Today, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia reported that the consumption of meat and dairy products can have ill effects on men's reproductive health, while a plant-based diet can have restorative effects on it. Every year, infertility and impotence (aka "erectile dysfunction") affect millions of men around the world and an estimated 200,000 men in the Philippines. As many as half of men over the age of 40 are impotent at least part of the time, and some say it's the number one sex-related problem in the Philippines. As a result, many couples have difficulty trying to conceive. The good news is that impotence and infertility—just like many other chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes—often respond to changes in diet, in particular to an increase in plant-based foods and a decrease in foods that are high in animal fat and cholesterol. Also, many healthy vegan foods are loaded with natural aphrodisiacs.

Meat and Dairy Products Harm Sperm Quality

A new study from Spain has revealed that a high intake of meat and dairy products is associated with lower sperm quality. The study suggests that men who eat more processed meat and full-fat dairy products have poorer-quality sperm than those who have a lower intake of protein and animal fat and a higher intake of vitamin-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Vegetables Increase Sperm Quality

Eating fruits and vegetables can improve fertility rates in men. A study of antioxidant intake found that infertile men were twice as likely as fertile men to have a low intake of fruits and vegetables, both of which contain antioxidants. Men who had a higher antioxidant intake also had greater sperm strength and motility.

Obesity Leads to Decreased Fertility

Can't weight to have a baby? Research shows that obesity in both men and women can have a negative effect on a couple's fertility. Obese men have more abnormal sperm and produce less semen than men with a normal weight. Additional research on the connection between obesity and male infertility found that obese but otherwise healthy men showed signs of hormonal irregularities that pointed toward an impaired ability to father a child. Obese men also had lower levels of both testosterone and two reproductive hormones than thinner men did.