• 28% higher fertilization rate in men who ate no more than 1.5 servings of processed meat a week than men who ate 4.3 servings or more a week.
• The higher fertilization rate was most significant when ICSI was performed.

Poultry:

• 13% higher rate of fertilization for men who ate the most poultry than men who ate the least amount of poultry.
• The higher fertilization rate did not vary between men using ICSI or conventional IVF therapies.

It is important to note this study explored fertilization rate alone. It did not address implantation, clinical pregnancy, or live-birth rates.

Meats to Avoid

Processed meats are often referred to as charcuterie, the age-old process of using salt, sugar, smoke, spices, and other processes to preserve meat. Bacon and sausage are two of the most common forms of processed meats eaten in the US today but hot dogs, salami, pepperoni and most other pizza-topping meats, deli meats and cold cuts, canned meats and meat products, jerky, chorizo, smoked meats of all kinds, lox and other smoked fish, holiday hams, and chicken nuggets are all forms of processed meats, too.

Multiple studies in recent years have documented negative health effects, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes, when processed meats are consumed on a regular basis.


Sources:

1. Xia, Wei, et al. "Men's meat intake and treatment outcomes among couples undergoing assisted reproduction." Fertility and Sterility 100.3 (2015). Web. 14 Aug. 2015.
2. "Categories of Processed Meat Products." FAO / Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. FAO, n.d. Web. 14 Aug. 2015.