Vitamin K may help men with low sexual hormone
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By David Liu, Ph.D. and editing by Elizabeth Hutchinson
Friday June 17, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- Vitamin K may help men who have low testosterone production due to exposure to inflammatory substances, a study published online in the June 13, 2011 issue of Food and Nutrition suggests.
The study showed vitamin K therapy ameliorated the reduction in the testosterone levels in male Wistar rats afflicted with inflammation, which was triggered by a substance called lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
Vitamin K is found in many organs including the liver, brain, kidneys, bones, and gonadal tissue.
Early studies showed that vitamin K supplementation is anti-inflammatory, and the deficiency of this vitamin can lead to an decrease in the production of testicular testosterone.
The current study suggests that dietary vitamin K or supplements may provide a relief.
In the study led by Naofumi Takumi and colleagues, male Wistar rats were fed a diet with or without vitamin K for 35 days. Upon completion of this period, a dose of lipopolysaccharide was intraperitoneally administered to trigger inflammation.
The researchers found that, even before being dosed with lipopolysaccharide, the rats on the vitamin K-free diet had significantly lower levels of testosterone in their testes, compared with those on the control diet.
The rats on the vitamin K-free diet that were further treated with lipopolysaccharide had significant drops in their serum testosterone levels compared with those on the control diet.
The researchers concluded that, "Testicular vitamin K might facilitate the inhibition of inflammation signal transduction and maintain steady levels of testosterone."
Dietary vitamin K is found in a variety of foods including olive oil, canola oil, broccoli, kale, spinach, Swiss chard, watercress, and parsley. The current study suggests men who want to maintain their normal sexual functions may benefit from eating vitamin k rich vegetables often.
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