FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Soyfoods Association of North America
1050 17th Street, N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 659-3520
Contact: Kelli Dieterich
Members@soyfoods.org
SANA STRONGLY REJECTS ALARMIST MEDIA REPORTS ON SOY FOODS’ IMPACT ON MALE FERTILITY
June 23, 2005, Washington, D.C. – The Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA) rejects recent media reports that soy foods may have a harmful effect on male fertility in response to preliminary research presented by Professor Lynn Fraser of King’s College London. According to Fraser, who presented her results at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology annual meeting earlier this month, genistein, one of the many forms of isoflavones contained in soy foods, can negatively impact human sperm’s ability to fertilize the female egg. To date, Fraser’s findings have not been published in a peer reviewed journal.
“It is unfortunate that the recently reported results of a test tube [experiment] have been interpreted as having an impact on human reproduction,” says Nancy Chapman, RD, MPH, Executive Director of SANA. Fraser studied human sperm only as exposed to genistein in a petri dish in a laboratory setting. “Data from animal studies showed that consumption of soy protein has no adverse effect on reproductive performance. These studies show no adverse effects of genistein at human intake levels on reproductive organs, sperm count or sperm motility."
Humans consume genistein as part of a more complex food, not as an isolated compound added to the diet. “It’s a different ballgame…if you study only a component of a food in a test tube that is intended to represent that food, you must use the concentration [of the food component] that reaches the human tissue,” states Dr. Stephen Barnes, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Alabama at Birmingham. “When testing food, a researcher has to test the [food] substance orally—not in a test tube.”
Chapman agrees. “Test tube administration with a chemical substance, pure genistein, is not related to human food consumption and metabolism. While genistein is one of several components in soy, pure genistein behaves differently in the body than genistein contained in soy foods.”
SANA notes that Asian populations consume soy as a primary source of protein, and for generations, have produced healthy, prosperous, highly-functioning children. “There is no evidence of increased rates of fertility disorders among the Asian population due to soy food consumption,” says Chapman. “Years of very thorough research by leading medical experts have shown the safety and benefit of soy foods in the human diet.”The Soyfoods Association of North America believes that providing consumers with the most up-to-date, evidence-based information about the health benefits of soy foods and soy protein is of the highest priority. Says SANA President Paul Lang, Natural Products, Inc., "American consumers should feel safe in choosing soy foods as part of a healthy and satisfying diet."
###
A non-profit organization founded in 1979, Soyfoods Association of North America (SANA) represents more than 50 members, comprised of large and small soy foods companies, growers and suppliers of soybeans, nutritionists, equipment representatives, food scientists, and retailers. SANA encourages sustainability, integrity, and growth of the soy foods industry by promoting the benefits of soy-based foods, and is committed to increasing consumer awareness, establishing and adopting standards for new and existing soy foods, and being the key resource on soy foods and ingredients in the industry. For more information, visit their website at www.soyfoods.org
