Men Should Eat Tofu in Moderation
Bean products have long been regarded as nutritious foods for health preservation and wellness. Whether it's soy milk or tofu, these foods are quite popular, especially among people in big cities who focus on daily health, who enjoy drinking soy milk in the morning. The high nutritional value of tofu cannot be denied; tofu also contains fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, tofu is sweet in taste and cool in nature, entering the spleen, stomach, and large intestine meridians. It has the effects of replenishing qi, harmonizing the middle jiao, promoting body fluids, moistening dryness, clearing heat, and detoxifying. It can be used to treat red eyes, thirst, and to counteract the toxicity of sulfur and liquor. However, excessive consumption of tofu is not good for your health.
Problem 1: It can lead to kidney function decline
Under normal circumstances, plant protein consumed by the body undergoes metabolic changes, and most of it eventually becomes nitrogenous waste, which is excreted by the kidneys. As people age, their kidneys' ability to excrete waste decreases. At this time, if one does not pay attention to their diet and consumes a large amount of tofu, taking in excessive plant protein, it will inevitably increase the amount of nitrogenous waste in the body,加重 the burden on the kidneys, further decline kidney function, and be detrimental to health.
Problem 2: It can cause indigestion
Tofu contains extremely rich protein. Consuming too much at once not only hinders the body's absorption of iron but can also easily lead to protein indigestion, causing discomfort symptoms such as bloating and diarrhea.
Problem 3: It can promote the formation of arteriosclerosis
American medical experts point out that bean products contain extremely high levels of methionine. Under the action of enzymes, methionine can be converted to cysteine. Cysteine can damage the endothelial cells of the arterial wall, making it easy for cholesterol and triglycerides to deposit on the arterial wall, thus promoting the formation of arteriosclerosis.
Problem 4: It can lead to iodine deficiency
The soybeans used to make tofu contain a substance called saponin. It not only helps prevent atherosclerosis but also promotes the excretion of iodine in the human body. Long-term excessive consumption of tofu can easily lead to iodine deficiency, causing iodine deficiency diseases.
Problem 5: It can trigger gout attacks
Tofu contains a high amount of purines. Gout patients with abnormal purine metabolism and patients with increased blood uric acid levels are more likely to have gout attacks if they consume too much. Gout patients, in particular, should eat less.
Problem 6: It can significantly reduce sperm count in men
Men who love tofu and other soy products should be careful. According to recent reports from several American media, a new study from the Harvard School of Public Health has once again confirmed that eating soy products every day can significantly reduce men's sperm count.
This study was completed by Dr. George Chavarro of the Harvard School of Public Health. From 2000 to 2006, researchers followed 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 ate 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 even more pronounced in obese men.
Chavarro believes that soy products have an adverse effect on the male reproductive system, especially sperm production. Soy and its products are rich in isoflavone phytoestrogens. If consumed in excess, they will naturally affect the level of male hormones in the body, leading to a series of adverse consequences.
China has also had andrology experts suggest that excessive consumption of soy products can affect male sperm count. In the past 5 years, men who often eat soy products have a 3.46 times higher chance of developing erectile dysfunction than those who do not.
However, according to The Guardian, the Soy Protein Association, which represents the UK soy food industry, stated that there is currently no conclusive evidence that soy is harmful to human health, and the amount of soy consumed in daily life is not enough to put men at risk of increased estrogen.
Therefore, although tofu is good, it should not be eaten every day, and the amount consumed at one time should not be excessive. The elderly and patients with kidney disease, iron-deficiency anemia, gout, and arteriosclerosis should especially control their intake. According to TCM, tofu is cool in nature, so people with a cold stomach, those who are prone to diarrhea, bloating, or spleen deficiency, as well as those with kidney deficiency who often experience nocturnal emissions, should not eat too much. Experts believe that eating soy products in moderation is the best way for men to avoid health risks. "In moderation" means eating it less than 3 times a week, about 100 grams each time.