Soy what?

Recent research saying that eating soy products may lower a man’s sperm count, and therefore, his fertility, have been called into question.

Some researchers knock its results because they say the study was based on a recollected intake of soy foods rather than a specific, controlled diet. And representatives for soy foods claim that the direct cause of what impacted these lower sperm counts was never identified.

The association points to the generations of Asians who have eaten soy-based products without apparent detriment to the health and intelligence of their offspring.

According to a New Scientist article, the study in question “admits that many East Asian men consume much more soya than the participants in his trial and do not develop fertility problems. He speculates that his study found a link between soya and low sperm count because many of the participants were overweight or obese. Men with high levels of body fat produce more oestrogen than their slim counterparts."