Androgenicity Of Vitamins

[haidut]

This is an old study done in rats but I don't see why the results won't be valid today. Vitamin A seems to be the most active substance, matching well Peat's discussions of how important it is for testosterone synthesis.

Androgenicity in vitamins
Hormonal properties of vitamin E and its synergism with gonadal hormones

"...Androgenic potency of vitamins was judged by injecting them into castrated male rats, daily for 10 days, and examining the effect on the seminal vesicles. The number of rats is not stated. Vitamin B-12 produced an increase of about 40% in weight of seminal vesicles and there was no difference in effect between doses of 10, 20 and 30 mg daily. Vitamin E produced increases of from 28 to 64%, greater as the dose increased from 30 to 100 mg daily. Vitamin A 3000 IU gave an increase of more than fourfold and twice that dose a fivefold increase. Neither vitamin C [ascorbic acid] 40 to 60 mg nor vitamin B-6 10 to 30 mg daily affected the weight of the tissue. On the other hand, vitamin C [ascorbic acid] as well as vitamins A and E appeared to increase the action of testosterone whereas vitamins B-6 and B-12 did not."

The human equivalent of the vitamin A was about 200,000 IU daily (for the 3,000 IU dose per rat).

 

[miko]

Do you think that deficiences of that vitamins could produce bad libido?

 

[haidut]

Do you think that deficiences of that vitamins could produce bad libido?

Of course, any actual vitamin deficiency mean that the enzymes they are responsible for supporting will not function well. For instance, vitamin A deficiency causes profound hypogonadism. Males do not produce much testosterone or sperm for that matter. I think thyroid hormone synthesis is also compromised with vitamin A deficiency. However, true deficiency of those vitamins, with few exceptions, is rare nowadays since most commercial foods are fortified with them. I think vitamin B12 deficiency is common, as well as vitamin D and maybe vitamin B6. Also, in Peat world the main goal is depleting PUFA and the more PUFA deficient you become the more vitamin B6 you need.

 

[miko]

Thanks.

 

[Arrade]

So Vitamin A is the most potent?
Or they just dosed that one really high?

Interesting for sure

 

[Cirion]

Maybe this explains why sweet potato is my favorite go to starch. Just looked up how much I get every day lately, around 130,000 IU (not that far off from this 200,000 amount)

 

[Arrade]

Maybe this explains why sweet potato is my favorite go to starch. Just looked up how much I get every day lately, around 130,000 IU (not that far off from this 200,000 amount)

that's how much vit A you're getting from sweet potatoes?

 

[Cirion]

Yeah I eat a pretty decent amount every day (often around 6 medium sized potatoes), that's what cronometer says is contained in 6 of them

 

[Arrade]

Yeah I eat a pretty decent amount every day (often around 6 medium sized potatoes), that's what cronometer says is contained in 6 of them

Oh ok. I was just shocked because the "RDA" is 5,000 iu.