Losing weight can help in treating testosterone deficiency: Study

A recent study suggests that losing weight can help in treating testosterone deficiency in males diagnosed with the condition.

The study is published in the journal - The Journal of Urology which was further published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

A certain diet that is specifically low-fat can be associated with a little but significant reduction in the testosterone levels.

"We found that men who adhered to a fat restrictive diet had lower serum testosterone than men on a nonrestrictive diet. However, the clinical significance of small differences in serum T across diets is unclear," said Jake Fantus.

Researchers analysed the data from more than 3,100 men from a nationwide health study. All participants had available data on diet and serum testosterone levels.

On the basis of a two-day diet history, around 14.6 percent of men met the criteria of a low-fat diet, which is defined by the American Heart Association.

24.4 percent of men followed a Mediterranean diet which is usually high in vegetables, fruit, and whole grains but is low in dairy products and animal protein.

The average level of serum testosterone was found to be 435.5 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter). Serum testosterone was found to be lower in men who were on the two restrictive diets - 413 ng/dL for those on the Mediterranean diet and average 411 ng/dL for those on a low-fat diet.

The associations were then adjusted for other factors that can affect the testosterone, body mass index of individual, physical activity, age, and medical conditions. After adjustment, the low-fat diet was found to be significantly associated with the reduction of serum testosterone, although the Mediterranean diet was not.

Overall around 26.8 percent of men were found to have testosterone levels less than 300 ng/dL. It was also found that despite the difference in average testosterone levels, the number of men having low testosterone was similar across every diet group.

In men that are overweight or obese, the health benefits of a low-fat diet exceed the small reduction in serum testosterone. Avoiding a low-fat diet might be a reasonable approach for men who are the ideal weight, to increase serum testosterone.

"Therefore, our data represent a valuable approach towards answering this important question," said Dr. Fantus.