Dietary oestrogens and male fertility potential

Abstract

Reports of increased incidences of male reproductive abnormalities and falling sperm counts have prompted interest into the nature of these threats to global fertility. Xenoestrogens have been flagged as major culprits but to date, little is known about the effects of dietary phytoestrogens on male reproductive health. These non-steroidal oestrogens of plant origin are potent endocrine disruptors that modulate normal physiological functions. Phytoestrogens have become a major component in the typical Western fast food diet over the last few decades. Soy formula milk is another common source of phytoestrogens, now used increasingly as an alternative to breast or cow's milk for infants with allergies. This use is of particular concern since the most vulnerable periods for oestrogenic insult are thought to be the pre- and neonatal periods when irreversible damage can be inflicted on the developing germinal epithelium. Studies into the safety of phytoestrogens are urgently needed either to allay fears or increase awareness of the effects of our modern diet on future fertility.

Effect of Plant Hormone Gibberellic Acid-3 on Rat Testicular Biomarkers and Its Histology

“…[42] Intake of excess isoflavanoids (phytosterol) during child hood may lead to moderate decrease in male fertility, including reproductive capacity. [43] In an earlier report, we presented evidence on the effect of GA 3 on serum enzyme and biomarkers and on lipids, and blood cell count in male rat. [19] In this study, we demonstrate that GA 3 as a terpenoid plant hormone is capable of modulating rat testicular function.…”

Soy, phytoestrogens and their impact on reproductive health

“…In rodents, exposure to isoflavone during gestation and lactation (dietary exposure) or perinatally (oral gavage) yielded, once again, inconsistent results. While some reports found no reproductive defects (Fielden et al, 2003;Kang et al, 2002;Nagao et al, 2001), others reported variable persistent phenotypic and behavioral reproductive abnormalities such as decreased testicular weight or size (Atanassova et al, 2000;West et al, 2005;Wisniewski et al, 2003), decreased spermatogenesis (Atanassova et al, 2000;West et al, 2005), lower FSH (Atanassova et al, 2000) and testosterone levels (Wisniewski et al, 2003), smaller ano-genital distance (Wisniewski et al, 2003(Wisniewski et al, , 2005 and alterations of reproductive and aggressive behavior (Wisniewski et al, 2003(Wisniewski et al, , 2005.…”

Occupational and Lifestyle Exposures on Male Infertility: A Mini Review

“…A further recent change in the Western diet is the increased use of soy-based infant formula milk (SFM) for the increasing numbers of babies that are lactose-intolerant [83]. Infants on SFM have a phytoestrogen (a kind of xenoestrogen) intake per kg bodyweight 6-11 times higher than that seen in adults consuming a high phytoestrogen diet [95].…”

“…It has also been described that these compounds cross a blood-tissue barrier similar to that of the testis, suggesting that intratubular germ cells might be exposed [82,83]. Genistein, the principal soy isoflavone, has estrogenic activity and is widely consumed.…”