A new study has found that beer, wine, coffee and nuts all contain high levels of chemicals which are linked to male infertility.
The pub drinks and snacks are packed full of phytoestrogens - naturally-occurring plant compounds implicated in falling sperm counts.
Red wine, brown ale, instant coffee powder, brazil nuts and peanuts all scored particularly highly for the chemicals.
Researcher Dr Gunter Kuhnle who carried out the research for the Medical Research Council in Cambridge said the study showed the compounds are found in more foods and drinks than was previously thought.
Phytoestrogens also occur in high amounts in soya and have been linked to fertility problems in livestock. And a study published earlier this summer linked soya to falling sperm counts in men. It was found that men who regularly ate small amounts of tofu or soya meat or dairy substitutes had lower sperm concentrations than those who didn't.
It is thought that phytoestrogens called isoflavones, which mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen, are behind the effect.
Dr Kuhnle, of the MRC Dunn Human Nutrition Unit in Cambridge, said: 'The data we have collected has enabled us to put together an accurate table of which foods contain the highest levels of phytoestrogens, so we can look at the effect of long-term exposure, and work out what the safe levels are likely to be for humans.'
However, the effects of phytoestrogens are not all bad, with some studies suggesting they can ease the symptoms of the menopause, as well as protect against cancer and heart disease.
September 2008
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