correlation high soy intake poor erectile quality?

[aspara-gus]

During the last 7-8 years I have had almost no sexual drive and my boners have been pathetically limp. I always assumed this was simply due to getting older but I recently went on vacation and started noticing morning wood that I haven't seen since I was 20.
This could be caused by the elimination of stress while on vacation but it could also be because of a change in diet. While at home I consume large amounts of soy products and since I went on vacation I am consuming considerably less. A quick Google search revealed that there may be a negative correlation between soy intake and erectile quality. However, I would be interested in the experiences of other male members on this forum.

[loveliberate]

Thanks for raising this. It can be hard, but I firmly believe that it's important to talk about these experiences!

My soy intake varies fairly widely from almost none in a day to sizable quantities with each meal and I've not yet had a comparable experience. I'm in my mid-30's, been vegan & eating soy for over 20 years, have had a vasectomy (after 3 kids) and overall my "drive", etc remains quite strong. Personally I do notice that most everything is better when I am feeling less stressed. Provided that you are eating well overall, why not gradually cut back on your soy intake and see if there is an improvement for you?

[blinki]

My soy intake has probably verged on absurd most of my life and I've never had any problems but then I am 22. So can't offer any personal insight but my assumption would be the supposed link would be estrogen/hormone changes linked to soy. To the best of my knowledge those claims are very skewed- soy can cause problems to a small extent if you eat/drink shit tonnes of it gets turned into eating tofu give you moobs.

But when in doubt Jack Norris:
[quote]Regarding the concern that soy could cause feminizing characteristics in men, there have been two case studies. In one, a man eating twelve servings per day of soymilk developed enlarged, sensitive breast tissue (123). In another, a man with type 1 diabetes was eating 14 servings per day of mostly processed soy foods for one year and developed erectile dysfunction (10), which normalized after ceasing the soy. While I would not recommend eating this much soy, one study used even much higher amounts of isoflavones and found no problems for most men (124).

As for sperm quantity and quality, while one epidemiological study raised concerns, albeit minor, about soy and sperm quantity (14), two clinical studies have shown no effects of soy (15, 126).

[thestoatyone]

Only going to throw in anecdotal evidence here, but I'm in my early 30s, my soy intake is moderate, and my boner quality (inc. amount of morning glory) tends to track how much stress/depression there is in my life pretty faithfully.

I wouldn't worry about cutting out soy if it's something you enjoy, but if you're not fussed either way, try backing off a bit and see if it makes a difference.

Also, check your alcohol intake and see if lowering that makes a difference; I'm not one to talk, but too much beer is the easiest shortcut to a visit from Mr Floppy, and beer contains the same flavanoids that make the paleo conspiracy nutters all excitable about soy...

[VeganGraham]

I'll often drink two litres of soya milk a day, yet, at 50 years old, everything's still working as it should.

[Koa]

Some good info here (of course overlook the non-vegan stuff):

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/01/1 ... naturally/

Check the links at the bottom and the comments as well.

[Simon]

Been consuming 3-5 portions of soy per day for a while now, and i have no problem with erectile functions...ever.

like it was mentioned, stress will screw with you, but so will do clog arteries. i don't know how you've been eating during your life and the past few years, but impotence is often considered the first sign of heart disease and strokes. you might want to get that checked to be safe.

[JP]

hard to say on anecdotal evidence, and especially in this kind of open question i think most people who would reply would just say no problems

i have been on high soya intake for over 20 years now, but so far so good. But since its clear individual responses vary, you cant discount it either as a source of problems.

but then again, its common thing for men and there are many reasons for it, so i would just visit a doctor. But probably wouldnt say anything about soya till all other options have been covered so that the doc doesnt just take an easy way out.

[Superflor]

http://freefromharm.org/health-nutritio ... formation/

excellent article of soy