The Impact of Vitamin D on Androgens and Anabolic Steroids among Adult Males: A Meta-Analytic Review
Diseases 2024, 12(10), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases12100228
by Ahmed Abu-Zaid 1,*,Saleh A. K. Saleh 2ORCID,Heba M. Adly 3ORCID,Saeed Baradwan 4ORCID,Abdullah M. Alharran 5ORCID,Mshal Alhatm 6,Mooza M. Alzayed 5,Muteb N. Alotaibi 6,Abdulbadih Rabih Saad 5,Hessa Mohammed Alfayadh 7,Mohammed Abuzaid 8 and Osama Alomar 9
Background: Recent studies indicate that vitamin D impacts male reproductive function, with deficiency linked to infertility. This review evaluates the effect of vitamin D supplementation on male fertility, focusing on total testosterone, free testosterone, the free androgen index (FAI), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), sex-hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and estradiol.
Methods: We systematically searched Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Scopus from their inception until July 2024 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving adult males. The primary focus of these studies was on reproductive hormone parameters, analyzed using a random-effects meta-analysis and weighted mean difference (WMD). Evidence quality was assessed using ROB2 and GRADE. Meta-regression and dose–response analyses were performed.
Results: Seventeen studies met the criteria for quantitative analysis.
Vitamin D supplementation significantly increased total testosterone levels (WMD 0.38, 95% CI 0.06–0.70, n = 15, I2 = 67.03).
However, it had no significant effect on other hormone parameters: free testosterone (WMD 0.00, 95% CI −0.02–0.03, n = 9, I2 = 48.12), FSH (WMD −0.02, 95% CI −0.57–0.53, n = 7, I2 = 48.72), LH (WMD −0.09, 95% CI −0.30–0.12, n = 8, I2 = 0.00), SHBG (WMD 0.73, 95% CI −1.14–2.61, n = 10, I2 = 69.05), FAI (WMD −0.92, 95% CI −2.12–0.27, n = 6, I2 = 0.00), and estradiol (WMD −0.02, 95% CI −2.95–2.92, n = 5, I2 = 20.63).
Conclusion: This meta-analysis shows that vitamin D supplementation may increase total testosterone levels in men. However, further well-designed RCTs are needed to determine vitamin D’s effects on other reproductive hormone parameters.
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VitaminDWiki – Vitamin D greatly improves Fertility
- Vitamin D is needed for human fertility – goal is 50 ng – Sept 2018
- In-vitro Fertilization costs at least 10,000 dollars, Vitamin D costs 5 dollars
- Infertile patients 1.7X more-likely to become pregnant if take Vitamin D – meta-analysis Feb 2023
- Live birth 1.7 X more likely after IVF if good level of vitamin D – meta-analysis Aug 2020
- If diagnosed infertile, more likely to have live birth if Vitamin D fortification – Feb 2020
- Preconception vitamin D is great - every extra 10 ng associated with 10 percent more likely to have live birth – Aug 2018
- Women with more than minimum vitamin D were 3.4 X more likely to achieve pregnancy and 1.6 X more likely to have live births – June 2017
- Assisted Reproduction – 5 studies concluded vitamin D repletion helps – Review March 2015
- Pregnancy success increased 30 percent if sunny (or vitamin D) one month earlier – June 2015
- IVF 4X more successful for white women with lots of vitamin D – many studies
Increased male Vitamin D increases fertility
- Birth rates doubled with Vitamin D - 300,000 for infertile men – RCT Nov 2017
- Higher vitamin D results in 22% fewer abnormal sperm (Mendelian analysis) – May 2024
- Conception was 3.7X more likely if the male had a good level of Vitamin D – July 2022
- Far better sperm in fertility clinic if more than 30 ng of Vitamin D - June 2022
- Fertility (sperm) associated with vitamin D – meta-analysis Sept 2019
- Infertility - 71 percent of the time of BOTH partners had less than 20 ng of Vitamin D – Aug 2017
- Male fertility 4 X higher if high Vitamin D – Nov 2015
- Vitamin D somewhat assists reproduction – both the mother and the father – May 2014
Decreased Fertility if decreased Vitamin D Receptor