Associações entre soja e saúde masculina

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the impacts and controversies associated with soy consumption in men (at different life stages), and its relation to sexual maturation, endocrine function, and fertility. Method: This is a narrative review of the literature carried out in a systematic way, with searches conducted from February to May 2024, for studies on the theme, in English and Portuguese languages, in the databases PubMed, SciELO, LILACS, and ScienceDirect. To perform the searches, cross-referencing of descriptors in Portuguese and English was carried out: “sexual development”; “Soy”; “Isoflavone”; “phytoestrogen”; “human”, in different combinations with the boolean operator “and” for a comprehensive search. Results: Nine articles were found and included in the review. The results were divided into 2 groups: children/adolescents and adults. For the first group, studies pointed to a non-association between isoflavone consumption and hormonal levels in children; however, there was a correlation between high soy consumption and possible late puberty. For adult studies, results showed that high isoflavone consumption may be associated with adverse hormonal changes, including reduced testosterone levels and possible effects on thyroid function, at the same time, there is no significant negative impact of soy protein consumption on semen quality or hormonal function. Final Considerations: Despite divergent results, more studies are needed to find better associations between soy consumption and changes related to sexual maturation, endocrine function, and fertility. Keywords: Soy. Sexual maturation. Endocrine function. Male fertility. Isoflavones.