Men who love tofu and other soy products should be cautious. According to recent reports from multiple U.S. media, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health has once again confirmed that daily consumption of soy products can significantly reduce sperm count in men.
Tofu may lead to kidney function decline
This study was conducted by Dr. George Chavarro from the Harvard School of Public Health. From 2000 to 2006, researchers tracked 99 men. The results were surprising: men who ate soy products every day had only 41 million sperm per milliliter of semen, significantly lower than men who consumed fewer soy products. It is understood that a sperm count of less than 20 million per milliliter is considered too low, which can easily lead to infertility. Furthermore, this link was more pronounced in obese men.
Chavarro believes that soy products have an adverse effect on the male reproductive system, particularly on sperm production.
Soy and its products are rich in isoflavones, a type of phytoestrogen. If consumed in excess, they can naturally affect the level of male hormones in the body, leading to a series of adverse consequences.
Experts in andrology in China have also suggested that excessive consumption of soy products can affect male sperm count. In the past five years, Pan Lianjun, an andrologist at the Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, has been paying close attention to this issue. He also found that men who regularly eat soy products have a 3.46 times higher chance of developing erectile dysfunction compared to those who rarely eat them.
However, according to a July 29 report by The Guardian in the UK, the Soy Protein Association, which represents the British soy food processing industry, stated that there is currently no conclusive evidence that soy is harmful to human health, and that the amount of soy consumed in daily life does not pose a risk of increased estrogen levels in men. Pan Lianjun believes that moderate consumption of soy products is the best way to avoid health risks for men. "Moderate" consumption means eating less than three times a week, with each portion being about 100 grams.