A study from The Journal of Urology shows that a low-fat diet causes testosterone to drop in men …
For many men diagnosed with testosterone deficiency, losing weight can help increase testosterone levels. But some diets, particularly a low-fat diet, can be associated with a small but significant reduction in testosterone. This was confirmed by a study published in the “Journal of Urology”, the Official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA). Journal which is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
Testosterone deficiency is a serious matter, as it can lead to problems, including reduced energy and libido, along with physiological changes, including increased body fat and reduced bone mineral density.
Unfortunately, in recent years, a low level of testosterone is widespread among men: for example, in the United States, about 500,000 men are diagnosed with a testosterone deficiency every year.
In addition to medications, treatment for low testosterone often includes lifestyle changes such as exercise and weight loss. But the effects of the diet on testosterone levels have not been clear. Since testosterone is a steroid hormone derived from cholesterol, changes in fat intake could alter testosterone levels. This new analysis of how diet affects serum testosterone provides evidence that a low-fat diet is associated with lower testosterone levels than an unrestricted diet.
Fantus and colleagues analyzed data on over 3,100 men from a national health study (the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey or NHANES), where all participants had available data on diet and serum testosterone levels.
Based on the history of the two-day diet, 14.6 percent of men met the criteria for a low-fat diet, as defined by the American Heart Association (AHA). Another 24.4 percent of men followed a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains but low in animal protein and dairy products. Only a few men met the criteria for the low-carbohydrate AHA diet, so this group was excluded from the analysis.
The mean serum testosterone level was 435.5 ng / dL (nanograms per deciliter). Serum testosterone was lower in men in the two restrictive diets: 411 ng / dL on average for those on a low-fat diet and 413 ng / dL for those on a Mediterranean diet.
The associations have been adjusted for other factors that can affect testosterone, including comprar anabolizantes age, body mass index, physical activity, and medical conditions. After the adjustment, the low-fat diet was significantly associated with the reduction of serum testosterone, although the Mediterranean diet was not.
Overall, 26.8 percent of men, therefore, had testosterone levels below 300 ng / dL. Despite the difference in average testosterone levels, the percentage of men with low testosterone was similar in all diet groups.
“Thanks to this study it was discovered that men who adhered to a restrictive fat diet had lower serum testosterone than men who followed a non-restrictive diet”, explains Dr. Andrea Militello, Urologist, and Andrologist, who has always been at the top of various rating rankings of doctors in Italy and elected Best Urologist of Italy in 2018.
“However,” continues the Roman Urologist, “the clinical significance of small differences in serum T through diets is unclear.”
So what is the best diet for low testosterone?
The answer, unfortunately, remains unknown, according to the study authors. In overweight or obese men, the health benefits of a low-fat diet likely far outweigh the small reduction in serum testosterone. Conversely, for men who are not overweight, avoiding a low-fat diet “can be a reasonable component” of a multifaceted approach to increase serum testosterone. ”
Further studies will be needed to confirm their results and to clarify the mechanism by which restrictive diets reduce testosterone.
But due to the difficulties of large-scale dietary studies, definitive studies are unlikely to be conducted.
“Therefore, our data represent a valid first approach to answer this important question” concludesВ Dr. Andrea Militello.