Tofu helps men become more masculine.

Women who have gone through menopause often use soy-based products to alleviate some of their symptoms, and these products also have an effect on men. They seem to make men appear more masculine.

New research has found that certain plant-based products may influence hormone levels and enhance sexual activity.

The study, published in the journal Hormones and Behavior, is the first to observe a link between plant-based estrogenic compounds, or phytoestrogens, and behavior in wild mammals, specifically a group of rhesus monkeys in Uganda.

As the highest-order mammals, we humans are more likely to experience similar effects from these compounds.

“This is one of the first studies completed in a natural setting that provides evidence that chemicals from plants can directly influence the physiological function and behavior of a wild mammal by affecting the endocrine system,” lead researcher Michael Wasserman said in a press release.

“By altering hormone levels and population behaviors crucial to reproduction and health, plants may have played a massive role in the evolution of higher mammals, including humans, which biology has in many ways underestimated,” Wasserman added.

Researchers found that the more leaves of Millettia, a tropical plant rich in estrogen-like compounds, that male robins consumed, the higher their estradiol and cortisol levels became. They also found that these fluctuating hormone levels led to more aggressive and sexual behavior, and less time spent exhibiting bonding behaviors in this highly advanced mammal.

The aforementioned tropical plant is closely related to soybeans, a plant considered to be rich in phytoestrogens (which have a structure similar to estrogen).

Women who have gone through menopause often use soy-based products to alleviate some of their symptoms, and these products also have an effect on men. They seem to make men appear more masculine.

Researchers quickly identified numerous factors influencing hormone levels and behavior in higher mammals.

“If phytoestrogens make a crucial balance in the diets of fruit-eating mammals, and this consumption process has similar behavioral and physiological effects as what has been observed in robins, then estrogen-containing plants could potentially play a vital role in human evolution,” said Michael Wasserman.

"After studying the effects of phytoestrogens on apes and fruit-eating mammals, we now have a better understanding of how these estrogenic compounds might influence human behavior and health," added Michael Wasserman.

According to the News Reporter