Combo #7: Soy and Salmon
Yes, soy has been shown to lower sperm counts, but that’s mainly in processed forms such as soy cheese, soy milk, and other unknown words listed on the labels of your favorite artery-clogging processed foods. This means that consuming unprocessed forms of soy, such as edamame and tofu, is pretty healthy in moderation.
That’s actually good news because, according to Mark Messina, PhD, former director of the diet and cancer branch of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health and now an adjunct associate professor at Loma Linda University, an isoflavone in soy called genistein inhibits enzymes in the colon and prostate, raising the amount of vitamin D bioavailability in those tissues.
“The higher vitamin D levels may offer protection against cancer,” says Messina. “There is emerging research suggesting that vitamin D reduces cancer risk, and many people don’t get enough of the vitamin. You do make it in your skin, but most people don’t make enough.” Fish such as salmon and tuna are high in vitamin D, so take a cue from the Asian diet and eat fish with a side of edamame for the perfect dinner combo.
