Soy and Female Fertility

In this episode, we’ll examine research on the relationship between soy and femaile fertility. Do phytoestrogens from soy help or harm female fertility? Let’s break down the science and highlight key takeaways for dietitians and healthcare professionals.Check out the Women's Health Nutrition Learning Hub at whnlearninghub.comReferences: Vanegas, J. C., Afeiche, M. C., Gaskins, A. J., Mínguez-Alarcón, L., Williams, P. L., Wright, D. L., Toth, T. L., Hauser, R., & Chavarro, J. E. (2015). Soy food intake and treatment outcomes of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. Fertility and Sterility, 103(3), 749–755.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.12.104Rizzo, G., Feraco, A., Storz, M. A., & Lombardo, M. (2022). The role of soy and soy isoflavones on women’s fertility and related outcomes: an update. Journal of Nutritional Science, 11, e17. https://doi.org/10.1017/jns.2022.15Gaskins, A. J., & Chavarro, J. E. (2018). Diet and fertility: A review. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 218(4), 379–389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.010Salsano, R., et al. (2019). To eat soy or not to eat soy: The ongoing look at phytoestrogens and fertility. Fertility and Sterility, 112(5).Mitsunami, M., Mínguez-Alarcón, L., Florio, A. A., Wang, S., Attaman, J. A., Souter, I., Hauser, R., & Chavarro, J. E. (2023). Intake of soy products and soy isoflavones in relation to ovarian reserve. Fertility and Sterility, 119(6), 1017–1029. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2023.02.039Jacobsen, B. K., Jaceldo-Siegl, K., Knutsen, S. F., Fan, J., Oda, K., & Fraser, G. E. (2014). Soy isoflavone intake and the likelihood of ever becoming a mother: The Adventist Health Study-2. International Journal of Women’s Health, 6, 377–384. https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S57137Chavarro, J. E., Mínguez-Alarcón, L., Chiu, Y. H., Gaskins, A. J., Souter, I., Williams, P. L., Calafat, A. M., & Hauser, R. (2016). Soy intake modifies the relation between urinary bisphenol A concentrations and pregnancy outcomes among women undergoing assisted reproduction. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 101(3), 1082–1090. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2015-3473Mumford, S. L., Sundaram, R., Schisterman, E. F., Sweeney, A. M., Barr, D. B., Rybak, M. E., Maisog, J. M., Parker, D. L., Pfeiffer, C. M., & Buck Louis, G. M. (2014). Higher urinary lignan concentrations in women but not men are positively associated with shorter time to pregnancy. The Journal of Nutrition, 144, 352–358. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.113.184820Unfer, V., Casini, M. L., Gerli, S., Costabile, L., Mignosa, M., & Di Renzo, G. C. (2004). Phytoestrogens may improve the pregnancy rate in in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer cycles: a prospective, controlled, randomized trial. Fertility and Sterility, 82(6), 1509–1513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2004.07.934Shahin, A. Y., Ismail, A. M., Zahran, K. M., & Makhlouf, A. M. (2008). Adding phytoestrogens to clomiphene induction in unexplained infertility patients – a randomized trial. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 16(4), 580–588. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1472-6483(10)60455-3