FERTILITY LINKED TO COFFEE, INFERTILITY LINKED TO CANNABIS

This piece discusses the results of research conducted at Sao Paulo University on the effects of coffee on male fertility. The study, directed by Dr. Fabio Pasqualotto, analyzed 750 vasectomy patients divided into four groups depending on how much coffee they regularly drank. Dr. Pasqualotto stated that no differences in hormone levels or sperm count were noticed among the groups.

"However, sperm motility was higher in patients who drink coffee compared to patients who do not drink coffee," he told the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference. Caffeine could become a useful tool for helping infertile men, he said.

Dr. Euan Paul, of the Coffee Science Information Centre, said: "These findings are very exciting. There has been growing concern about sperm problems, and about the lack of motility in particular. But if sperm doesn't swim well, they also tend to be more lethargic - they give up before they reach their goal."

In another recent study at the State University of New York, the fertility of long-time marijuana users was analyzed. Men who smoked the drug four times a week for an average of five years had low sperm counts and the sperm lacked staying power. Dr. Lani Burkman, leader of the research team, stated that the sperm of marijuana smokers started fast, but:

"These sperm may burn out quickly and reduce fertility. . ."

This research is very interesting, but it doesn't address what happens if a man drinks coffee while smoking marijuana. Would the effects cancel each other? Or would the sperm be wide awake but lethargic?