Association of erectile dysfunction and daily food thiamin intake among men in the USA

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common male health issue influenced by vascular and neurological factors. Although prior studies have linked micronutrients to ED, the role of thiamin (vitamin B₁) remains underexplored. Given its key role in energy metabolism and nervous system function, this study aimed to investigate the association between dietary thiamin intake and ED among men in the USA.

In this study, data from two cycles (2001-2002, 2003-2004) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used, which included information on daily riboflavin intake from food and self-reported ED. For the assessment of clinical ED, participants were categorised as those who reported being 'sometimes able' or 'never' to maintain an erection based on a single question. Daily food intake and consumption data were obtained through questionnaires and 24-hour recall interviews. The relationship between daily food thiamin intake and ED was analysed using logistic regression models and smooth curve fitting.

We found that higher food thiamin intake was significantly associated with lower incidence of hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke and ED (all p trend <0.05). Compared with participants with thiamin intake <1.3 μg, the full-adjusted ORs and 95% CIs for participants with thiamin intake >1.3 μg were 0.782 (0.651 to 0.940) (p<0.05). These findings suggest that dietary thiamin intake may play a protective role in the development of ED and other cardiometabolic disorders. Increasing thiamin consumption through dietary modification or supplementation could represent a potential strategy for ED prevention and management.

Greater dietary thiamin intake demonstrated a statistically significant association with reduced incidence of ED. Our findings suggest that a lower intake of thiamin is an independent risk factor with ED. We can consider increasing the intake of thiamine in daily food.