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Don't want to have babies? Eat more soy

  2. LindseyIndigo
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A regular diet of even modest amounts of food containing soy may halve sperm concentrations according to scientists, the BBC reports.

The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, found 41 million fewer sperm per millilitre of semen after just one portion every two days.

The authors said plant oestrogens in foods such as tofu, soy mince or milk may interfere with hormonal signals.

However, a UK expert stressed that most men in Asia eat more soy-based products with no fertility problems.

The Harvard School of Public Health study looked at the diets of 99 men who had attended a fertility clinic with their partners and provided a semen sample.

The men were divided into four groups depending on how much soy they ate, and when the sperm concentration of men eating the most soy was compared with those eating the least, there was a significant difference.

The "normal" sperm concentration for a man is between 80 and 120 million per millilitre, and the average of men who ate on average a portion of soy-based food every other day was 41 million fewer.

Hmm. If you're not in the market for a bit of breeding, is this evidence enough to down a soya yoghurt before bedtime and chuck out the condoms? Or is it worth cutting out soy if you're aiming to impregnate your lady (or someone else's. Though I imagine probably your own. Probably)? How much can studies like this really inform your decision-making?
LindseyIndigo

27 responses // Don't want to have babies? Eat more soy

  • Bogus study, a lot like the one that said one in four teens had an STD, but only asked -girls- at -one hospital-.

    Asking dudes at a fertility clinic? Please. Any number of things could have happened. It would need to be a totally random selection of at least 500 men.

    Plus, like that expert said, soy and tofu are HUGE in Asia, and they have very high fertility rates for some inexplicable reason.
    Saladin
  • You can bet there is meat-industry money somewhere behind such studies.
    Ogmin
  • The amount of times Ive told people people that soy products aren't great for men or pregnant women only to be looked at like a moron...

    Soy increases production of Oestrogen in men, it does a lot more damage than just reducing fertility.

    Most black people (by no means all) are at least partially lactose intolerant. Few white people are.
    Why?
    Because of the diets of our ancestors and how that affected our genes.

    I willing to (speculatively it must be said) bet that something similar is the case here.
    Owwmykneecap
  • And to think my workmate made me a coffee with soy milk, I wonder if he doesn't want me to have kids...
    mattbrawn
  • This article has been enlightening. Now, I am going to scour the Internet for more information about the effects of Soy on men's health to become more educated.

    ** The More You Know **
    EddieStarr
  • Soy's very common and widely eaten in China, I don't seem to see an under-population problem there though...
    purplefox
  • Soy is gross.

    Soy sauce, though, bring it on. Mmmm rice.
    J_Jammer
  • I'm willing to bet that the meat and dairy industry played a role in the findings of this "study".

    To suggest that soy causes infertility is not only ridiculous, but actually, just plain stupid. If soy causes infertility, then please explain the overpopulation in China. Do you have any idea how much soy Chinese people eat? Because it's much more than the typical westerner, and they seem to be reproducing just fine.
    SpookyFish
  • I think this is nonsense - if it were true, China and Japan would have small populations, they have been consuming soy in many shapes and forms, from tofu to soy sauce, for millenia.
    Vierotchka
    2 responses to this
  • Does this mean the vegans will die out eventually?
    Healboy
  • Considering the amount of vegans in India and the population of India, I doubt it very much.
    Vierotchka
  • Why would anyone want to lower their sperm count?
    Bravura
  • If this is the case, then why do nations where soy is a staple like China and Japan have such high populations? China is the most populated country in the world and they consume soy the way we consume bread or milk.
    lucky2bme
  • Funny, there's soy in most processed American foods. I don't see anyone worried about Twinkies or Oreos leading to a decrease in swimmers.
    AnemicElitist
    4 responses to this
  • Actually, I've heard this before, in a book about evolutionary biology no doubt. Impairing it's preditors' reproductive systems is a defence system for soy. However, I've never heard that soy has an effect on humans.
    alexandra_opny
  • Oh, and Asians may eat a lot of soy food, but that's different than pure soy protein, like that found in tofu or soy milk.
    alexandra_opny
    3 responses to this
  • My dad has worked in the soy industry for close to 30 years.

    In that time we've gone from hating soy food (due to taste) to eating a fair amount of it (no tofu, parents can't stand the texture. they also don't eat sushi, but consume chicken gizards and livers. go figure)...

    His coworkers, many my age (mid-20s) all consume lots of "health food" they get on discount from the company (since they make the key ingredient).

    They all have lots of kids. So many that some had had themselves clipped to prevent another child being born.

    I simply don't buy into it and I'm "related" to the industry.
    kcfoxie
  • Maybe the sperm count is reduced. It only takes one swimmer to win the race and all bets are off. Also, was there study on women and soy? Hopefully people will see this for what it is, a study. Thanks Lindseyindigo. Please keep us informed on future developments.
    bluestranger

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