VITAMIN D MAY INCREASE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS IN MEN

A study was conducted to evaluate whether vitamin D supplementation influences testosterone levels in men.

The reproductive tract in men has been identified as a target tissue for vitamin D. Recent data suggests that there is an association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and testosterone levels in men.

A randomized controlled trial of healthy overweight men undergoing a weight reduction program were analyzed for testosterone levels. This study included 200 non-diabetic subjects, of whom 165 participants (54 men) completed the trial. Participants were given either 3332 IU of vitamin D daily for 1 year (n=31) or placebo (n=23).

At the start of the trial, 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were in the deficiency range (<50nmol/l) and testosterone values were at the lower end of the reference range (9.09-55.28nmol/l for males aged 20-49 years) in both groups. Mean circulating 25(OH)D concentrations increased significantly by 53.5nmol/l in the vitamin D group, but remained almost constant in the placebo group. Compared to baseline values, a significant increase in total testosterone levels (from 10.7±3.9nmol/l to 13.4±4.7nmol/l; p<0.001), bioactive testosterone (from 5.21±1.87nmol/l to 6.25±2.01nmol/l; p=0.001), and free testosterone levels (from 0.222±0.080nmol/l to 0.267±0.087nmol/l; p=0.001) were observed in the vitamin D supplemented group. By contrast, there was no significant change in any testosterone measure in the placebo group.

This study was conducted by Pilz S, Frisch S, Koertke H, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Obermayer-Pietsch B, Wehr E, Zittermann A. at the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Graz, Austria.

Their conclusion: suggests that vitamin D supplementation might increase testosterone levels.

For more information see our Vitamin D product.