A Senior lecturer at the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Cape Coast, Dr. Robert Peter Biney has advised the public to disregard assumptions that herbal constituents in alcoholic beverages enhance male fertility.
He says the public especially males must be cautious when consuming such beverages because they harm the male reproductive system, adding that alcoholic beverages infused with herbs do not boot or have any potential benefit on male fertility.
Dr. Biney’s advice comes on the back of the results of a research he led titled: “Effects of three Herb- based Alcoholic Beverages manufactured in Ghana on sperms.”
In an interview on ATL’s ALANTIC WAVE, Dr. Biney indicated that the research was conducted mainly to check whether herbal constituents infused in alcoholic beverages indeed improves male fertility as claimed in various alcoholic advertisements.
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He said, “we ventured into a research to test this assertion whether these alcoholic beverages will do what they said they will do because we were coming from the knowledge that some of these herbs that are used in these beverages have their own effects on the body and we also know that alcohol has bad effects on the reproductive system. So two main findings. It didn’t protect against the dangers of alcohol and it didn’t offer any enhancement of male reproductive function.”
He advised the public especially males to reduce that intake of such beverages as it has negative implications on the body.
He added, “based on our prelimary literature search we came across papers that suggested that about 40% of the youth take the alcoholic beverages because of the perceived benefit of the herbal constituents so that is something we need to extensively explore to see whether they are providing the beneficial effects on them.”
Dr. Biney further urged government to provide the FDA with the necessary resources so that they can perform better their duty of checking the constituents of edible products brought to them to ascertain their appropriateness for human consumption.
He stated that, “the government is already performing its function through the FDA, however, government can enhance the work of the FDA by ensuring that it provides the needed resources that the FDA will need to continue its post-market surveillance on products on the market. I believe if this is done, then the public will protect from harmful products in the market.
SOURCE: EMMANUELLA AMA GYAMFI/ATLFMNEWS
