60秒科学:Antioxidants and Male Fertility

Guys, here’s another reason to eat your veggies: they might be good for your sperm¹. Some studies show that male fertility and what’s called seminal² quality have declined over the last few decades. So researchers from two fertility clinics in Spain looked at the reproductive power of fruits and vegetables. The scientists have spent the past four years analyzing³ diet and possible exposure to workplace contaminants in men with fertility problems.

One effort examined the effects that antioxidants might have on sperm. The researchers hypothesized that antioxidants could lower the oxidative stress that can harm sperm. More antioxidants could theoretically improve both sperm concentration and motility.

The study enrolled⁴ 61 men from couples with fertility problems. Thirty of the men were shown to have sperm problems. The other 31 one acted as the control. Interviews revealed that the males with good semen quality ate significantly more fruits and vegetables—their diets were higher in vitamins and antioxidants in general. The study appears in the journal Fertility and Sterility⁵. The researchers say this finding suggests that healthy diets lead to healthy sperm. So remember, guys, an apple a day keeps your swimmers in play.

—Cynthia Graber

 

1 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

2 seminal   

adj.影响深远的；种子的

参考例句：

• The reforms have been a seminal event in the history of the NHS.这些改革已成为英国国民保健制度史上影响深远的一件大事。
• The emperor's importance as a seminal figure of history won't be diminished.做为一个开创性历史人物的重要性是不会减弱的。

3 analyzing   

v.分析；分析( analyze的现在分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析n.分析

参考例句：

• Analyzing the date of some socialist countries presents even greater problem s. 分析某些社会主义国家的统计数据，暴露出的问题甚至更大。 来自辞典例句
• He undoubtedly was not far off the mark in analyzing its predictions. 当然，他对其预测所作的分析倒也八九不离十。 来自辞典例句

4 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 sterility   

n.不生育，不结果，贫瘠，消毒，无菌

参考例句：

• A major barrier to interspecific hybridization is sterility in the F1 progeny.种间杂交的主要障碍是F1代的不育性。
• Sterility is some permanent factor preventing procreation.不育是阻碍生殖的一种永久性因素。