7.29.2008 9:30 AM

Soy: Healthy Protein or Sperm Killer?

Study Suggests Soy-Based Foods Lower Sperm Count

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Photo: Igor Dutina / Istock

By Annie Bell Muzaurieta

You might want to put that soy ice cream back in the freezer.

A study published last week in the journal Human Reproduction showed that eating even small amounts of soy products may cut a man's sperm concentration, according to the Washington Post.

The study consisted of 99 men, and those who reported eating soy had much lower sperm concentrations - on average, 41 million fewer sperm per milliliter - than those who reported eating no soy.

Were these soy fans tofu addicts? No, according to the report. The soy eaters consumed foods such as miso soup, tofu, soy burgers, ice cream and energy bars, but they reported eating an average of just one serving every other day.

The article explains that soy contains isoflavones, which have long been associated with infertility in animal studies.

The lead author of the study, however, warns that previous research has shown soy to have no effect on a man's sperm count, and says there isn't enough evidence yet to draw a conclusion.

Back to the cutting board.

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