Vitamin D and semen quality in urban, young, healthy men (Androls)

Abstract

Background and Objective Our aim was to evaluate whether the blood concentration of 25(OH)D3 is associated with semen quality and sperm morphology parameters in young men. Material and Methods Healthy, urban volunteers aged 20-35 were recruited from universities, clubs and societies in the macroregion of Lower Silesia (Poland). We evaluated medical history, lifestyle factors and environmental threats, collected semen samples, and evaluated vitamin D levels. We acquired data for 177 subjects. Results The mean concentration of 25(OH)D3was 13.7 ± 8.9 ng/mL. Only a minority of the included subjects (18%) had a serum 25(OH)D3 concentration above the lower limit (20 ng/mL). In total, 39% had severe vitamin D deficiency ( < 10 ng/ml). None of the studied semen parameters was correlated with the serum concentration of 25(OH)D3; we also found no correlations after adjusting for alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, carrying a mobile phone in pant pockets, body mass index, caffeine consumption and physical activity. Conclusion Our data indicate that the serum concentration of 25(OH)D3 was not correlated with semen quality in a healthy, young urban population with prevalent vitamin D insufficiency.