Soy is Detrimental to the Development of Young Men

Being that he is a young man himself, it is my hope that my argument will persuade him to avoid soy products in the future. Sexual Development1. Estrogen) Soy contains phytoestrogens [1], specifically genistein and diadzein [3] which function as the primary female sex hormone (estrogen) that can be consumed by plants. When you consume phytoestrogens, they bind to high-affinity receptors in a cells nucleus, altering the protein transcription of that cells DNA. In short, it has the same effects as normal estrogen. These effects (in men) include smaller testes, lower sperm count, lower sex drive, erectile dysfunction, breast growth, fat gain, smaller muscles, weaker bones, depression, "hot flashes", etc. [2]. Long story short, estrogen "feminizes" men. 2. Studies) A study done on mice who were fed a diet of 2.5 mg/kg of bodyweight of genistein for nine days found that genistein, when given to males, "induced typical estrogenic effects in doses comparable to those present in soy-based diets. " [4] Another study focused on the effects of administering genistein to neonatal animals to the amount of 4mg/kg/day from days 2-18 of life. This significantly retarded nearly all measures of pubertal spermatogenesis. By day 25, these changes remained, and by adulthood the control group (who were not fed soy) had significantly larger testes, while some of the animals who were fed soy actually ended up infertile. The author of the article concludes, "the presence or absence of soy or genistein in the diet has significant short-term (pubertal spermatogenesis) and long-term (body weight, testis size, FSH levels, and possibly mating) effects on males. " [5]In pigs, who are much more closely related to humans, it was shown that soy intake induces the body to break down muscle protein in order for it to get its required amino acids. [6] In other words, the estrogen-like effects of soy caused these pig's bodies to literally eat their own muscles for nutrients at a rate comparable to the rate found in women, which shouldn't happen in men. There are several more studies I can bring up, but the point has been made. The link between soy and male feminization is difinitive.3. Asia) In Asia, soy is big. The Chinese and Japanese have been consuming soy for between 1000 and 1500 years, and your typical Japanese man will consume 1-3 servings of soy per day [7]. It is also the case that Asian men have testes less than half the size of their European and African counterparts (9g vs. 21g) [8]. This in no way implies that the discrepancy in testicle size between the races comes down solely to soy-intake, however we have a group of humans who 1. eat the most soy 2. have been eating soy the longest and 3. have the smallest testes. The implications are clear, especially when we consider that soy has been shown time and time again to mimic the effects of estrogen. 4. Shrinking Testes) In recent years, scientists have noted that the testes of young men seem to be shrinking at an alarming rate [9], along with the average testosterone levels of men in general [10]. T-levels have dropped an average of 1.2% per year from 1987-2004 (17% total drop). This change is unrelated to the normal aging process, as we can see T-levels in 65 year old men in 2004 are significantly lower than that of 65 year old men in the 80's. Since this change is not due to age, the most likely candidate is our diet. While fast-food and high-fructose corn syrup undeniably play a role in this, it is also the case that soy production in North America has also sky-rocketed in recent decades, with the latest boost being in the 90's. Since soy has been shown repeatedly to result in smaller testes and impede testosterone levels, it can be safely assumed that this recent jump in soy consumption is North America has contributed to this feminization of our men. ConclusionI've provided studies that clearly show soy has a detrimental effect of the sexual development of male rats, mice and pigs. Furthermore, circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that soy played a large part in the shrinking of Asian testes, which provides a large-scale example of soy directly and profoundly affecting human men. Furthermore, we are now seeing both a shrinkage of testes and a gradual lowering of T-levels in North American men, which just so happens to be occurring at the same time soy (a product known to impede male sexual development) has begun to grow in popularity in the United States. As such, I have successfully shown that soy is detrimental to the development of young men. My burden of proof is fulfilled and the resolution is affirmed. I look forward to my opponent's response. Sources1. . http://en.wikipedia.org... 2. . http://www.livestrong.com... 3. . http://www.t-nation.com... 4. Strauss, et al. "Genistein exerts estrogen-like effects in male mouse reproductive tract," Mol Cell Endocrinol 1998 Sep 25;144(1-2);83-93 5. Atanassova N (2000). Comparative Effects of Neonatal Exposure of Male Rats to Potent and Weak (Environmental) Estrogens on Spermatogenesis at Puberty and the Relationship to Adult Testis Size and Fertility: Evidence for Stimulatory Effects of Low Estrogen Levels. Endocrinology Vol. 141, No. 10 3898-3907 6. Lohrke B (2001). Activation of skeletal muscle protein breakdown following consumption of soybean protein in pigs. Br J Nutr 2001 Apr; 85 (4): 447-57 7. . http://www.theveganrd.com... 8. . http://www.neoteny.org... 9. . http://en.wikipedia.org...10. . http://www.ourstolenfuture.org...