Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms? - PaleoHacks.com

Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2011-10-01T02:27:53Z

i've attempted numerous experiments with taking fish oil / otherwise upping my omega 3 intake, and almost without fail i've noticed a (dose-dependent) flatlining of my libido (i'm male) as a result. i did some digging around on the interwebs and apparently a number of other men have noticed this same effect:

http://tnation.t-nation.com/free_online_forum/diet_performance_nutrition_supplements/fish_oil_and_the_male_libido?id=660612&pageNo=0

http://www.mindandmuscle.net/forum/24803-fish-oil-vs-libido

the flatlining is always temporary, and always lifts after a few days of discontinuing the fish oil. i suspect that eating a lot of fatty fish has the same effect for me, though that's hard a little harder to track since i don't eat it very often. i feel otherwise good on fish oil--in some ways better than usual--and i'm young and otherwise very fit / healthy / eat paleo.

this doesn't appear to be a common effect (it seems like most people, men included, notice an increased libido, if they notice any effect at all), but judging from what i've been able to dredge up it doesn't seem entirely UNcommon, either. so my question is: assuming this phenomenon is real, what POSSIBLE hormonal / endocrine mechanism could account for this effect?

Answer by Bread-Eating Beelzebub for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2011-10-01T03:16:52Z

That's interesting. The Orgasmic Diet is written by a women and suggests lots of fish oil. I've personally never experienced an effect on way or another. Perhaps it is interrupting your prostaglandin system similar to what aspirin does (aspirin and fish oil lower prostaglandins)? Prostaglandins are extremely complex and affected by so many things and so much individual variation, which probably accounts for the fact that some people would have libido issues and others wouldn't.

Answer by sherpamelissa for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2011-10-01T03:22:51Z

Fish oil makes me bitchy. I've tried several brands, taking it in the morning or in the evening. It's weird, but my body doesn't like it, at all.

Answer by none for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2011-10-01T04:36:09Z

http://www.functionalps.com/blog/?p=2559

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200210/sex-what-problem

http://marjorie-mcatee.suite101.com/treat-depression-with-fish-oil-a209581

The above links say three things: First that high serotonin in the brain is known to have libido lowering effects. Second, this can be seen in people on SSRIs who complain about low libido - their brains are flooded with the stuff. Three, Omega 3s can elevate serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin is actually a stress hormone. Like cortisol it is released to deal with excess stress in acute bursts. When elevated for too long it can have adverse effects, perhaps even lowering libido.

Answer by Travis Culp for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2011-10-01T04:54:28Z

Here ya go.

Intakes of eicosapentanoic [EPA] and docosahexaenoic [DHA] acids, n-3 fatty acids from fish, were significantly inversely correlated with total testosterone.

Suggested mechanism:

High intake of n-3 fatty acids has been reported to reduce testosterone synthesis by altering the lipid composition of rat testicular plasma membranes.

This would be more of a long-term phenomenon that likely wouldn't resolve as rapidly as you describe, but it's nevertheless something to keep in mind.

Answer by John J. Collins for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2011-10-01T06:01:07Z

I can not proffer a mechanism. But I am going to guess that you use concentrated fish oil. Everyone knows that there is variability in quality and effect among various brands of fish oil. But what many don't realize, in my opinion, is that there is a notable difference between concentrated and non-concentrated fish oil. In my wellness-based chiropractic practice for years, we used a highly-respected, so-called "pharmaceutical-grade" CONCENTRATED fish oil as part of a wellness-based nutritional protocol. While most patients had straight-forward, positive results (including BTW increased libido, a very common "collateral benefit"), every now and then (like 1 in 7) weird side-effects were reported. 5 years ago, we started using a high-quality, NON-concentrated version and there have been ZERO reports of weird side-effects, in hundreds of patients over 5 years. Additionally, very very few patients burp the non-concentrated fish oil. If you have been using a concentrated fish oil, you might try a high-quality non-concentrated fish oil. Lastly, if you can take the liquid, choose that over gel caps. There are still some sleazy manufacturers who put a form of pthalate in the gel cap. About 5 years ago , I read a label from a costco-bought fish oil that had pthlate disclosed on the label as a component in the gelcap (I believe they have discontinued this, but I don't bother keeping up with retail supplements anymore as I am convinced most are rubbish). Good luck.

Answer by WayfinderAli for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2011-10-01T15:12:43Z

Is it possible for some guys to not be impacted by fish oil? My boyfriend takes TONS of fish oil. He starting taking lots of it this summer, and continues to take it now. He works out 5-6 days a week- HIIT and weight lifting, and there is no change in his very high libido. He's 27 and eats high fat low carb paleo.

Answer by Anil for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2012-04-13T06:26:23Z

Actually my observation is that good quality omega 3 fatty acids in does of 1 Gm per day elevates libido.

Answer by anon for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2012-09-14T19:13:37Z

You might try omega-6 instead. Possible clues:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16600514

Answer by Ryan for Fish oil lowers libido - suggested mechanisms?

2013-05-14T03:33:38Z

some people can eat like crap and have 800 t, T can be affected by social interactions as well as diet. But i've had higher t with eating more saturated fats as well as eating fish, I try to keep things even keel.