If you consume soy on a regular basis, then you may want to take a look at this new study coming out of Harvard School of Medical Health and published in Human Reproduction.
According to researchers, men who regularly consume soy foods, soy milk & soy isoflavones are more likely to suffer from a lower sperm count. Obese & overweight men are at the highest risks of decreased sperm concentration, as a result of soy consumption.
Previous studies have confirmed a decreased fertility in animals with a high consumption of soy, but conclusive data for humans is hard to come by. Therefore, researchers studied the diet of 99 men who went to Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center between the year 2000 & 2006. They looked at how much soy they consumed within a three month period, while simultaneously taking sperm samples.
They concluded that the men who ate soy foods in abundance, did indeed have a lower sperm concentration, approximately 41 million sperm/ml less when compared to those who did not consume any soy foods.
Researchers admit that their findings are preliminary; they are not completely sure why men who consumed soy foods had a lower sperm count. They suspect that, because soy foods have a high level of phytoestrogen, it increases the production of estrogen within their body, and may ultimately affect their overall sperm production.
Does Soy Affect Obese Men?
It’s already a known fact that obese men naturally have higher estrogen levels.
Researchers from this new study are looking to find out if the consumption of soy foods may increase the estrogen level even more, perhaps even affecting there chances of reproduction.
It must be noted that there are many critics of this new study. Many people state that generations upon generations of Asian men have consumed soy foods, without experiencing any fertility problems. Not to mention, this new study even states that soy foods do not appear to affect the mobility or overall quality of the sperm in question.
My Thoughts on Unfermented Soy Foods
It’s clear that more research is needed, before any definitive conclusion is made, but I have said for years now that unfermented soy foods should always be looked at with caution. Any long-term benefits of soy are still unknown. And, soy is high in phytic acid, which can block the absorption of important minerals in certain people.
While I agree that this study is incomplete and should be looked at with caution, it does confirm my thoughts that soy isn’t as healthy as some people like to believe.
Related Articles About Soy Foods:
- Possible Toxins from Soy Foods
- Soy Foods: Too Good To Be True
- The Truth About Unfermented Soy & Its Harmful Effects
February 8th, 2012 at 9:42 am
I am a female with decent sized breasts. Wen I eat/drink to much soy products not only do my breasts get larger, my whole body gets puffy. I am a very healthy eater, but I def. keep soy out of my diet.
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October 31st, 2011 at 10:40 am
We always hear the benefits of soy, so it’s good to hear the drawbacks too. Thank you for this, very informative!
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June 29th, 2010 at 6:35 am
i have been drinking soya milk for about two mounths, i my save from low spem count?
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September 3rd, 2009 at 11:05 am
I’ve heard that there is relatively low danger in natural soy products like edamame and tofu. The more processing (i.e. soy milk, soy burgers, etc.) the worse it is for you. I have recently gone pescaterian, so I’ve done a little research on the matter. If you stick to the minimally-processed foods, you should be ok.
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August 12th, 2008 at 9:54 am
That is bad news for us soy lovers.
I love eating soy products especially soy milk. I always thought it was healthy
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August 4th, 2008 at 11:39 am
oh man… I love Soy! This is not good…
My wife and I have been trying to have a baby, but no success since she got off the pill. Maybe the soy foods is playing a role in this.
I’ve also never heard of unfermented soy.
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August 4th, 2008 at 10:11 am
It’s a good thing that I don’t eat much Soy! I’ve always heard mixed opinions about the benefits of soy. Alot of people I know eat it for the protein, but then experience other problems.
I don’t have the expertise to understand if soy is reallly healthy or not. In fact, I never knew there was such thing as unfermented soy foods… Do grocery stores mainly sell unfermented soy products? Does it say that certain soy foods are unfermented on the back?
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