A study published in the latest edition of the ‘Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry’ reveals that researchers have found that beer, red wine and caffeinated drinks like coffee contain high levels of chemicals, similar to ‘oestrogen’, which is linked to male fertility. It is being believed that gulping down excess of beer, red wine or even coffee could lower the ‘sperm count’, though drinking in moderation may not be all that damaging.

According to the researchers, a particular type of ‘phytoestrogen’, which are naturally-occurring plant compounds and which mimic the female sex hormone oestrogen, are the culprits. Moreover, the study found that when the drinks are taken with roasted peanuts, Brazil nuts, or brown ale, the high levels of phytoestrogens in them can cause much greater damage.

Reporting to the ‘The Daily Telegraph’, the lead researcher, Gunter Kuhnle of Medical Research Council, Cambridge, said the study talks precisely about more food and drinks containing the compounds, than thought earlier. He 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.”

Commenting on the findings, New Scientist magazine, said that some experiments “have hinted that the compounds protect against cancer, heart disease and the side-effects of the menopause, while others have linked high levels to an increased risk of breast cancer and male infertility. Still others have documented no link between phytoestrogens and those same ailments.” In all, it opined that the studies of phytoestrogens are pretty much ‘muddled’.