Soy: Safe on Sperm

The Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA), a non-profit trade association, recently warned that headlines claiming “soy products may lower sperm count” do not tell the whole story. Dr. Tammy Hedlund, a male-fertility researcher from the University of Colorado, specifically criticized a small-scale, preliminary study presented by Dr. Jorge Chavarro, from the Harvard School of Public Health, at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

Dr. Hedlund pointed out that Chavarro’s study was based on recollected intake of soy rather than specific diets containing soyfoods. The research also failed to establish a negative relationship between soy consumption and sperm mobility or quality, both key factors to fertility. The Harvard study conflicts with research sponsored by the US government and National Institutes of Health in which controlled amounts of isoflavones from soy were fed to subjects and no effect on quantity, quality, or motility of sperm was observed.

While it’s true that soy is one of the top 10 most allergenic foods (as with any food allergy, soy can produce a number of allergic reactions including rashes, intestinal distress, and bloating), as long as you don’t have known allergies, it’s probably okay to go ahead and dig into your edamame, tempeh, tofu, miso, natto, soy nuts, and soymilk. Just remember: moderation—with anything you consume—is one of the keys to good health.