[Medical Q&A] Does drinking Coke really kill sperm in men?

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered dietitian

Reviewer: Zhang Yu, researcher at Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention

In fact, if you are not someone who needs to drink more than 1 liter of Coke every day to "extend life", you don't have to worry about "Coke killing sperm"!

The saying that "drinking cola will kill sperm" has been around for a long time. This saying comes from a study in the 1980s. Under laboratory conditions, researchers once soaked sperm in high-concentration carbonated beverages, and the results showed that sperm motility was indeed affected. However, these experimental conditions are very different from the actual situation of human bodies drinking carbonated beverages. Because in the experiment, sperm was directly soaked in cola, while in normal life, we pour cola into our mouths and drink it. The two operations are completely different. The cola you drink will enter the stomach, and will not be directly poured into the reproductive system such as the testicles.

As for whether drinking cola affects sperm quality, some people have done research. The results show that men who consume ≤800 mg of caffeine per day and ≤14 bottles (500 ml/bottle) of cola per week will not affect sperm quality; while men who drink more than 1 liter of cola per day may have their semen quality affected, but cola is not the only influencing factor. The study mentioned that people who drink a lot of cola every day mostly have unhealthy eating habits. Such people may be more likely to drink and smoke, and these bad habits will also affect semen quality.

In summary, drinking cola does not directly "kill sperm". The main ingredients of cola include carbonated water, sugar, caffeine, etc. Drinking these ingredients in moderation does not directly affect the production and quality of sperm. However, excessive consumption of sugary drinks may lead to health problems such as obesity and diabetes, which indirectly affects fertility. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and moderate exercise.