Rumors: men can not drink soy milk, because soy milk contains estrogen, men will drink breast development, do not grow beard, become feminine characteristics such as sissy; there are claims that men drink soy milk sperm count will be reduced, soy milk kill sperm! The truth: Soybean milk is a very common and common food, but in recent years, the various claims about the harmful effects of soybean milk are becoming more and more alarming. Just after discussing the issue of whether women who drink soy milk will get breast cancer, the question of “men who drink soy milk will become feminine and soy milk kills sperm” has come up again. In fact, the allegation that soy milk will feminize men is not justified, and the spermicidal effect has not been proven. The man, if you want to drink soy milk, but drink it. The phytohormones in soy milk feminize men The question of whether or not phytohormones feminize men has been analyzed before by Fruit of the Loom (for more information, see: “Does Beer Feminize Men? ). Since the biological activity of phytoestrogens is only one thousandth of that of pharmaceutical estrogens, it is impossible to reverse the hormonal balance and affect the normal development of male sexual characteristics or boys as long as the intake dose is not too large. The phytoestrogens in soy milk are mainly soy isoflavones, and the content is not high. In 2011, the State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology of Nanchang University measured 51 samples of 11 types of legumes commonly used in daily life and found that the content of soy isoflavones in soy milk was less than 100 micrograms per milliliter, and less than 100 micrograms per gram in soy milk powder, and the intake of soy isoflavones in a cup of 200 milliliters of soy milk was only 20 milligrams. The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents recommends consuming 30-50 grams of soy foods per day, and the usual isoflavone content in soybeans is 3.5 mg/g. According to the recommended consumption, the daily intake of soy isoflavones is only 105-175 mg. This dose level is unlikely to cause feminizing effects in men. Soy milk kills sperm The claim that soy milk kills sperm and affects fertility first originated in some animal experiments. Some animal experiments found that animals fed soy foods showed decreased fertility and reduced testosterone. Such results prompted later researchers to conduct population-based studies. In a 2008 paper published in Human Reproduction, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health had 99 men treated in an infertility clinic fill out questionnaires asking them to describe the frequency and amount of 15 soy products they had consumed in the past 3 months, while sampling their semen. The conclusions found a negative correlation between the number of soy products eaten and the concentration of sperm. However, the researchers themselves said that such an experimental design could not establish causality between the intake of soy products and sperm concentration. On the other hand, some researchers have also found that the dietary phytoestrogen soy isoflavones are beneficial in protecting the integrity of sperm DNA and preventing damage. However, the mechanism of damage prevention is not clear and more in-depth studies are needed. A 2009 study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility also contradicted the “sperm-killing” conclusion. The researchers compared the sperm count and vitality of men with different diets and found that those who ate high-fat foods such as meat for a long time had reduced sperm count and vitality, while those who ate vegetables, fruits and legumes had better sperm count and vitality. The reason for this may be that these foods usually contain more antioxidants. A number of studies have found that diets high in antioxidants usually mean better sperm count and viability [7], and soy is rich in antioxidants, which may be the basis for its benefits for sperm. In the same year, another meta-analysis of clinical aspects published in this journal found that even high doses of soy isoflavones (more than 150 mg of soy isoflavones per day, in some cases up to 900 mg/day) did not have an effect on semen count and sperm quality in men. Given the diversity of findings, in 2010 researchers from the Geneva Medical School conducted a review and analysis of the effects of soy and phytohormones on male reproductive health. The researchers concluded that although some animal and cellular experiments have found that phytoestrogens affect reproductive function, the existing population studies do not conclude that phytoestrogens are harmful to male reproduction, and that the relevant studies are incomplete and need to continue to be studied in depth. a more recent review analysis in 2012 shared the same view, and the effects of soy foods on fertility are not yet known [10]. Overall, there are not enough studies to prove that soy milk kills sperm or affects male fertility. Soy milk can actually take care of men In fact, eating soy properly may be beneficial for men. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition in October 2007 showed that soy protein intake reduced androgen receptor expression in the male prostate [12], which is consistent with several studies showing that soy milk and soy products are beneficial in preventing prostate cancer in men. The results of epidemiological studies are consistent. In addition to the prevention of prostate cancer, studies have found that moderate consumption of soy products may also prevent osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, gastric cancer, and lung cancer. Overall, drinking soy milk and eating soy products in moderation has many benefits for men as well. Conclusion: rumor crushing. The isoflavones contained in soya are indeed phytoestrogens, but their vitality is low and cannot affect male sexual characteristics and make men feminine; there is not enough research to prove that soya milk kills sperm or affects male fertility; and epidemiological studies have found that drinking soya milk and eating soya products in moderation is good for preventing prostate cancer and many other diseases. In short, men are perfectly fine to drink soy milk.