Association of carotene rich diet with hypogonadism in a male athlete

Aim: To report on a unique case of hypogonadism associated with excessive carotene intake in a young male athlete. Case report: A 20-year-old patient presented with a gradual decline in muscular and physical activity, sexual interest and erectile ability associated with a high in carotene and low in animal fat diet of his own design a year prior to the clinical manifestations. Clinically, he presented with very overt signs of carotene excess: his palms and soles were yellow. Moreover, 2 weeks after normalization of his diet, carotene B levels were at the upper end of the normal range. Methods: Repeated stimulation tests of hypothalamic, pituitary and testicular function were performed before and at 3, 6 and 12 months after the introduction of a balanced diet. Results: Very low basal and stimulated values for gonadotropins and gonadal steroids were found at the initial evaluation with a progressive recovery shown after months of a balanced diet and carotene B restoration. Complete androgen secretion and sexual response recovery were observed only after 9-12 months from diagnosis. Conclusion: This is the first report associating excessive carotene intake with a hypothalamic form of hypogonadism in a young man.