Correction: Oct. 31, 2013: This post was based on an anonymously sourced item at YourJewishNews that subsequent reporting has revealed to be false. Sources I spoke with at the Gur Kollel in Jerusalem say that soy products have not been banned. The original, incorrect post remains below.
Photo by DANIEL ROLAND/AFP/Getty Images
I’m a vegan, so people have no problem telling me what I should and shouldn’t be eating. But strangers seem to particularly enjoy advising me of the adverse effects that soy can have on my health—particularly because of isoflavones, or plant compounds that mimic estrogen. Forget that it has been shown to lower cholesterol and the risk of certain cancers; among the many things I’ve been warned against are low fertility and mood swings.
But I’m a woman; I can only imagine how tough it is for a man. Just ask the well-guarded guys at the Gur Yeshiva in Israel. In a close call, Your Jewish News reports that the yeshiva, looking out for its bochers, has banned all soy based products because the common foodstuff can lead to an increase in gay sex. “Officials at the yeshiva and the boys school ordered students to stay away from any food containing soy because even eating a soy based product just once a week can cause unwanted arousal.” (To be fair, this is the same Hasidic sect that has reportedly banned handshakes.)
In 2009, Men’s Health outlined all the ways soy could be the most dangerous food for men. Listed among the risks: enlarged breasts and decreased sexual desire. Alas, nowhere is spontanous gay sex mentioned. Sorry, fellas.
