Researchers from Harvard University have found that eating as little as one piece of bacon per day can lead to a lower sperm count.

Researchers from Harvard University have found that eating as little as one piece of bacon per day can lead to a lower sperm count.

Eating a piece of white fish, however, can increase it.

To gain more insights into the relationships between food and fertility, the scientists sought out 156 men who had signed up with in vitro fertilization clinics as a result of having difficulties conceiving.

The research team examined both the men’s diets and their sperm to determine correlation between the two.

They found that the men who had a habit of eating processed meats, including bacon, hamburgers, and sausage, had 30 percent less normal sperm than the ones that didn’t.

Also discovered was that eating white fish like cod on a regular basis improved sperm health.

At this time the researchers are unsure of exactly why that is, but they do recommend that men trying to father children lay off the bacon for a while.

It also couldn’t hurt to switch to a diet richer in fruit and vegetables in general, as one of the study’s authors noted that healthy diets make healthy sperm.