Testosterone: What Are Its Benefits and How to Increase it Naturally
What is it | Benefits | How to increase | Action
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Natural ways to increase your testosterone include eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of sleep, changing your lifestyle and avoiding things such as alcohol, stress, and plastics.
What is testosterone 🤔
Testosterone is the male sex hormone and is primarily found in males, produced by the testicles and in smaller amounts in women, produced by the ovaries and adrenal glands.
Its main function is to help in puberty, such as pubic and facial hair growth, and the deepening of the voice (Nassar & Leslie, 2022).
It affects sperm production, bone and muscle mass, fat distribution, strength, and red blood cell production. It is also thought to control sex drive or libido in men (Nassar & Leslie, 2022).
Testosterone levels peak at puberty and gradually decrease over time after the age of around 30 (Kanabar et al., 2022).
Benefits of increased testosterone 💪
There are many benefits to having good testosterone levels as it is what makes a man a male.
Red blood cell production
Testosterone affects red blood cell production, healthy levels mean a healthier heart and blood and so can lower the chance of heart diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Kelly & Jones, 2014) and anemia (Nassar & Leslie, 2022).
Muscle mass/ fat distribution
Testosterone also affects muscle mass and fat distribution. Having good levels means more muscle mass and less fat, which again lowers your risk of fat-related diseases (Griggs et al., 1989). Increased muscle mass also means more strength, higher energy levels and losing less height as we age.
Sarcopenia is age-related skeletal muscle mass and strength loss and height loss appear to be related to sarcopenia (Wannamethee, 2006). It can begin as early as our mid-30s (Shin et al., 2018).
Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help slow down muscle mass loss and strength.
Bone health
Osteoporosis is the condition of weak or brittle bones, and just as we lose height as we age our bones become more brittle and weak, by slowly losing bone density because of the gradual decrease in testosterone levels (Golds et al., 2017).
One of the ways we can combat this is by maintaining high testosterone levels throughout our lives as testosterone affects bone density (Francis, 1999). This is important as stronger bones mean better support and reduces our risk of falls (Resnick et al., 2014).
Cognitive Ability
Testosterone also affects our brain by lowering our chances of Alzheimer’s disease (Lv et al., 2015). It can also improve other cognitive functions like better verbal fluency, visuospatial abilities, memory and attention (Hua et al., 2016).
Libido
Higher testosterone means better sex drive, as it lowers the chance of erectile dysfunction, especially in older men (Rajfer, 2000).
Mood
Research from McHenry et al. (2014) shows Testosterone affects your mood, you are less likely to be depressed, fatigued and irritable (Kumar et al., 2010).
How to naturally increase testosterone 🤔
Testosterone supplements
Ashwagandha is one of the few natural herbal supplements that has been shown to increase testosterone levels by 15%. It is best known as an adaptogen meaning it helps reduce stress and so decreases cortisol levels (Lopresti et al., 2019).
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- AYURVEDA – For thousands of years as a rasayana (rejuvenative) and an adaptogenic herb, meaning that it helps the body resist
Maca is another herbal supplement that although may not increase testosterone, can help increase fertility.
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- Bake into all of your favorite recipes, even sweet treats like cookies and cakes. Add to smoothies, yogurt, shakes.
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Diet
Vitamin D, magnesium and zinc are the main nutrients to focus on to increase testosterone levels through diet (Zamir et al., 2021).
| Nutrients | Best Sources |
| Vitamin D | ~20 min of midday sun exposure, Salmon, Tuna, Egg yolks |
| Magnesium | Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Avocados, Cacao powder, Spinach, Kale, Bananas |
| Zinc | Almonds, Pumpkin Seeds, Shrimp |
Try to get the best forms of carbs, protein and fats with a focus on protein and fruits and vegetables as they are high in antioxidants, and since antioxidants combat free radicals, they reduce the oxidative stress the body is under. Oxidative stress and inflammation have been linked with decreased testosterone (Babcock et al., 2021).
Eggs
Besides being a good source of vitamin D, eggs also contain an antioxidant called selenium, which has been shown to improve testosterone production. Testosterone levels are also higher in those with ideal selenium levels in their blood (Qazi et al., 2019).
Pomegranates
Pomegranates contain antioxidants that help protect against free radical damage, thus protecting testosterone-producing cells such as Leydig cells. They can also help with stress by lowering cortisol levels and so increase the amount of free testosterone (Eghbali et al., 2021).
Avocados
Avocados are one of the best sources of healthy fats and magnesium, they are also the richest food in a mineral called boron. Boron has been found to increase plasma concentrations of free testosterone, influence testosterone metabolism and is thought to help protect it against rapid degradation (Rondanelli et al., 2020).
Onions
Onions increase testosterone by increasing the production of luteinizing hormone which regulates the function and number of Leydig cells. Leydig cells are the cells that produce testosterone. Onions also contain flavonoids such as quercetin which act as antioxidants and protect your cells from free radical damage (Banihani, 2019).
Cacao
Cacao powder contains the antioxidant cocoa polyphenol (flavonoids), which is important not only because of its antioxidant properties to fight free radical damage but also because there have been studies linking it to increasing testosterone production from Leydig cells. They also may be effective in delaying hypogonadism (low testosterone) due to ageing (Martin & Touaibia, 2020).
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- Blend, Bake, or Shake: Kick cocoa to the curb and try cooking and baking with our Organic Cacao Powder. Mix into baked goods like bread, pancakes, waffles, cakes, and cookies to add a great chocolatey flavor. You can also blend it into breakfast smoothies and other tasty drinks. Great for men and women who are chocolate lovers. The possibilities are endless
Exercise
Being active naturally raises testosterone levels. Resistance training such as lifting weights is the most effective at raising testosterone levels (Riachy et al., 2020).
Sleep
Sleeping the recommended 8 hours can make sure your testosterone levels don’t drop later on in the day. Just 1 week of 5 hours of sleep can drop testosterone levels by 15%. In contrast, as we age we generally only lose 1- 2 % of testosterone yearly thus meaning you would have the same testosterone level as someone 15 years older than you (Leproult, 2011).
Testosterone levels are at their peak production when we sleep. Thus, the less you sleep the less testosterone you will have (Wittert, 2014).
Sex/masturbation
For short-term increases in testosterone, a small study from 2003 showed abstaining from sex and masturbation caused an increase in Testosterone levels by 145% on the 7th day. (Jiang et al., 2003).
Some athletes do this to prepare for a fight.
What causes low testosterone?
Drinking
Regular Heavy drinking can also decrease your Testosterone levels, semen volume, sperm count and mobility, and increase your estrogen levels (Rachdaoui & Sarkar, 2013).
Stress
Do stress-free activities like reading a book as stress can cause extra cortisol to be realised. Cortisol is a stress hormone, which is mainly responsible for regulating your stress.
Prolonged stress can cause too much cortisol to be released which can negatively affect your testosterone levels (Xiong et al., 2021).
With good quality sleep, diet and lifestyle your stress will naturally decrease.
Plastics
Avoid working around and eating and drinking out of plastics, as many plastics contain bisphenol-a (BPA). This chemical has been found to lower testosterone levels, decrease sperm counts, and sperm mobility, increase sperm DNA damage and negatively affect spermatogenesis (Castellini et al., 2020).
Instead, opt for glass you can be more sustainable and it will be beneficial to your health too.
Action to take ✍️
- Focus on your sleep and diet.
- Make sure you sleep 8 hours daily, every hour counts.
- For diet eat healthy fats and carbs but focus more on protein and fruit and vegetables for antioxidants.
- Keep these foods in mind: onions, pomegranate, eggs, cacao powder, and avocados.
- Make sure you get your daily dose of Vitamin D, magnesium and zinc.
- Keep an active lifestyle by hitting the gym and lifting weights.
- Combine your strength training with ashwagandha and maca powder for a further boost.
- Limit or avoid drinking.
- Avoid plastics when storing food or water.
- Avoid masturbation and sex for 7 days to get a large temporary increase in testosterone which can help you do better in sporting events.
- Decrease your stress by reading a book.
As you age towards your 30s you need to be prepared, and if you are in your 30s changing your habits can make a big difference in your quality of health.
If you do all of this you will have better physical and mental health and your body will thank you for it.
References 🤓
Babcock, M. C., DuBose, L. E., Witten, T. L., Stauffer, B. L., Hildreth, K. L., Schwartz, R. S., Kohrt, W. M., & Moreau, K. L. (2021). Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Are Associated With Age-Related Endothelial Dysfunction in Men With Low Testosterone. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 107(2), e500–e514. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab715
Banihani, S. A. (2019). Testosterone in Males as Enhanced by Onion (Allium Cepa L.). Biomolecules, 9(2), 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/biom9020075
Castellini, C., Totaro, M., Parisi, A., D’Andrea, S., Lucente, L., Cordeschi, G., Francavilla, S., Francavilla, F., & Barbonetti, A. (2020). Bisphenol A and Male Fertility: Myths and Realities. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00353
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