Dietary intakes of vitamin B₆, folate, vitamin B₁₂ and erectile dysfunction: a national population-based study

While deficiencies in vitamin B₆, folate, and vitamin B₁₂ are linked to various human diseases, including anemia, depression, peripheral neuropathy, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), literature regarding the association between vitamin B₆, folate, and vitamin B₁₂ and erectile dysfunction (ED) is scarce. We aimed to determine the dietary intake of vitamin B₆, folate, and vitamin B₁₂ and ED in the United States population.

We extracted data from the 2001-2004 cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Dietary intakes of B vitamins were collected based on one 24-hour dietary recall. The association between dietary intake of vitamin B₆, folate, vitamin B₁₂ and ED was examined using multivariate logistic regression models.

A total of 3,875 participants were included for analysis, with 1,201 reporting ED and 2,894 not experiencing ED. The multivariable odds ratios (ORs) for the highest vs. lowest quartiles of vitamin B₆ was 0.77 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60-0.99; P for trend =0.03] for the prevalence of ED. Subgroup analyses demonstrated a significant inverse association between dietary intake of vitamin B₆, folate, vitamin B₁₂ and the prevalence of ED among men aged ≤60 years, individuals of Mexican American and non-Hispanic White ethnicity, and those without a history of CVD, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

The consumption of dietary vitamin B₆, folate, and vitamin B₁₂ was significantly linked to decreased risks of ED among younger healthier men, suggesting a potential protective role of these nutrients against ED in United States adults.