A research done by US researchers has revealed that soy-based foods affects the fertility of men. These foods can lower the sperm count in men. The study was done on a group of men whose soy intakes were more, average and less respectively.

Dr. Jorge Chavarro of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston said that the men with high consumption of soy-based food had low sperm count as compared to those who took low quantity of such food. Dr. Chavarro stated that Soy-rich foods including tofu, tempeh, tofu or soy sausages, bacon, burgers and mince, soy milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream, and other soy products such drinks, powders and energy bars could affect the fertility of men.

The scientists divided the men according to consumption of Soy-rich food. The researchers also set a standard for serving sizes of particular foods. The men with the highest intake of soy had 41 million sperm per milliliter as compared to the men who ate no soy foods. A normal sperm count was calculated in range between 80 million and 120 million per milliliter. A sperm count of 20 million per milliliter or below was deemed low.

Finally, it was established that soy foods could have some deleterious effect on the reproductive system of men and sperm production could be reduced leading to infertility. The researchers insisted on the need to further study on the topic to find more health implications associated with soy food.