If you talk to somebody who has lived on this planet for more than 30 years, you might hear them say something along the lines of "they just don't make 'em like they used to."
It's a comment about how things now aren't made as well as they used to be, and it may be referring to cars, music, pizza, toaster ovens, underpants, cheese danishes, toilet seats, or anything else you can think of.
However, you don't often hear the word used to human anatomy, and I'm sad to inform you that it appears to apply to your testicles as well.
Your balls aren't what they used to be, according to statistics. They produce less sperm, less spunk, and less testosterone than your father's, grandfather's, and, presumably, his father's balls.
First and foremost, think about your sperm. Carlsen et al. observed in 1992 that there was a global drop in semen quality (i.e., fertility) between 1938 and 1990, and that trend is continuing.
Other studies have revealed that sperm counts are declining in general and that average testosterone levels have plummeted, with one research (Travison et al.) revealing that the typical 60-year-old American man's testosterone levels were 17 percent lower in 2004 than they were in 1987.
While there aren't as many research on the subject of testicle shrinkage as there are on other topics, a 2006 research (Main et al.) revealed how Danes in particular had substantially smaller testicles than nearby Finns, presumably due to unknown environmental variables as well as lifestyle or behavioral changes.
Maybe it's all connected to the environment, and the state of our balls reflects the current state of our globe. As the Arctic sea ice melts, so do our sperm, semen, and testosterone levels. Our balls, like the glaciers, are diminishing.
If that's the case, where is our testicular Greta Thunberg to come to our rescue? Where has our elfin Swedish gonad activist disappeared to?
Maybe we don't need one because we already have something to aid us: fish oil, which comes in the form of a clear, amber capsule.
Testicle-Wise, Where No Man Has Gone Before
Many of us take fish oil or omega-3 fatty acids in general to reduce inflammation, which is linked to at least 100 of the world's worst diseases, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimer's, and any other dreadful autoimmune ailment known to science.
However, it appears that no one has looked at the link between omega-3 fatty acids and sperm quality and levels of reproductive hormones in healthy young men... up till
Danish researchers, maybe still stinging from the news that their male population had smaller testicles than their Finnish counterparts, conducted a study of 1679 young Danish men and discovered some unexpected links between fish oil consumption and several male reproductive parameters.
What They Have Done
The men in the study were all between the ages of 18.7 and 19.4. Ninety-eight percent (5.8%) said they had taken fish oil supplements in the previous three months, with 53 (54.1%) saying they had taken it for 60 days or more.
Everyone had to fill out a lengthy questionnaire about their health, lifestyle, and nutrition. Everyone was asked to indicate any vitamins or supplements they were currently taking.
Ultrasound was used to measure the testes of the participants. The waist and hip circumferences, as well as height and weight, were all measured to determine BMI. Semen samples were collected in the embarrassing old-fashioned method, and sperm quality and quantity were assessed.
Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and free testosterone levels were measured in fasting blood samples.
They Discovered
When compared to guys who did not take fish oil supplements, those who did had larger testicles, more semen volume, and higher sperm counts.
In comparison to non-users, the fish oil group exhibited lower LH levels, higher free testosterone (8%), and a lower free testosterone to LH ratio.
The outcomes were also dose-dependent, with individuals who took omega-3 supplements for more than 60 days showing more improvement than those who took them for less than 60 days.
They're not really clear how it all works. Fish oil may be linked to enhanced FSH sensitivity of the Sertoli cells, which are the “nurse cells” of the testicles that help with sperm generation.
They also hypothesized that “lower LH levels and a higher free testosterone to LH ratio indicate a superior Leydig cell capacity, consistent with a beneficial relationship with fish oil supplement intake.”
Another advantage appears to be purely structural, but it is nonetheless significant. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) make up the sperm membrane, with DHA being one of the two main omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oil. You're like a stonemason slapping on mortar to thicken the wall they're creating by adding additional DHA from fish oils.
As a result, you'll have more sperm that aren't gimpy, as well as higher sperm motility and concentration (which is a major cause of male infertility)
While reading these findings, I couldn't help but wonder about Danish fish intake. Denmark would be an island if it weren't for a single, short shared border with Germany. It has a coastline of over 4,500 miles. In comparison, California has only 840 miles of coastline.
You'd assume that with all that water, water, everywhere, Danes would eat a lot of fish and have enormous Viking balls to help them get to Valhalla.
But, if that were the case, why would a small increase in fish oil have such a significant impact on their reproductive health? Aren't they receiving all of their omega-3s from fish?
As a result, I went above and above in my investigation. Do you remember the study I cited at the start of this post, where Finns were shown to have larger testicles than Danes? So, I looked up the per capita intake of fish in both countries. Finland is one of the world's top fish-eating countries, consuming 36.1 kg per person on average.
Denmark's per capita consumption was far lower, at only 22.1 kilograms. Pork, whether in the shape of ham, bacon, meatballs, pork chops, or sausage, appears to be a favorite with Danes. After all, there are a lot of pigs in Denmark (2.5 for every person).
So, to the apparent association between fish oils and testicular health, add that piece of evidence. (If this were a TV lawyer drama, this would be the point at which I, the simple country lawyer, put my fingers beneath my suspenders, winked at the jury, and walked back to the counsel table, confident that I'd won the case of the decreasing testicles.)
What Can You Do With This Information?
The link between fish oil and, more especially, omega-3 fatty acids appears to be clear: taking fish oil capsules can improve reproductive health, including greater testosterone levels, larger, more robust testicles, and a rise in the amount and quality of sperm, among other benefits.
You can always eat whole foods, but keep in mind that it's difficult to acquire enough omega-3 fatty acids from whole fish. Consider that to get the same quantity of EFAs as one serving of Biotest's Flameout®, you'd have to eat around 6 ounces of wild salmon (3,000 mg.)
That's wonderful, but eating that much wild salmon every day, assuming you can even get it, could be taxing on your taste buds and your wallet.
You could also opt with chunk light tuna, but you'd have to work hard to equal the amount in one serving of Flameout; you'd have to consume over 19 three-ounce cans to equal the amount in one serving of Flameout.
Finally, you could take fish oil pills from your local pharmacy or big box store, but these pills are virtually always deficient. For starters, they're grossly under-dosed; you'd have to take dozens of them to equal one Flameout® capsule. Two, they're usually not made in the most ideal of conditions.
Flameout, on the other hand, has undergone molecular distillation and has been thoroughly tested for PCBs, dioxins, mercury, and other heavy metal impurities. The capsules also include a self-emulsifying delivery method, which means they're almost odorless, absorb better, and don't leave a fishy aftertaste or "fish burps."
Maybe you're already taking Flameout or another fish oil supplement — most people are. If you're not already taking additional omega-3 fatty acids, add reproductive health to the list of benefits.