Researchers in the Netherlands have found that the amount of ultra-processed food men eat may play a significant role in male fertility. The study used a large dataset, the Generation R Next Study, to track reproductive metrics across hundreds of couples and found that higher intake of processed foods, such as packaged snacks, sugary drinks, and processed meats like sausage, was linked to a reduced chance of conception. For every increase in processed food consumption, men's odds of subfertility rose by 36 percent. Men in the highest intake group had significantly greater difficulty conceiving than those who ate the least ultraprocessed foods. A diet consisting of too many industrially processed foods lacks important nutrients and may increase oxidative stress, which can damage cells, including those of the sperm cells.