on male-mediated reproductive damage, warns that exposure to toxins, like alcohol, can cause permanent reproductive damage. Alcohol labels should warn men as well as pregnant women.
If you are trying to conceive, drinking should cease. Ingest superior foods and nutrients at least three months before fertilization, says Lendon Smith, MD, author of the book, "Feed Yourself Right," and columnist for many health magazines.
Research has consistently demonstrated an association between both acute (one time, one occasion) and chronic (long-term) alcohol consumption and low testosterone. It appears that alcohol’s damaging effects on reproduction are mediated at all three levels of the male reproductive unit: the hypothalamus, pituitary, and testes. Further studies have suggested that alcohol inhibits testosterone secretion by the testes as well. Some data also suggests that acetaldehyde (the principal product of alcohol metabolism) is actually more toxic than alcohol on the production of testosterone. The oxidation of alcohol generates byproducts called oxidants that can contribute to cell damage and may play a role in alcohol-induced tissue damage in the testes. Research demonstrated the deleterious effects of paternal alcohol consumption on the offspring, even after a period of abstinence.
{Alcohol Research & Health, Vol. 25, No. 4, 2001}
Some scientists consider the ratio of male to female births to be an indicator of a population's health, because male sperm and embryos are more fragile than their female counterparts. Normally, boys have a slight edge over girls, with almost 52% of all babies born worldwide being male. The balance tends to even out later in life because females have a higher survival rate. However, the number of males has been declining in several industrial countries over the past few decades and researchers suspect toxic substances may be partly to blame.
{"Study: Smokers More Likely to Have Girls," The Daily Progress newspaper, Charlottesville, Virginia, Apr. 19, 2002. London} Editor's comment: Although this article implicated heavy smoking (one pack a day or more), reproduction specialists are questioning the effects of alcohol as a toxin in this study.
Impotence
In her book, "Drugs, Alcohol and Sex," Patricia Bush states that even small amounts of alcohol causes a decrease in the size of the erection of the penis. It may help in releasing inhibitions but too often alcohol limits performance, reduced satisfaction and fertility, and causes stress and strain between partners. Moderate doses of alcohol affect sexual function in the following ways: fewer or no orgasms, longer foreplay, decreased lubrication for both women and men, and increased time to get an erection. Sex therapist, Avodah K. Offit, MD, psychiatrist and author, says that an alcoholic drink with dinner can cause a loss of interest in sex for that night and what you drink today may affect sex tomorrow. Even after one drink, a man's erection may be dramatically compromised.
{in the book, "You are What you Drink," Luks and Barbato, 1989}
Fatigue can sap desire. Physical, not emotional, factors are often behind erectile dysfunction. This includes cigarette and alcohol use.
{Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 1995, Lauri Aesoph, ND, Healthwell.com}
Regular moderate drinkers (male) show a reduced capacity for penile erection, decreased semen production, and lower sperm counts.
{in the book, "Buzzed," by Cynthia Kuhn, PhD, et al., Duke
University Medical Center, 1998}
Alcohol is a libido-buster says Michele Weiner-Davis, author of "Divorce Busting."
{Parade magazine, March 21, 1999}
Alcohol, a nervous system depressant, can result in temporary erectile failure.
{Medizine Guidebook, Dec. 2000}
In men, alcohol lowers sperm count and that can cause impotence. In women, alcohol can cause hormonal changes that result in irregular menstruation and infertility.
{“Healthy Lifestyle,” intelihealth.com - Harvard Medical School’s Consumer Health Information, Nov. 2002}
Prostate
Limit or omit alcohol: “Too much of a good time” can affect sexual performance. What’s more, long term alcohol use has also been associated with testicular atrophy, which can lead to increased estrogen and decreased testosterone. Studies have linked alcohol use to benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), which can lead to prostate cancer.
{HeartSense, Jan. 2000, Stephen Sinatra, MD}
BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia) is a noncancerous enlargement of the prostate, marked by frequent urination, a need to get out of bed at night to urinate, and incomplete voiding. BPH affects more than half of men in their 60’s. Avoid alcohol.
{“Prostate Health”, Medizine Guidebook, Jul. 2000}
When an enlarged prostate is at the root of BPH symptoms, there is much you can do to avoid aggravating the discomfort. Reduce or eliminate your consumption of caffeine and alcohol, diuretics that can trigger the urge to urinate.
{Andrew Weil, MD, “Self Healing” newsletter, Oct. 2000}
It is believed that alcohol is related to the early stages of prostate disease.
No difference was found between men who had stopped drinking and men who still drank, leading them to suspect that alcohol is related to the early stages of the disease. Alcohol may cause prostate cancer either indirectly, through its negative effect on the body's ability to absorb nutrients, or directly through alcohol's carcinogenic properties.
{"Alcohol Use and Prostate Cancer," ustoo.com - Oct. 2001}
The harsh truth is that surgery and radiation don't always work for prostate cancer. They can have side effects and the recurrent rates are as high as 40% within two years of surgery, and can cause impotence and incontinence. Dean Ornish did a study of prostate cancer patients, and found that diet and lifestyle changes may slow, stop or even reverse the progression of early prostate cancer. The three month study showed that PSA dropped an average of 6.5%; and 9% among those who adhered closest to his regimen. "Your body often has the ability to begin healing itself if you stop the behavior contributing to the problem," says Ornish, a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, best known for his equally unconventional work on heart disease. Ornish's regime is intense and includes many restrictions such as 'no alcohol'.
{'The Prostate Plan," Newsweek, Apr. 22, 2002}