Reproductive Health
Episodes
Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses beta-glucan fiber for PFAS reduction, creatine and caffeine, urolithin A, exogenous ketones, IVF supplements, Botox, and sauna.
In this Aliquot, I briefly describe the science and concerns surrounding microplastics and identify ways to lessen...
In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses BPA's impact on reproductive health, early puberty, and microplastic exposure's effect on sperm and testosterone.
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Rhonda Pollution Fiber Sauna Caffeine Supplements Urolithin A Creatine Reproductive Health Exogenous KetonesDr. Rhonda Patrick discusses beta-glucan fiber for PFAS reduction, creatine and caffeine, urolithin A, exogenous ketones, IVF supplements, Botox, and sauna.
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In this Aliquot, I briefly describe the science and concerns surrounding microplastics and identify ways to lessen...
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses BPA's impact on reproductive health, early puberty, and microplastic exposure's effect on sperm and testosterone.
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick covers male fertility strategies, including supplements, lifestyle changes, and heat and alcohol's impact on sperm health.
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses alcohol's effects on fertility, pregnancy, and reproductive health for both men and women.
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Microplastics are ubiquitous in everyday life. This episode details how they impact our health and ways that we can limit our exposure.
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From preconception to toddlerhood and early childhood, there's a lot to consider when deciding to have a baby. Dr. Rhonda Patrick spent many months researchi...
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Modern diets are often dominated by ultra-processed foods (UPFs), yet scientists still debate whether their harm arises mainly from their tendency to drive excess calorie intake or also from other aspects of industrial processing. To test this, researchers at the University of Copenhagen conducted a tightly controlled crossover study in healthy men.
The study enrolled 43 men aged 20 to 35, each randomized to two 3-week diet phases with a 12-week break between them. Both meal plans were matched for calories and macronutrients, but differed sharply in composition: the ultra-processed version supplied about 77% of calories from UPFs, while the minimally processed plan contained less than 1%. One study arm received adequate calories based on estimated energy expenditure and the other received 500 calories per day in excess.
Results showed that processing level, not just calories, shaped health outcomes:
- Men gained about 1.3 to 1.4 kilograms more (mostly from increased fat mass) on the ultra-processed diet than on the minimally processed diet, in both the adequate- and excess-calorie groups.
Adequate-calorie group:
- Total cholesterol and the LDL-to-HDL ratio were higher on the ultra-processed diet than on the minimally processed diet — both signs of worse lipid balance.
- The signaling molecule interleukin-4 (IL-4) increased on the ultra-processed diet. IL-4 is a cytokine with a dual role in immunity, promoting both allergic responses and supporting anti-inflammatory and tissue-repair processes.
Excess-calorie group:
- Diastolic blood pressure was higher on the ultra-processed diet than on the minimally processed diet.
- Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) decreased on the ultra-processed diet. GDF-15 is a mitochondrial stress signal that promotes energy expenditure and appetite suppression.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (a hormone essential for sperm development) was lower on the ultra-processed diet, yet sperm concentration did not change.
Because calories and macronutrients were matched and estimated intake was similar within arms, the findings indicate effects attributable to processing level itself. The researchers suggest several explanations, including that the processing may increase the usable energy of foods or influence hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. Packaging chemicals and additives might also contribute through subtle endocrine effects.
The study was brief, so some effects may not have had time to fully manifest, and it also depended on participants strictly adhering to the prescribed diets. Additionally, the findings published so far are not the main outcome the study was originally designed to test, but rather exploratory health measures the researchers chose to examine as well — so they should be viewed as early signals rather than firm conclusions. However, the pattern suggests that reducing heavily processed foods could benefit both metabolic and reproductive health. In this clip, I explain how ultra-processed foods impact appetite, inflammation, and long-term disease risk.
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A flavonoid compound found in onions and citrus fruits improves sperm quality, a recent study in pigs has found. The compound, called taxifolin, also improved the animals' gut microbial makeup.
Researchers fed a group of pigs their regular food supplemented with taxifolin. They fed another group their regular food only. After the animals had been on their respective diets for about two months, the researchers assessed several aspects of the pigs' sperm quality and quantified the types and numbers of the bacteria in the pigs' guts.
They found that the animals that ate the taxifolin-supplemented food exhibited improvements in their sperm motility – an indicator of sperm health – as well as increased sperm production. The type and number of beneficial bacteria in the animals' guts increased, whereas harmful bacteria decreased. Gut bacteria play important roles in overall health.
Taxifolin is a naturally occurring compound found in a variety of edible plants](https://www.spandidos-publications.com/10.3892/mmr.2017.8271). Also known as dihydroquercetin, taxifolin is chemically related to quercetin](https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/quercetin). Evidence suggests that taxifolin exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties.
This study’s findings suggest that taxifolin, a flavonoid compound found in commonly consumed foods, may improve reproductive health. Learn more about flavonoids and other polyphenols in our overview article.
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Added sugars decrease metabolic health, survival, competitive ability, and reproduction in mice at human-relevant doses. www.sciencedaily.com
Average sugar consumption in the United States has increased 50 percent since the 1970s, due in part to the use of high fructose corn syrup in beverages and other processed foods. The mechanisms by which added sugars lead to metabolic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and fatty liver disease have been explored in research using mouse models; however, the dose of sugar used in these animal studies is usually much larger than what is normally consumed by people. Authors of this report investigated the effects of human-relevant doses of added sugars on health and behavior in mice.
Mouse models are a useful tool in research because mice can be kept in environments where their exposure to light, food, socialization, and other environmental inputs is completely controlled, minimizing variation between mice when exposed to a dietary intervention. However, these highly controlled environments, combined with large doses of experimental foods, often limit the generalizability of mouse research for human health. Organismal performance assays, which use seminatural conditions to put experimental animals in direct competition with each other, more accurately measure survival, competitive ability, and reproduction (common measures of evolutionary fitness) in response to environmental exposures.
The investigators fed one group of mice a diet containing 25 percent of calories from a 1:1 mixture of fructose and glucose, the same ratio of sugars found in beverages and processed foods containing high fructose corn syrup. They fed a second group of mice a control diet in which the added sugars were replaced with cornstarch and fiber. Both groups of mice consumed their respective diets and lived in controlled environments for 26 weeks before entering the organismal performance assay, upon which all mice consumed the high-sugar diet. The researchers observed mice as they competed for territory, resources, and mates for 26 to 32 weeks.
Female mice fed a high sugar diet prior to entering the organismal performance assay were twice as likely to die than female mice fed a normal diet. Male mice fed a high sugar diet controlled 26 percent less territory and produced 25 percent less offspring compared to mice fed a normal diet prior to entering the organismal performance assay. A high-sugar diet increased fasting cholesterol levels and decreased glucose tolerance.
The authors concluded that a high sugar diet decreased survival, competitive ability, and reproduction in mice and led to metabolic dysfunction. This study was the first to use organismal performance assays in combination with an environmental intervention and the first to demonstrate the negative health effects of added sugars in mice at human-relevant doses.