Put Down the French Fries If You Want to Make Babies

Bad news for men out there who love fried food and their sexual potency (so, bad news for 99 percent of men). A new study out of Australia with the very appealing title “Mouse Spermatocytes Express CYP2E1 and Respond to Acrylamide Exposure,” suggests that acrylamide, a chemical generated when food is fried, can damage spermatocyte cells. In fact, the presence of acrylamide caused three times the amount of damage found in unexposed cells. The more damaged cells you have, the lower your chances of getting anyone pregnant.

Before you switch over to an entirely frites-free diet though, keep in mind that some foods are worse than others. If you’re a man looking to procreate soon, the study implies that what you really need to avoid are french fries and potato chips. They are the runaway winners of the title “food with the most acrylamide.” A french fry from McDonald’s has 20 times as much of the sperm-killing compound as fried cheese curd, for example.

If you absolutely must eat something that comes out of a basket full of hot oil every day, the study does have one bright spot. It says that resveratrol can help repair the damage. And luckily for you, resveratrol is found in red wine. So next time you pop a bag of chips, make sure to pair them with Pinot.

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