Rabbi bans students from eating soy in case it leads to gay sex

The Hasidic yeshiva of Gur has ruled that boys should not eat soy, lest it leads to unwanted sexual arousal, according to a report in HaMevasser.

Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter issued the ban due to a belief that the 'hormones' in the food could cause boys to become effeminate and make their teachers and older students to become attracted to them.

Although soya products contain chemicals known as isoflavones which mimic the estrogen hormone, a man would have to eat huge amounts to have any noticeable effect. Additionally though soy has been linked to decreased sexual desire and enlarged breasts, it has not been connected with sexuality at all.

The sect has previously told men to stop shaking hands for fear that “normative incidental physical contact” could lead to gay sex. Gur has also previously banned all foreplay for married yeshiva students.