Plant some S#*t!

The ethics of what we eat

"In the United States somewhere between 20 and 40 million birds and mammals are killed for research each year. That may seem like a lot- and it far exceed the number of animals killed for their fur, let alone the relatively tiny number used in circuses-but even the figure of 40 million represents less than two days’ toll in America’s slaughterhouses, which kill around 10 billion each year."
Peter Singer- The Ethics of What we Eat 

What are the Best Nutrition and Food Books?

Well... the best according to me anyways!
Would love to know what you favourite nutrition, food and cook books are!

Books That Changed What I Eat




















Best Books for Nutrition Information (my go-to books)


















Best Sport Nutrition Resource Book



















Best Vegetarian/Vegan Nutrition Resource Books


















Best Food Writer
Ruth Reichl





















Book That I Use Most in my Practice


















Best Books About the Restaurant World
(from the perspective of a chef (left) and server (right))





















Best Books About Learning To Cook


















Best Book About Food Celebrities





















My Favourite Cookbook
















The Two Last Books I Read and Really Enjoyed






















Books on my Nightstand

It's my Blogiversary: Celebrating with cottonseed oil and some refelction!

My blog turns 2 today... I can't believe it... they grow up so fast!
I looked it up, and the traditional 2-year anniversary gift is cotton. So....

Did you know that Cottonseed oil accounts for only 5-6% of the American fat and oil market?
It's very low in the omega 3 fatty acid, making it a very stable frying oil at high temperatures. For this reason, and because it has a bland flavour, it's used often as a frying oil by the food industry.
Who knew?

In the last two years, what I've learned is that, both in the field of nutrition, and in my own life, there will always be surprises. There's a line from the movie the Truman Show when, in response to why Truman hadn't figured out he was an actor on a set, his "creator" responds:
"Because we always accept the reality of our surroundings, without question".

Well, this blog has allowed me to question... and what I learned has surprised me:

Caffeinated beverages, including coffee, can be used to meet your fluid requirements. It's not a major diuretic as we once thought.

Whole wheat is NOT a whole grain (in Canada).

A low carb, high fat diet may be what we should be recommending: it can control blood sugar and improve cholesterol level.

A grapefruit a day isn't as healthy as it sounds.

That cool, hip coffee shop in your neighbourhood may actually be a Starbucks, in disguise!

Exercise may not be the answer to weight loss.

Just because my dad is a runner, thin, and a vegetarian, doesn't mean he won't have a heart attack.

So... I continue to question and not just accept, I continue to try to keep an open-mind, and continue to share what I learn...

Thanks for learning with me, and teaching me, over these last 2 years!

Insects dye our food?!

Well... this is a shocker:

Turns out that it's legal, and common, for food manufacturers to use insects as food dye, and they don't have to let us know!!

More specifically, carminic acid is extracted from the cochineal beetle's body and eggs and used to make carmine dye, a red dye commonly used as food colouring as well as in cosmetics, fabrics, oil paints and watercolours.

Although many foods, including yogourt, ice cream, cheese, butter, fruit-flavoured and alcoholic drinks, meats, pie fillings, jams, baked goods, sauces and candies, use carmine and cochineal extracts as dye, they only have to indicate "artificial colour" or "artificial colour added" to their ingredient lists. Only man-made dyes have to be listed (ie. FD&C No. 40)). As such, we have no idea if we're eating insect extracts or not.

In 2006, the consumer advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest called the FDA to ban insect-based dyes and provided 32 adverse reation reports it had received. According to the CSPI, "Why tolerate food coloring that sends a couple hundred people to emergency rooms each year...?"

Symptoms reported after eating carmine-containing foods like Yoplait and Danone yogurt, Ocean Spay and Fruitopia juice and Good & Plenty candy included itching, swelling of the eyes and tongue, difficulty breathing, hives and headaches. Moreover, hidden beetle extracts are problematic for vegetarians and vegans, those with specific allergies and people who keep kosher.

In January 2009, the FDA finally ammended the colour additive regulation; foods containing cochineal extract or carmine must declare the presence of the colour additive with either "cochineal extract" or "carmine" in the ingredient list by January 5 2011.

At least it's a start but, according to the CSPI, why not require the ingredient to be listed as "insect-based colouring" rather than using words most people won't understand?
Why the sneakiness?

Thanks Heather for letting me know about this!

A Greener Diet: How the foods we eat impact our environment

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has a great Eating Green Calculator you should try... it allows you to enter the servings of animal products you eat in a week to determine the impact your diet has on the environment: pounds of fertilizer and pesticides used yearly to grow animal feed, acres of grain and grass needed for animal feed and pounds of manure created by the animals you eat. The program then allows you to make changes to your diet and calculate how those changes can reduce your environmental burden.

The website also allows you to score your diet: you enter the servings of certain foods you eat in a week and the program calculates a Health Score, Environmental Score and Animal Welfare Score. Kinda cool.

The CSPI encourages everyone to take the Pledge to eat less meat and dairy:

To protect my health and the environment, I will eat a more plant-based diet—more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and nuts and fewer fatty meat and dairy products. When I do eat animal products, I will emphasize ones that are lower in fat and raised in humane ways that minimize harm to the environment.

What are the CSPI's 6 arguments for a greener diet?

1. Less chronic disease and overall health: The fat and cholesterol in meat, dairy, poultry and egg products cause about 63, 000 deaths from heart disease a year. Apart from heart disease and hypertension, consumption of meat and other animal products have been linked to an increased risk of cancer and diabetes.

2. Less foodborne illnesses: More than 1000 Americans die annually from foodborne illnesses linked to meat, poultry, dairy and egg products.

3. Better soil: Currently in the States, 100 million acres of land is used up to grow crops to feed livestock. In fact, 66% of US grain ends up as livestock feed. This practice depletes the topsoil of nutrients and erodes the soil (a typical acre of US cropland loses an average of 5 tons of soil a year!) , as does overgrazing of grasses by livestock. 22 billion pounds of fertilizer and immense amounts of pesticides are used to grow the animal feed is used, disrupting the ecosystem, poisoning wildlife and polluting waterways.

4. More and cleaner water: 80% of all freshwater in the States is used for agriculture, Half of available irrigation water (14 trillion gallons annually) is used to grow food for US livestock (1 trillion alone is used directly by livestock). Fertilizer, pesticides, manure, antibiotics and eroded soil pollute water.

5. Cleaner air: Methane gas produced by cattle and livestock in 2000 had the same impact on global warming as 33 million cars! Livestock are the largest source of ammonia releases on Earth, contributing to smog, acid rain as well as respiratory and other health problems.

6. Less animal suffering: 140 million cattle, pigs and sheep, 9 billion chicken and turkeys and millions of fish, shellfish and other sea creatures are slaughtered a year in the United States. Food animals are not protected by federal animal welfare laws making common procedures such as chopping animals' beaks, horns, tails, or testes legal.

Click Here to download their entire "6 Arguments for a Greener Diet" book.

Happy Earth Day!

Spring cleaning: detox / cleansing diets

Gwyneth Paltrow does it. So does Angelina Jolie, Oprah, Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck and Christy Turlington (to name a few). Beyonce did it to lose 20lbs quickly for DreamGirls. I’m talking about “detox” or “cleansing” diets.

What are detox/cleansing diets?

There are different variations of detox diets but all claim to clean out our bodies of chemicals and dietary toxins. The supposed result: weight loss, increased energy, better digestion. Another claim is that by allowing the cells in the gut to rest, they are able to grow stronger, resulting in a healthier gut.

You can ‘detox’ by eliminating certain foods from your diet- Oprah recently followed a 21-d detox diet in which she eliminated animal products, sugar, alcohol, caffeine and gluten. The stricter versions are liquid diets- lemonade (followed by Beyonce and others) or juice fasts where followers will drink anywhere from 32 to 90 oz juice/24 hours, and even water fasts. Many of these diets also suggest enemas. These diets vary in time- from 1 day to a few weeks.

Do they work?

There is no scientific evidence available to support any of the claims these diets make- only people’s testimonials. Most health professionals, myself included, will tell you that our body is able to “detoxify” itself naturally. Abstaining from food will not help you be healthier. In fact, fibre’s role is to help clean out the gut- so a diet that’s rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and lentils and other lean proteins and water would be the perfect detox diet!

With summer coming up, you may be tempted by this supposed “quick fix” to weight loss. However, for the most part, these diets and fasts are an ineffective weight loss solution. If you do lose weight, it’ll mostly be water weight and you’ll most likely regain it... quickly. Any diet that eliminates major food groups (or food, for that matter!) is not sustainable- definitely not a long-term solution. Moreover, many of these diets are extremely low in calories. As a result, your body goes into ‘starvation mode’- your metabolic rate will decrease so you’re burning less calories at rest. Moreover, your body will hold on to its fat stores (because it’s more energy-efficient) and burn lean muscle... something you obviously want to avoid. When you start eating again, your body will more easily store those calories as fat and, as a result, you’ll regain the weight faster.

You need to eat to lose weight!

These diets also lack major nutrients: protein, an essential nutrient in helping you maintain lean muscle mass during weight loss, as well as fat, an essential nutrient that, among other things, is essential in helping you feel full after a meal. As a result, people claim to always feel hungry on these diets... something that is not only uncomfortable but can cause irritability and lead you to eat irrationally afterwards. Beyonce was quoted as saying: “I was hungry, therefore I was evil. When we wrapped the movies, I was so excited... I ate a whole dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts”. It was also reported that she quickly regained the weight she had lost on the diet... a fact that’s ignored by followers of the same diets!

A dietitian calculated that the Master Cleanse diet (a well-known detox diet that consists of drinking 96 oz of lemonade with maple syrup and cayenne pepper a day) is 1300 calories. A woman should never eat less than 1200 calories and a man, never less than 1500 calories. So, for a woman, 1300 calories isn’t drastically restrictive. However, it lacks major nutrients. Why not eat 1300 calories of fibre-rich vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and drink water?! You’re more likely to stick to a meal plan that includes real healthy foods, you’ll lose weight, and you’ll also have more energy to exercise- an important key to long-term weight loss!

Oftentimes, these diets are used to “jump start” weight loss, ie. They start with a strict “detox” diet for a few days and follow it with a weight loss program. Maybe. A diet (under the supervision or guidance of a Registered Dietitian or doctor) that restricts certain foods, ie. alcohol, sugar, animal products (if replaced by vegetable protein), can be useful in motivating someone to kick-start a weight loss program and perhaps feel ‘cleansed’. As long as the diet is not overly calorically-restrictive and includes all the major nutrients, it can be an effective motivational tool to start a healthy weight loss program... although, not necessary.

What are the risks?

Evidently, the extreme diets, (fasting- no food) are extremely dangerous. However, even restrictive diets can be dangerous if you’re not replacing the nutrients you’re eliminating. As a result, speak to your doctor and/or a Registered Dietitian before embarking on any diet.

Many of these detox diets will rightfully warn pregnant and breastfeeding women and women trying to become pregnant against trying them. Children should not be put on these diets. These diets can widely affect blood sugar levels so people with diabetes and low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) should avoid them as well.

If you’re recovering from an illness or injury, suffer from anemia, have weakened immunity (ie. elderly), have heart problems, psychological problems (depression, bipolar disorder, prone to eating disorders), are underweight and/or suffer from migraines, you should not embark on these diets- they can exacerbate existing illnesses or delay healing/recovery.

Apart from irritability, side effects of liquid diets and fasts can include GI problems, ie. diarrhea and/or constipation, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, depression, headaches, fainting, irregular heart beats, dehydration and even death.

Peta's ad too sexy for tv

The Peta ad below has been deemed too racy for the Super Bowl, according to NBC.

The ad features scantily clad women doing... things... to vegetables we don't recommend. We only recommend you EAT vegetables!

The commercial ends with the tag line: Studies show vegetarians have better sex.

Many are claiming it's just a stunt to garner more attention while others think Peta is being too harshly targeted, considering passed controversial Super Bowl moments and the blatant association between football and sex (note the cheerleader above!).

What do you think of the video?
Warning: May not be suitable for kids...

'Veggie Love': PETA's Banned Super Bowl Ad

Happy World Vegan Day!

Happy World Vegan Day!

Today is also the start of Vegan Month.

The holiday, created by the Vegan Society, has been celebrated since 1994 by vegans around the world. This year’s theme is: improving the quality and availability of vegan food.

Veganism is a diet and lifestyle that excludes animal-derived products. Vegans choose not to eat any foods derived from living or dead animals - no meat of any kind (red meat, poultry, white meat, fish etc.), no animal milks (cow's dairy products, sheep, goats etc.), no eggs, honey or any other animal products (no gelatin, cochineal, shellac etc.).

Most common reasons for becoming vegan include an ethical conviction for animal rights, the environment (animal farming uses much more land, energy and water and has a greater effect on climate change than plant-based agriculture), health and religious concerns.

How do you plan to celebrate vegan month?

Maybe try going a day or two without eating any animal products? It’s easier than you think! Lots of dishes are already vegan, including Chinese, Indian, African, Asian and Mediterranean meals.

Click here for other ideas on how you can celebrate.

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/twinsline/2048353476/

Meat Eating and Global Warming- Food for Thought.

The BBC reported today that Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is set to speak tomorrow evening in London about the environmental impact of meat eating. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that direct greenhouse gas emissions from meat production account for about 18% of the world’s total emission. As such, meat production puts more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than transport (which accounts for 13% of the world’s greenhouse emissions).

The figure represents the emissions released from all part of the meat production cycle: clearing of forested land, making fertilizer, transport and use of farm vehicles and methane emissions from the cattle and sheep.

Dr. Pachauri stated “...I want to highlight the fact that among options for mitigating climate change, changing diets is something one should consider.”

According to The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, about 800 million acres, or 40% of US land area, is used for raising livestock. 60 million acres of land is additionally used to grow grain to feed the livestock. This land use evidently reduces the land available to support natural wildlife. In fact, household meat consumption alone is responsible for about a quarter of threats to natural ecosystems and wildlife.

A typical cow raised for slaughter will convert 32 lbs of grain into 4 lbs of weight. That’s a lot of grain, considering a typical steer weighs 1100lbs at the time of slaughter. In fact, 60% of the corn that’s grown in the US goes to feeding livestock. This grain requires a lot of synthetic fertilizer- over 100lbs per acre. Some of this fertilizer (ammonium nitrate) evaporates into the air where it’s transformed into nitrous oxide, an important greenhouse gas. A lot of it runs off into our waterways, potentially harming our health and poisoning the marine ecosystem. Nitrogen stimulates algae growth creating a hypoxic ‘zone’ that is as big as New Jersey in some areas, killing all the wildlife.

According to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, petroleum is the most important ingredient in the production of modern meat. The food chain responsible for raising the meat that ends up on your plate is fossil fuel driven. According to Pollan, a typical steer will have consumed the equivalent of 35 gallons of oil in his lifetime. Bon Appétit!

Other environmental impacts of meat consumption include a drain on water resources- 18% of total drinkable water use is attributable to livestock raising. Animal waste is a huge problem- about 2 billion tons of manure is produced a year. Not only is this manure responsible for emitting an estimated 150 trillion quarts of methane gas into the air yearly (methane being the second most significant contributor to the greenhouse effect behind carbon dioxide), but it’s also responsible for about 16% of common water quality problems and its runoff into our waterways is a serious threat to that ecosystem.

Dr. Pachauri recommend that meat eaters aim to give up meat for at least one day a week, and continue decreasing from there, to minimize their carbon footprint. Moreover, a 2003 Swedish study found that organic beef, raised on grass rather than grain, emits 40 per cent less greenhouse gases and consumes 85 per cent less energy. Moreover, choosing locally raised beef reduces the amount of transport involved. These represent better environmental choices. Researchers are doing their part by genetically engineering strains of cattle that will produce less methane gas.

Sources:

“Shun Meats, says UN climate chief”. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7600005.stm

“Meat is Murder on the Environment”. http://environment.newscientist.com/article/mg19526134.500-meat-is-murder-on-the-environment.html

“Eat Less Red Meat to Help the Environment, UN Climate Experts Says.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2699173/Eat-less-red-meat-to-help-the-environment-UN-climate-expert-says.html

Brower M, Leon W. The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical advice from the union of concerned scientists”. NY: Three Rivers Press. 1999. http://www.amazon.com/Consumers-Guide-Effective-Environmental-Choices/dp/060980281X

Pollan Michael. The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A natural history of four meals. Penguin Books. 2006. http://www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php

http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.motherjones.com/blue_marble_blog/ee_foodmiles.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.motherjones.com/blue_marble_blog/archives/2008/04/8023_food_miles_your.html&h=440&w=250&sz=22&hl=en&start=43&um=1&usg=__5ygtn6-ScJTQQwKNdfasaZkpZjc=&tbnid=pQPDopuKh2Z7TM:&tbnh=127&tbnw=72&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgreenhouse%2Bgas%2Bfood%26start%3D40%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

Soy, Sperm and other Stuff

While I was away on holidays in July, a study was published that made the news headlines. The study, conducted by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (funded by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases), found an inverse relationship between consumption of soy foods and sperm concentration.

That is, the men that ate the most soy products had a lower sperm concentration.

First, some background.

A Surplus of Soy

Soybeans were once grown almost exclusively for animal feed but Americans started eating it in ~1915 and have been consuming more and more of it, in higher and higher quantities, ever since.

Corn and soybean crops are subsidized by the government but up until the 1970s, policies and programs were put in place to prevent overproduction on the farms, to help farmers get fair prices for their crops. However, in the 1970s, Nixon's administration successfully dismantled these programs in their efforts to drive down costs of these crops, resulting in an overproduction of corn and soybeans. The more corn and soybeans the farmers produced the more money they could make… but this backfired on them since production was so high that it drove the cost down. As a result, farmers were getting paid less than it cost them to grow their crops! This, of course, led to unhappy farmers as well as a surplus of soybeans (and corn) available for human consumption (after exporting some, turning some into animal feed and converting some into oil used in margarines, cooking and salad oils).

Enter USDA-sponsored 'research and education' programs- basically government money to market soybeans to human consumers. Someone had to eat this surplus…

Asians eat soy: A marketing strategy

The reductive logic below has been used many times to explain the benefits of soy:

Asians have fewer heart attacks and less breast and prostate cancer than Americans and Asian women report fewer hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause.

Asians eat soybeans.

Soybeans must be responsible for all these health benefits.

Of course, this ignores the fact that over 1 billion people are considered 'Asian' and they don't all have the same lifestyles of diets. In fact, soy isn't even a staple in all Asian people's diets. Asians also have other things in common (apart from eating soybeans) that may contribute to their overall better health: genetics, weight- Asians generally have lower BMIs than Americans and less sedentary lifestyles, to name a few.

Soy & Cholesterol

One soy research found that eating 50 grams of soy protein versus animal protein a day reduced total cholesterol levels by 9.3%, the lousy LDL-cholesterol by 12.9% and triglycerides by 10.5%. If sustained over time, you could potentially reduce your risk of having a heart attack by 20%.

However, remember that soy is just one food and it's very hard to figure out the effect of one food from everything else you eat and do. If you eat soy because you think it's healthy, maybe you're also following other healthy habits.

Without adopting a healthier lifestyle (less saturated fat, more physical activity, quit smoking), soy will do nothing. Moreover, other studies have shown no link between soy protein and cholesterol levels.

Nonetheless, The FDA was under a lot of pressure from the government and food companies and relied heavily on that one study mentioned above to come out with their health claim that:
"Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease".
Foods that contain 6.25 grams of soy per serving can carry this claim on their label (in the States, not in Canada).

Isoflavones, aka Phytoestrogens

Complicating issues a bit more is that independent research suggests that it's the combination of isoflavones and the soy protein, not just the soy protein, that is responsible for the health benefits. The isoflavones in soy are phytoestrogens, weak estrogen-like substances made by plants.

25 grams of soy protein contains about 45mg isoflavones.

A Japanese person who eats a traditional soy-based diet consumes an average of 25-50mg soy isoflavones a day.

According to a Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences publication, the safe range of intake is 35–55mg isoflavones a day and it should not exceed 100 milligrams per day.

Average isoflavone content of various soy foods
per 100 grams (3.3 ounces) serving (unless indicated)

Boiled soybeans- 54 mg
Tempeh- 53mg
Tofu- 28 mg
Soy hot dogs- 15 mg
Soy milk- 10 mg
Soy mozzarella- 8 mg
Soy sausage- 4 mg
Soy nuts- 9 mg or 79 mg per 28 ounces
Gardenburger Lifeburger- 50 mg in 6 ounces
Soy Sensations Nutrition Bar- 60 mg in 2 ounces
Soy flour- 0.1–0.4 mg/g or 20 mg per half cup (50 grams)
Soy protein concentrate- 0.01– 0.2 mg/g
Soy oil- none
Soy sauce- none

Phytoestrogens and Breast Cancer

Again, using the same reductive logic as above, Japanese women have lower breast cancer rates and Japanese women eat more soy.
Therefore eating soy can help reduce breast cancer rates. Right?

Well, this makes sense because phytoestrogens act like estrogen but don't have the same effect. So these phytoestrogens can bind to our estrogen receptors, thus blocking the real estrogen, high levels of which have been known to increase breast cancer risk.

However, the reductive logic above is wrong; mainly because, as I mentioned previously, soy is actually not a staple in many Asian countries. The lower breast cancer rates are most probably due to other factors such as genetics, physical activity, weight, other dietary factors, childbirth patterns etc.

The research on soy and breast cancer is contradictory. A large study in China found that women with breast cancer ate the same amount of soy as those without cancer. Another Japanese study found the same thing in a 10-year follow-up study. However, another large Japanese study found that those that ate more soy had a lower risk of breast cancer.

There is also the possibility that soy can actually cause more harm: Although the estrogen-blocking activity of phytoestrogens may possibly be beneficial to younger women, in later years when estrogen levels are lower, these same phytoestrogens may actually mimic real estrogen and cause breast cancer cells to grow. The most abundant isoflavone in soy is called genistein and it has been found to possibly stimulate growth of estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer cells. This isoflavone can also interfere with the cancer-killing drug tamoxifen.

Hot Flashes

Again, the results are contradictory. Some studies showed that women who ate more soy had fewer hot flashes whereas others showed no differences.

Hot flashes are more likely to occur when you're stressed and less likely to occur if you exercise… perhaps the women who ate more soy were also more active and less stressed?

Soy and sperm

Now for the most recently published study:

99 men that presented at an infertility clinic for evaluation (these were the male partners in a subfertile couple) provided a semen sample and completed a food frequency questionnaire that assessed the frequency and quantity of soy foods they ate. These men were categorized into 4 groups: men who never ate soy products, ate soy products <2 times a month, 2 times/month to 2 times a week and ≥2 times a week.

After correcting for factors possibly affecting sperm concentration- smoking, caffeine intake, alcohol intake, BMI and age- it was found that men who ate the most soy had 41 million sperm/ml less than those that ate no soy. No association was found with soy food intake and sperm count, sperm movement or shape or ejaculation volume.
It's important to note that a reduced sperm concentration does not result necessarily in infertility.

Included in this group were men with potential infertility problems (10% had a sperm concentration below 20 million/mL; normal concentration is 80-120 million/mL) but the inverse association between soy and sperm concentration was greater in the men with higher sperm concentration. The association was also higher in the men that were overweight and obese (BMIs greater than 25) and 72% of the men in this study were in fact overweight or obese.

According to Jorge Chavarro, lead researcher of this study, the hypothesis is that because isoflavone found in soy products are phytoestrogens (weak estrogen-like substances) they may be harmful to male fertility. We know that the more overweight a man is, the higher his estrogen level is. As a result, it's possible that additional estrogen-like compounds in the diet can become an issue for these overweight and obese men.

The European Natural Soyfoods Manufacturers Association have disputed this study's findings stating the familiar: "Generations of Asians have regularly consumed soya without fertility disorders, and Asian countries have prodigiously produced very healthy, highly functioning children for centuries".

As we now know, soy isn't a staple in all Asian people's diets and other lifestyle factors may better explain the differences between the ethnic groups, ie. perhaps the fact that overweight and obesity rates are much lower in the Asian compared to the American population has something to do with it. 90% of the subjects in Chavarro's study were Caucasian.

Another small human study has looked at the association between soy and sperm count and found no change in semen quality with soy intake whereas another actually found a positive effect on sperm count with isoflavone intake.

Evidently, more research needs to be done. Chavarro himself says that it's too soon to draw conclusions about whether soy consumption affects male fertility but experts caution that if your sperm count is low, and especially if you're overweight, it may be a good idea to limit your soy intake.

Bottom Line:

Even healthy things should be eaten in moderation.

If you're a woman with breast cancer, taking tamoxifen or who has had ER+ breast cancer, stay away from soy.

If you're a man with fertility issues, especially if you're overweight, limit your soy intake.

Stay away from soy pills and powders since they may contain very high levels of isoflavones and the effects of taking these are unknown.

Soy foods are a great substitute for animal protein and dairy foods and a great source of protein, but vary your protein. If most of your protein comes from plants, make sure you get a good variety of beans and legumes, nuts and seeds as well as whole grains and vegetables.

Soybeans and the less processed foods made from them are good to have in moderation. Some sources say 2-3 servings of soy foods a day is fine whereas others suggest 2-4 servings a week. Use your judgment.

A product that contains soy is not necessarily healthy, You can now find a huge variety of processed soy foods- anything from dairy substitutes, cereals, power bars, drinks, snack foods- that can probably be categorized as junk food.

Sources:

Chavarro JE, Toth TL, Sadio SM, Hauser R. Soy foods and isoflavone intake in relation to semen quality parameters among men from an infertility clinic. Oxford University Press: Human Reproduction. July 23 2008. http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/den243v1

Reinberg, S. Soy linked to low sperm count. July 24 2008. http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/617728.html?chan=top+news_top+news+index_lifestyle

On Soya, Sperm and Men. July 24 2008. http://www.newscientist.com/blog/shortsharpscience/2008/07/on-soya-sperm-and-men.html

Agrell, S. Tofu a day, sperm goes away: study. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080724.wlsoy24/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/home

US soy producers dispute low sperm count study. Jul 30 2008. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jtGitNfaC7W7IJ0kINoqfTwShasA

Willett, WC. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating. NY: Free Press. 2001.

Nestle, Marion. What To Eat. NY: North Point Press, 2006.

Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Penguin Books. 2006.

Brown, J Lynne, PhD, RD. Functional Ingredients: Soy Protein and Soy Isoflavones. Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences. http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uk094.pdf

Liebman, Bonnie. The Soy Story. Center for Science in the Public Interest: Nutrition Action Healthletter. Sept 1998. http://www.cspinet.org/nah/soy/soy.html

Henkel, J. Soy: Health Claims for Soy Protein, Questions About Other Components. USDA Consumer Magazine. May-June 2000. http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/2000/300_soy.html

Schardt, David. Phytoestrogens for Menopause. Center for Science in the Public Interest: Nutrition Action Healthletter. Jan/Feb 2000. http://www.cspinet.org/nah/soy/phytoestrogen.html

What is Tempeh? http://www.soya.be/what-is-tempeh.php

http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2956027/2/istockphoto_2956027_sperm.jpg

http://images.glam.com/glampress/health/food_allergies/Food_Allergies_Soy.jpg

http://www.squidoo.com/menolaugh

http://rubygurl.blogspot.com/2008/03/funny-pictures.html