High intake of soy foods is associated with low sperm concentration

This post includes a synopsis of a study published in Human Reproduction 2008 Nov;23(11):2584-90 and a recipe for zucchini and sweet potato frittata.

Study title and authors:
Soy food and isoflavone intake in relation to semen quality parameters among men from an infertility clinic.
Chavarro JE, Toth TL, Sadio SM, Hauser R.
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA. jchavarr@hsph.harvard.edu

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18650557

Books:

The study examined the association of soy foods and soy isoflavones with sperm concentration. The intake of 15 soy-based foods in the previous 3 months was assessed for 99 male partners of subfertile couples who presented for semen analyses to the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center.

The study found:
(a) Men in the highest category of soy food intake had 41 million sperm/ml less than men who did not consume soy foods.
(b) Results for individual soy isoflavones were similar to the results for soy foods and were strongest for glycitein.

To conclude: High intake of soy foods and soy isoflavones is associated with lower sperm concentration.

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Recipe of the day

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Eggs

•2 tbsp butter (Ghee) or coconut oil;

•8 eggs;
•1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut in slices;
•2 sliced zucchinis;
•1 sliced red bell pepper;
•2 tbsp fresh parsley;
•Salt and pepper to taste.

Technique:
1.Heat a pan over a medium-low heat;

2.Add the oil and sweet potato slices and cook until soft, about 8 minutes;

3.Add the zucchini and red bell pepper slices and cook for an other 4 minutes;

4.While it cooks, whisk the eggs in a bowl, making sure to incorporate a lot of air in the mixture;

5.Season the egg mixture with salt and pepper and add to the cooking veggies;

6.Cook on low heat until just set, about 10 minutes;

7.Finish the frittata until golden under a heated broiler.

8.Cut the finished frittata into wedges and serve with fresh parsley.

Zucchini and Sweet Potato Frittata