The great divide between veggie/tofu-eating-women, and haunch-of-beef-eating-men cliches just got wider. Why? In the news is a study claiming that men can get low sperm counts from soy products (including tofu) – due to isoflavones. While this is not a great study, nor a large number of people, the issue has more credence than vegetarians might like because the isoflavones in soy products have been known for a long, long time to mimic estrogen. Which means there is biologic mechanism to support (and bolster) the study’s results. Bummer, dude.
So should you avoid soy products? If you’re a guy and you and your partner are having a bit of trouble conceiving, first get both of you checked. If you have a marginal sperm count, the answer is…maybe. This one study (done in patients at an infertility clinic) is a long ways from proof. But of all the things you can try (boxer shorts, possible surgery if you have a cystocoele), cutting out tofu/soy is pretty harmless. Just don’t go into a carnivorous cholesterol frenzy if you do…