Soya products can be sperm killers

Women trying to conceive should avoid eating soya products at certain times of the month because they can kill sperm, a study has found.

A chemical called genistein, found in soya, causes sperm to "burn out" once they reach a woman's reproductive tract, causing them to lose their fertility before they reach the egg.

Professor Lynn Fraser, of King's College London, found that even small amounts of soya had a rapid and fatal effect on sperm.

Previous studies have shown an effect in mice, but Professor Fraser's latest research shows that the impact is even greater in humans.

She recommends that women avoid eating soya over four days around ovulation, the peak time for conception during a woman's menstrual cycle.

- INDEPENDENT