sir rupert hobo
09-08-2005, 10:48 PM
http://channels.netscape.com/ns/men/package.jsp?name=fte/genistein/genistein
This Food Can Damage Men's Fertility
A natural chemical found in soy, tofu and legumes can potentially damage sperm and lower men's fertility, Reuters reports of new research from King's College London.
The plant chemical, genistein, mimics the effect of the female hormone estrogen and in turn affects sperm in laboratory mice. Tests in humans have shown an even stronger impact than in the rodents. Research leader Lynn Fraser found in lab tests that small amounts of genistein can cause human sperm to "burn out" and lose fertility, reports Reuters.
And it's not just men who should avoid eating soy, tofu, and legumes. Women who are trying to conceive a baby should also avoid it since the chemical can affect sperm when it is in the female preparing to fertilize an egg. "Maternal exposure to the compounds is probably more important than paternal exposure," Fraser told a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting.
Even though the research is still preliminary, Fraser advised couples who are trying to conceive to restrict their soy intake during the window of ovulation.
Others say the results are surprising, especially since Asian societies eat a diet rich in soy and show no signs of reduced fertility. In addition, what happens to sperm in a laboratory setting may not apply to real life.
And the age-old question men have wondered about: Does the type of undies you wear affect fertility? At one time, it was thought that tighty-whities might lead to infertility by raising the temperature of the testes so it interfered with sperm production. But this theory, however grand it sounds, was bashed in 1998 by Drs. Robert Munkelwitz and Bruce R. Gilbert. They analyzed semen samples from 97 men, all of whom had fertility problems. Half wore briefs and half wore boxer shorts. The results? There were no significant differences between the two groups of men in scrotal temperature, sperm count, sperm concentration or sperm motility, they wrote in the Journal of Urology.
This Food Can Damage Men's Fertility
A natural chemical found in soy, tofu and legumes can potentially damage sperm and lower men's fertility, Reuters reports of new research from King's College London.
The plant chemical, genistein, mimics the effect of the female hormone estrogen and in turn affects sperm in laboratory mice. Tests in humans have shown an even stronger impact than in the rodents. Research leader Lynn Fraser found in lab tests that small amounts of genistein can cause human sperm to "burn out" and lose fertility, reports Reuters.
And it's not just men who should avoid eating soy, tofu, and legumes. Women who are trying to conceive a baby should also avoid it since the chemical can affect sperm when it is in the female preparing to fertilize an egg. "Maternal exposure to the compounds is probably more important than paternal exposure," Fraser told a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting.
Even though the research is still preliminary, Fraser advised couples who are trying to conceive to restrict their soy intake during the window of ovulation.
Others say the results are surprising, especially since Asian societies eat a diet rich in soy and show no signs of reduced fertility. In addition, what happens to sperm in a laboratory setting may not apply to real life.
And the age-old question men have wondered about: Does the type of undies you wear affect fertility? At one time, it was thought that tighty-whities might lead to infertility by raising the temperature of the testes so it interfered with sperm production. But this theory, however grand it sounds, was bashed in 1998 by Drs. Robert Munkelwitz and Bruce R. Gilbert. They analyzed semen samples from 97 men, all of whom had fertility problems. Half wore briefs and half wore boxer shorts. The results? There were no significant differences between the two groups of men in scrotal temperature, sperm count, sperm concentration or sperm motility, they wrote in the Journal of Urology.