soy boy
{{Short description|Pejorative for men perceived as feminine}}
{{More medical citations needed|date=June 2025}}
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Soy boy is a pejorative term sometimes used in online communities to describe men perceived to be lacking masculine characteristics. The term bears many similarities and has been compared to the slang terms cuck (derived from cuckold), nu-male and low-T ("low testosterone"){{snd}} terms sometimes used as insults for male femininity in the manosphere.{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/soy-boy-insult-what-is-definition-far-right-men-masculinity-women-a8027816.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/soy-boy-insult-what-is-definition-far-right-men-masculinity-women-a8027816.html |archive-date=2022-05-24 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Soy Boy: What is this new online insult used by the far right? |first=Rachel |last=Hosie |website=The Independent|date=30 September 2020 }}{{cite web |last=Gleeson |first=Jules Joanne |title=An Anatomy of the Soy Boy |url=https://newsocialist.org.uk/an-anatomy-of-the-soy-boy/ |website=New Socialist |date=3 February 2018 |access-date=27 November 2020 |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Beck |first=Chris |title=The Rise of Nu-Males and Soy Boys |url=https://www.splicetoday.com/pop-culture/the-rise-of-nu-males-and-soy-boys |access-date=2022-08-08 |website=Splice Today |date=18 January 2020 |language=en}}
The term is based on the presence of the phytoestrogen isoflavone in soybeans, which has led some to claim that soy products feminize men who consume them, although there is a lack of evidence supporting the correlation between consumption of soy phytoestrogens and testosterone or estrogen levels{{Cite journal |last1=Reed |first1=Katharine E. |last2=Camargo |first2=Juliana |last3=Hamilton-Reeves |first3=Jill |last4=Kurzer |first4=Mindy |last5=Messina |first5=Mark |date=2021-03-01 |title=Neither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormones: An expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies |journal=Reproductive Toxicology |language=en |volume=100 |pages=60–67 |doi=10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.12.019 |pmid=33383165 |issn=0890-6238|doi-access=free |bibcode=2021RepTx.100...60R }} or sperm quality.{{Cite journal |last1=Messina |first1=Mark |date=May 1, 2010 |title=Soybean isoflavone exposure does not have feminizing effects on men: a critical examination of the clinical evidence |url=http://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(10)00368-7/fulltext |journal=Fertility and Sterility |volume=93 |issue=7 |pages=2095–2104 |doi=10.1016/j.fertnstert.2010.03.002 |pmid=20378106 |doi-access=free}}
Biology
{{Update|section|reason=Needs citation to the latest studies, not mere mention of them|date=June 2025}}
Soy products contain high amounts of phytoestrogens.{{Cite journal |last1=Thompson |first1=Lilian U. |last2=Boucher |first2=Beatrice A. |last3=Liu |first3=Zhen |last4=Cotterchio |first4=Michelle |last5=Kreiger |first5=Nancy |date=June 17, 2006 |title=Phytoestrogen content of foods consumed in Canada, including isoflavones, lignans, and coumestan |journal=Nutrition and Cancer |volume=54 |issue=2 |pages=184–201 |doi=10.1207/s15327914nc5402_5 |pmid=16898863 |s2cid=60328}}{{cite journal |author1=Rietjens I. M. C. M. |author2=Louisse J. |author3=Beekmann K. |date=June 2017 |title=The potential health effects of dietary phytoestrogens |journal=British Journal of Pharmacology |volume=174 |issue=11 |pages=1263–1280 |doi=10.1111/bph.13622 |pmc=5429336 |pmid=27723080}} As they are structurally similar to estradiol (the major female sex hormone) and have activity at the estrogen receptor,{{cite journal |author1=George G. J. M. Kuiper |author2=Josephine G. Lemmen |author3=Bo Carlsson |author4=J. Christopher Corton |author5=Stephen H. Safe |author6=Paul T. van der Saag |author7=Bart van der Burg |author8=Jan-Åke Gustafsson |date=1 October 1998 |title=Interaction of Estrogenic Chemicals and Phytoestrogens with Estrogen Receptor β |journal=Endocrinology |volume=139 |issue=10 |pages=4252–4263 |doi=10.1210/endo.139.10.6216 |pmid=9751507}} early research suggested that it may act as an endocrine disruptor that adversely affects health.{{cite journal |author1=Rietjens I. M. C. M. |author2=Louisse J. |author3=Beekmann K. |date=June 2017 |title=The potential health effects of dietary phytoestrogens |journal=British Journal of Pharmacology |volume=174 |issue=11 |pages=1263–1280 |doi=10.1111/bph.13622 |pmc=5429336 |pmid=27723080}}{{cite journal |author1=George G. J. M. Kuiper |author2=Josephine G. Lemmen |author3=Bo Carlsson |author4=J. Christopher Corton |author5=Stephen H. Safe |author6=Paul T. van der Saag |author7=Bart van der Burg |author8=Jan-Åke Gustafsson |date=1 October 1998 |title=Interaction of Estrogenic Chemicals and Phytoestrogens with Estrogen Receptor β |journal=Endocrinology |volume=139 |issue=10 |pages=4252–4263 |doi=10.1210/endo.139.10.6216 |pmid=9751507}} An article written in the 1970s claimed that soy could disrupt hormone balance which initially started the bad reputation.{{cite web | title=The Truth About Soy | website=Henry Ford Health | url=https://www.henryford.com/blog/2022/10/the-truth-about-soy | access-date=2024-10-21}}{{Unreliable source?|date=February 2025}} Since then, concerns have been raised that it may act as an endocrine disruptor that adversely affects health. The Harvard School of Health, however, notes that "there are many factors that make it difficult to construct blanket statements about the health effects of soy";{{cite web |title=Straight Talk About Soy |url=https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/soy/ |website=The Nutrition Source |publisher=Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health |access-date=2024-03-07 |language=en-us |date=2018-08-06}} in the late 2010s and early 2020s a sizeable amount of research and scientific reviews further debunked claims.
It is unclear if phytoestrogens have any effect on male physiology, with conflicting results about the potential effects of isoflavones (a kind of phytoestrogen) originating from soy.{{cite web |date=October 2016 |title=Isoflavones |url=https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/soy-isoflavones |access-date=6 August 2022 |publisher=Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis}} Some studies showed that isoflavone supplementation had a positive effect on sperm concentration, count, or motility, and increased ejaculate volume.{{cite book |last=Dabrowski |first=Waldemar M. |title=Toxins in Food |publisher=CRC Press Inc |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-8493-1904-4 |page=95 |name-list-style=vanc}}{{cite journal |vauthors=Mitchell JH, Cawood E, Kinniburgh D, Provan A, Collins AR, Irvine DS |date=Jun 2001 |title=Effect of a phytoestrogen food supplement on reproductive health in normal males |url=http://www.clinsci.org/content/100/6/613 |journal=Clinical Science |volume=100 |issue=6 |pages=613–8 |doi=10.1042/CS20000212 |pmid=11352776 |url-access=subscription}} Sperm count decline and increasing rate of testicular cancers in the West may be linked to a higher presence of isoflavone phytoestrogens in the diet while in utero, but such a link has not been definitively proven.{{cite journal |vauthors=Patisaul HB, Jefferson W |year=2010 |title=The pros and cons of phytoestrogens |journal=Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=400–19 |doi=10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.03.003 |pmc=3074428 |pmid=20347861}} Furthermore, while there is some evidence that phytoestrogens may affect male fertility, more recent reviews of available studies found no link,{{Cite journal |last1=Messina |first1=Mark |last2=Mejia |first2=Sonia Blanco |last3=Cassidy |first3=Aedin |last4=Duncan |first4=Alison |last5=Kurzer |first5=Mindy |last6=Nagato |first6=Chisato |last7=Ronis |first7=Martin |last8=Rowland |first8=Ian |last9=Sievenpiper |first9=John |last10=Barnes |first10=Stephen |date=2021-03-27 |title=Neither soyfoods nor isoflavones warrant classification as endocrine disruptors: a technical review of the observational and clinical data |journal=Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition |volume=62 |issue=21 |pages=5824–5885 |doi=10.1080/10408398.2021.1895054 |issn=1040-8398 |pmid=33775173 |s2cid=232408113 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal |last1=Nassan |first1=Feiby L. |last2=Chavarro |first2=Jorge E. |last3=Tanrikut |first3=Cigdem |date=2018-09-01 |title=Diet and men's fertility: does diet affect sperm quality? |url=https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(18)30426-6/abstract |journal=Fertility and Sterility |language=English |volume=110 |issue=4 |pages=570–577 |doi=10.1016/j.fertnstert.2018.05.025 |issn=0015-0282 |pmid=30196939 |s2cid=52179133 |doi-access=free}} and instead suggests that healthier diets such as the Mediterranean diet might have a positive effect on male fertility. Several review studies have not found any effect of phytoestrogens on sperm quality or reproductive hormone levels.{{cite journal |author1=Cederroth C. R. |author2=Auger J. |author3=Zimmermann C. |author4=Eustache F. |author5=Nef S. |year=2010 |title=Soy, phyto-oestrogens and male reproductive function: a review |journal=International Journal of Andrology |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=304–316 |doi=10.1111/j.1365-2605.2009.01011.x |pmid=19919579 |doi-access=free}} Neither isoflavones nor soy have been shown to affect male reproductive hormones in healthy individuals.{{cite journal |vauthors=Reed KE, Camargo J, Messina M |year=2020 |title=Neither soy nor isoflavone intake affects male reproductive hormones: An expanded and updated meta-analysis of clinical studies |journal=Reproductive Toxicology |volume=100 |pages=60–67 |doi=10.1016/j.reprotox.2020.12.019 |pmid=33383165 |doi-access=free|bibcode=2021RepTx.100...60R }}
Soy is rich in nutrients and likely to provide health benefits, especially when it replaces red or processed meat. Avoidance of red and processed meat was found to lower risk of developing erectile dysfunction.{{Cite journal |last1=Bauer |first1=Scott R. |last2=Breyer |first2=Benjamin N. |last3=Stampfer |first3=Meir J. |last4=Rimm |first4=Eric B. |last5=Giovannucci |first5=Edward L. |last6=Kenfield |first6=Stacey A. |date=2020-11-13 |title=Association of Diet With Erectile Dysfunction Among Men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study |journal=JAMA Network Open |volume=3 |issue=11 |pages=e2021701 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.21701 |issn=2574-3805 |pmc=7666422 |pmid=33185675}}{{Cite journal |last1=La |first1=Justin |last2=Roberts |first2=Natalie H. |last3=Yafi |first3=Faysal A. |date=2018-01-01 |title=Diet and Men's Sexual Health |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2050052117300744 |journal=Sexual Medicine Reviews |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=54–68 |doi=10.1016/j.sxmr.2017.07.004 |issn=2050-0521 |pmid=28778698}} Higher soy intake is also associated with lower risk for prostate cancer.{{Cite journal |last1=Yan |first1=Lin |last2=Spitznagel |first2=Edward L. |date=April 2009 |title=Soy consumption and prostate cancer risk in men: a revisit of a meta-analysis |journal=The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition |volume=89 |issue=4 |pages=1155–1163 |doi=10.3945/ajcn.2008.27029 |issn=1938-3207 |pmid=19211820 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal |last1=Applegate |first1=Catherine C. |last2=Rowles |first2=Joe L. |last3=Ranard |first3=Katherine M. |last4=Jeon |first4=Sookyoung |last5=Erdman |first5=John W. |date=2018-01-04 |title=Soy Consumption and the Risk of Prostate Cancer: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis |journal=Nutrients |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=40 |doi=10.3390/nu10010040 |issn=2072-6643 |pmc=5793268 |pmid=29300347 |doi-access=free}} Studies show that plant-based diets do not compromise muscular strength.{{Cite journal |last1=López-Moreno |first1=Miguel |last2=Rossi |first2=Eugenio Viviani |last3=López-Gil |first3=José Francisco |last4=Marrero-Fernández |first4=Paula |last5=Roldán-Ruiz |first5=Alberto |last6=Bertotti |first6=Gabriele |date=2025-06-02 |title=Are Plant-Based Diets Detrimental to Muscular Strength? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials |journal=Sports Medicine - Open |volume=11 |issue=1 |pages=62 |doi=10.1186/s40798-025-00852-7 |issn=2199-1170 |pmc=12130401 |pmid=40455307 |doi-access=free}}
Usage
The term is often used as an epithet by internet trolls. It often targets perceived vegans,{{cite news |last1=Cunningham |first1=Brent |title=Plant-based meat and the knock-down, drag-out fight for the American diet |url=https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/2019/9/18/20849139/meat-beyond-impossible-burger-vegetarian-plant-based-green-new-deal-politics |access-date=27 July 2020 |work=Vox |date=18 September 2019 |language=en}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/oct/25/why-do-people-hate-vegans |title=Why do people hate vegans? |first=George |last=Reynolds |newspaper=The Guardian |date=October 25, 2019 |via=www.theguardian.com}} progressives, and other groups. The term has also been used in online debates about the fashion appeal of cargo shorts,{{Cite web |url=https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2019/4/18/18412582/cargo-shorts-mike-cernovich-jack-posobiec |title=The latest debate on right-wing Twitter: are cargo shorts for 'real men' or 'soy boys?' |first=Rebecca |last=Jennings |date=April 18, 2019 |website=Vox}} having a feminized and unathletic look, and an exaggerated smile called a "soy face" or "Soylent grin",{{cite web |url=https://www.elplural.com/politica/basado-charocracia-joseo-habla-team-facha_269959102 |title=Basado, charocracia, chad o pesetas y cunetas: así habla el Team Facha |last=Abascal |first=Luis |date=4 July 2021 |website=Elplural |access-date=22 Sep 2021 |language=Spanish |archive-date=19 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919004449/https://www.elplural.com/politica/basado-charocracia-joseo-habla-team-facha_269959102 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/soy-face-soyboy-face-meme-tiktok |title='Soy Face' Is Real, and It's Annoying — It Just Needs a Better Name |last=Klee |first=Miles |date=2020 |website=Mel Magazine |access-date=22 Sep 2021 |archive-date=1 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001214525/https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/soy-face-soyboy-face-meme-tiktok |url-status=live }} a reference to a meal replacement shake (itself named as a reference to the 1973 dystopian film Soylent Green).