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Is tofu bad for conception?
Food for thought for women trying to conceive.
Wed, Jul 29 2009 at 8:00 AM
Trying to conceive? A new study shows that if that's the case. You may want to cut back on the soy. The study, published in the medical journal Reproductive Toxicology, revealed that dietary exposure to genistein, a compound found in soy foods like tofu, can make it significantly more difficult to get pregnant and stay that way.  
 
In the study, researchers examined the impact of genistein exposure on the eggs from female adult mice and found that the compound keeps the eggs from becoming mature and reduces their potential to become fertilized. For eggs that do become fertilized, genistein hampers the growth of the newly formed embryo.
 
Scientists have yet to fully interpret the results of this study ... after all soy is currently thought to be a healthful food that provides excellent protection for the heart. And it remains to be seen whether or not this compound would react the same way in humans as it does in mice. But it certainly provides "food for thought," for couples who are having trouble conceiving.
 
 
 
Photo: aloalosabine
 

 

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Comments: 2
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anonymous
Guest Aug 17 2009 at 11:47 AM

As a vegetarian who gets much of her protein from soy sources, this is scary! I am not of the age to be having children yet (I'm an 18 year old student), but it makes me wonder if the amount of soy I eat now will affect my ability to conceive in the future.

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anonymous
Guest Jul 29 2009 at 3:52 PM
The dangers of soy are very real and have been known and researched for decades. Mary Enig, Phd, biochemist and co-author of Nourishing Traditions, a cookbook (and so much more....) is a regular on the Weston Price Foundation website along with Kaayla Daniels, PhD and Sally Fallon. Their research is extensive and worth reading. WPF website has an tab dedicated to the dangers of soy called, "Soy Alert!" http://www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html. On the current front page of their site is a devastating
.... More
article about how soy is causing serious health problems for male inmates in an Illinois prision and the lawsuit they are pursuing. In my own personal experience, a 30 yr-old friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and eceived treatment at Dana Farber from the best team available (the same doctors that treated Sheryl Crow). The first thing they told her was no more soy. Soy is not cheese. It is not ice cream. It is not a substitute for meat or flour or breast milk. It is a bean and it should be eaten as a bean or in its fermented form as miso or tempeh IN LIMITED QUANTITIES as they do in Asian cultures. Soy is not a healthy protein. Soy as we know it is a successful ad campaign. Research it for yourself.
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