Soy and fertility

Consumption of a high-soy diet probably does not compromise with the women's fertility, says a study.

A new study conducted by researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and Emory University School of Medicine suggests that plant estrogens in soy don't impair fertility in monkeys.

The researchers led by Jay Kaplan studied monkeys, which have menstrual cycles similar to those of women and tested the hypothesis that the estrogen in soy can affect menstrual cycles.

"Our study was designed to determine whether a soy supplement containing twice the level of plant estrogen consumed by Asian women would alter any aspect of the menstrual cycle or ovarian function in monkeys," Kaplan said.

For one year, half of the monkeys were fed a high-soy diet and half got their protein from animal sources. All monkeys were evaluated during this period for changes in ovarian hormones and menstrual cycles.

"Soy treatment did not change any characteristics of the menstrual cycle, including length, amount of bleeding or hormone levels. This suggests that any protection that soy may provide against breast cancer does not come from changes in the menstrual cycle," he added.

He said consumption of a high-soy diet probably would not compromise fertility, although further research is warranted to evaluate effects of soy on placenta function and on the fetus.