Evaluation of the Impact of Significant Weight Loss by Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet on Metabolic, Inflammatory, Hormonal, and Seminal Parameters of Obese Men
March 2023
TLDR A very low-calorie ketogenic diet led to weight loss and improved metabolic and hormonal health in obese men, with better sperm motility.
This study evaluated the impact of a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) on 16 obese men of reproductive age with altered seminal parameters. Significant weight loss was observed within the first month, leading to improvements in clinical and metabolic parameters, including reductions in BMI, abdominal circumference, body fat, insulin, triglycerides, HbA1C, LDL, HOMA-IR, and liver enzymes, along with increases in total and free testosterone and SHBG. While inflammatory cytokine levels remained unchanged, sperm motility improved significantly, correlating with mitochondrial activity. Overall, the VLCKD was associated with improvements in metabolic and hormonal variables, and although seminal parameters did not significantly improve, they did not decline, which is beneficial for reproductive-age patients.