At the time the alleged damaging effects of soy were announced, I didn't really much of it. China, the country which consumes most soy also has the world's highest population. As for its supposed feminizing effects; it always seemed that the country who gave us the term Tiger Moms seemed to suggest the opposite. I doubt that many WW2 veterans believe, after going to hand-to-hand with the Japanese Army that eating soy effected Japanese men very much.
Besides that, I've known Asian Martial Artists who were vegetarians (i.e. ate soybean curd, or tofu), regularly. Bodybuilders often take a supplement called Soy Protein Isolate, which doesn't seem to effect them much either.
So, looking into the science, we're told by various sources that soy contains Phyto-Estrogens that both block and stimulate Estrogen receptors. These molecular compounds---while structurally similar to Estrogen---do not produce, but instead activate or block estrogenic receptors according to their chemical properties. German medical researcher Sergei Jargin wrote a very comprehensive treatise on this subject in 2014.
"Apart from singular reports" that is, individual case-studies as opposed to meta-research, "No data on modification of gender-related characteristics or feminization of humans after soy consumption can be found." Jargin stated.
An earlier study, done in 2001, contained a random sample of the population who were tested specifically with Phyto-Estrogens and concluded that "the Phyto-Estrogen dose consumed had no effect on semen quality."
Thus there really isn't any evidence that soy consumption is connected to the decline of masculinity in the West; though the scientific jury is still out on whether over-consumption of soy in childhood has effects on puberty. Actually, we would assert that the main cause of declining masculinity is social: being egged on the perverts in our public schools; our mass-media; and our government officials. Which brings us to the issue of our earlier post.
The Red Pills had not only been arguing against soy, they claim that masculinity is linked to wanton violence and ruthless aggression---which is a feminist argument. But consuming the Red Pill inclines men to these things: eating red meat, drinking raw milk, and avoiding soy does not.
Finally, we should point out that soy's had no effect on the Leader of the Free World's masculinity:
Masculinity has a lot less to do with diet, and a lot more to do with attitude.
Well said. Near as we can tell, soy really has no hormonal impact on men. Soy is also a plant material, so actually designed for your body to handle. We're far more concerned about synthetic estrogens like you might find in some plastics. Also steroids.
ReplyDeleteWe people are also made up of mind, body, and spirit. There is actually a delicate hormonal balance going on that is not quite as simple as testosterone for boys and estrogen for girls. Life is not just a simple matter of "better living through chemistry," as the saying goes.
That's very true. The human body is a very complex machine and science has by no means probed all the interactions that take place within it.
DeleteAs near as I've been able to tell from research, the whole controversy about soy being feminizing seems to have died out around the beginning of the present decade. It appears though that Mike Cernovich---a notorious Red Pill troll who fancies himself an expert on both Physiology and Psychology---is the one who originated the current 'Soy Boy' meme which has led to the controversy flaring up again. The US Government, various universities, and also the Soy Industry itself did extensive tests about a decade ago and none of them found any causal connection between soy consumption and feminization whatsoever.