Association Between Dietary Intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Serum Testosterone in Adult Males: Results From NHANES 2011-2016 and 2021-2023

Mounting research reports that omega-3 fatty acids (Omega-3) may help improve health, but research on Omega-3 and male testosterone is limited. Our study included males aged ≥ 18 years in the 2011-2016 and 2021-2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Multivariable regression analysis and generalized additive models and smooth curve fitting were used to explore the association between dietary intake of Omega-3 (including total Omega-3, docosahexaenoic acid [DHA], eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA], alpha linolenic acid [ALA], docosapentaenoic acid [DPA], and stearidonic acid [SDA]) and male testosterone. Subgroup analyses were performed according to body mass index (BMI) type. 8686 participants were included. Multivariable linear regression found that only DPA exhibited a significant positive association with serum testosterone, and generalized additive models and smooth curve fitting also showed a linear relationship. In subgroup analyses, total Omega-3 and ALA were significantly positively associated with serum testosterone in the BMI < 25 group. DHA, EPA, DPA, and SDA had statistically significant positive associations in the BMI ≥ 30 group. Besides, SDA showed a statistically significant negative association in the BMI 25-30 group. Our findings indicate that a significant positive association between Omega-3 intake and male testosterone levels was observed only in the presence of specific Omega-3 types (DPA) and BMI categories (BMI < 25 kg/m² and BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²). Furthermore, cross-sectional studies cannot establish causality. Therefore, these results require validation through interventional studies.