Is Reproductive Function Impacted by Caffeine? What the Research Says

by John Dugan Owner

Ah, coffee! More than half of American adults drink coffee every day, consuming an average of 3.1 cups daily. Many people claim they can’t really get started every morning without a cup of joe. With coffee being such a big part of American life, there have been many questions about whether drinking coffee is a good or bad thing, health-wise. For men, there also have been specific questions about how coffee consumption might affect male organ health, especially in terms of reproductive function. Several studies have been conducted in this area – but the results have been mixed.

For example, some research has shown that coffee drinkers have a significantly reduced chance of getting diabetes, and since diabetes tends to increase the likelihood of impeded reproductive function, this would indicate that drinking coffee is good for male organ health. Studies also indicate that in some people, coffee can help lessen depression and improve energy levels, both of which are also a plus when it comes to reproductive health.

Specific reproductive health

Back in 2015, coffee consumers got a big boost from a widely-discussed article which indicated that drinking coffee reduced the risk of male dysfunction in adult males. Conducted by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, the study looked at information gathered from 3,700 men who were participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (called NHANES for short).

The scientists looked at coffee consumption among men in NHANES and then at reports of male dysfunction. They found that men who drank the equivalent of 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day had a 42% lower chance of male dysfunction. Men who drank 3-4 cups daily had a 39% reduced chance.

These results held true even when the scientists adjusted for many confounding factors associated with male dysfunction, such as obesity and high blood pressure. Significantly, however, the lower risk of male dysfunction did NOT hold true for those men with diabetes.

The study was not set up to prove that there is a direct cause and effect between coffee and male organ health, but the association does suggest there could be. It’s theorized that coffee may cause smooth muscle tissue in the member to relax, allowing in a greater flow of blood during tumescence.

Another opinion

These results are encouraging. However, another study, this one form 2017, complicates the picture. Published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, “Coffee Intake and Incidence of Male dysfunction” looks at a much larger group of men. The Health Professionals Follow-up Study compiled data from more than 21,000 men between the ages of 40 and 75 for a 100-year period.

When the data were analyzed, the scientists found there was no real difference in terms of male dysfunction among men who were coffee drinkers and men who were not –with one exception. This study found that men who drank the most (four or more cups daily) decaffeinated coffee had a 37% increased risk of male dysfunction. But regular coffee drinkers had neither a greater benefit nor a greater risk in terms of performance issues.

Decaffeinated coffee drinkers should not necessarily panic, however. Less than 1% of men in the survey drank 4 or more cups daily of decaf coffee, so the numbers involved lessen its validity. More importantly, the heavy decaf drinkers also tended to have other contributing factors, such as obesity or hypertension, which may play a bigger role in the negative impact on their male organ health.

While the jury is out on coffee and reproductive function, it’s clear that maintaining good male organ health is desirable in general. Men should make a first class male organ health crème (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil, which is clinically proven mild and safe for skin) part of their daily male organ health regimen. The best cremes contain l-arginine and l-carnitine, two important amino acids. The former helps boost nitric oxide and thereby improve blood flow, while the latter helps prevent loss of sensation due to rough handling. Both of these benefits are crucial for continued male organ health.

Visit http://www.menshealthfirst.com for additional information on most common male organ health issues, tips on improving sensitivity and what to do to maintain a healthy member. John Dugan is a professional writer who specializes in men's health issues and is an ongoing contributing writer to numerous websites.