A study found that men who ate vegetables and fruit that are high in concentrations of pesticides had about 49% lower sperm count. According to the study, fruit and vegetables high in concentrations of pesticide could harm fertility in men.

During the study, researchers found that men who ate the most peppers, spinach, strawberries, apples and pears had about 49% lower sperm count than those men who consumed the least. The study conducted at fertility centre in Boston included more than 150 men. As per the researchers, the study was small in scale and it didn’t suggest men to cut back on vegetable and fruit consumption.

The study is the first to suggest that pesticides could affect fertility through the traces found in the food. Some previous researchers indicated that eating non-organic vegetables and fruit could lead to measurable levels of pesticides in urine.

The previous studies had included more than 330 semen samples, and information about the men's diet collected via questionnaire. The studies did not measure the pesticide levels on the fruits and vegetables consumed by the men.

According to the study, men who consumed about 1.5 servings or more of the products that are rated high for pesticide residue had lower sperm counts. Those men also had lower proportions of healthy sperm. The study has been published in the journal Human Reproduction.

Allan Pacey, professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, said the study has raised the possibility that pesticide residues in vegetables and fruit could be contributory factor in male infertility.

“To my knowledge this is the first paper that has investigated this question in a systematic way. That said, while the results are tantalizing, they should be interpreted with caution as the study is not without its flaws and limitations”, the professor added.