DOES MSG CAUSE MALE SUB-FERTILITY?

It is estimated that at least one third of sub-fertility cases occur due to male factors. Human male reproductive system is known to contain glutamate receptors in testes and seminiferous tubules in abundance . Over consumption of MSG would lead to male factor sub-fertility as demonstrated in following animal studies.

1. When new born male rats were orally administered 4 mg / g body weight MSG on EOD for 10 days, decreased weights of pituitary glands and testes resulted. Moreover, decreased testosterone levels at 4 months were also observed (Miskowiak et al. 1993).

2.  Perinatal and EOD administration of subcutaneous MSG at 2 mg per g body weight dose to newborn mice, appeared to cause increased number of pachytene stage (a stage of germ cell division, at which chromosome cross-over occurs)of primary spermatocyte at day 75 (Das et. al., 2010).