Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency has been associated with lack of libido and with poor semen quality. In reduced vitamin B12 there are reduced sperm numbers, lower sperm motility, homocysteine-induced toxicity increased production of nitric oxide and reduced energy production by the sperm. All of which equate to lower sperm quality (Banihani  2017). Addition of vitamin B12 (2 mg/ml) to semen has been found to be beneficial for viability, motility, progressive motility and normality of frozen sperm (Hamedani etal 2013).

Vitamin B12 deficiency has been associated with female subfertility ( Jackson et al, 1967; Bennett, 2001; El-Nemr et al, 1998). Elevated vitamin B12 levels are associated with a higher probability of live births (Gaskins et al, 2015).

Hyperhomocysteinemia, which is seen in vitamin B12 or folate deficiency, has been shown to be a risk factor for recurrent pregnancy loss and unexplained sterility (D'Uva et al, 2007).

References

Banihani SA Vitamin B12 and semen quality. Biomol. 2017 42 PMID29598359

Hamedani et al. Effects of vitamin B12 supplementation on the quality of ovine spermatozoa Open Vet J 2013 3:140-144

Jackson et al. Pernicious anaemia as a cause of infertility. Lancet. 1967 2:1159-60

Bennett M Vitamin B12 deficiency, infertility and recurrent fetal loss J Reprod Med 2001 46:209-12

El-Nemr et al Vitamin B12 deficiency and IVF J Obstet Gynaecol 1998 18:192-3

Gaskins et al Association between folate and vitamin B12 and outcomes of assisted reproductive technologies.  Am J Clin Nutr 2015 102:943-950

D'Uva et al Hyperhomocysteinemia in woman with unexplained sterility or recurrent early pregnancy loss from Southern Italy: a preliminary report. Thromb J 2007 5: 10 PMC 1936988