How to Increase Testosterone Naturally
Thoughts of ‘Big Paul’
How to Increase Testosterone Naturally: A Magic Bullet or a More Holistic Approach?
I have been involved in the supplement industry for more than 25 years and have noticed recently that there has been a big increase in enquires regarding the best ways of increasing testosterone naturally.
Often people want me to recommend a ‘magic bullet’ that they can take that will give them a miraculous boost in testosterone without having to change their diet or lifestyle. Now, while testosterone can be prescribed in therapeutic doses for those with clinically low levels, what many don’t realise is that even for this to work most effectively, certain lifestyle factors should be addressed.
My approach to training and diet, and most things in life, is to start with the basics and then progress from there. So, when it comes to optimising testosterone levels, I always advise people to look at the bigger picture. What I mean by this, is that by looking at the various factors that affect our testosterone levels we can often find ways of increasing them.
Now it is important to understand that if your levels are low, you are not alone, as studies have shown a significant and steady decrease from the 1970s until the present time. This decline appears to have been particularly rapid in the last two decades, as men’s testosterone levels have dropped by about 25% in 20 years, with an increasing number of younger men now suffering the effects of low testosterone.
You may be thinking how do I know if my testosterone levels are low? The most accurate way is to get a blood test, but there are also a range of symptoms to look out for, which can give a good indication. For example:
- Loss of muscle mass and strength
- Decreased sense of well-being
- Depressed mood
- Fatigue
- Difficulties with concentration and memory
- Moodiness and irritability
- Low sex drive
- Erectile dysfunction
Other changes that may occur with low testosterone include:
- A decrease in haemoglobin and mild anaemia
- A decrease in body hair
- Thinning of the bones (osteoporosis)
- Increased body fat
- Breast development (gynecomastia)
- Infertility
Although any of the symptoms listed may be the result of medical issues other than low testosterone, if you have several of them in combination there is a good chance that low testosterone is the underlying cause of the problem. I personally know of men who were mistakenly told by their doctor that they had depression and were prescribed antidepressants, when their problem was low testosterone. Sometimes, you may need to push to get tested or go down the private route.
Finding the Cause
If we want to address this situation, a good place to start is finding the potential cause.
Obviously, there are many different medical conditions that can cause low testosterone, which are beyond the scope of this article and which need to be assessed by a suitably qualified health care professional. That said, there are also a variety of lifestyle factors that influence testosterone levels, which you can start to change today:
Get Active: The most active men tend to have significantly higher testosterone levels than less active men. When it comes to the best type of exercise, current evidence suggests that heavy resistance training is the most effective for producing both short-term and long-term increases in testosterone.
Make Sure You Get Enough Sleep: Sleeping for just 5 hours a night for a week has been shown to reduce testosterone levels by 10%-15%. You need to aim for at least 7 hours per night.
Clean Up Your Act: Alcohol, opioids, nicotine, and cannabis are all capable of reducing testosterone production. For example, drinking just two cans of lager a day for 6 weeks has been shown to reduce testosterone levels by 6.8%.
Chill Out: If you are stressed long enough and severe enough, there’s a good chance your testosterone levels will drop. This is because chronic stress increases levels of the hormone cortisol, which is released during stressful situations and suppresses the release of testosterone at various stages of the production process.
Get in Shape: High levels of muscle are associated with higher levels of testosterone, while high levels of body fat are associated with lower levels of testosterone.
This is because an increase in body fat, particularly belly fat, is linked with an increase in the enzyme aromatase, which converts testosterone to oestradiol (a form of oestrogen). If this conversion occurs before testosterone can reach its receptors, the level of free testosterone in the blood declines while oestrogen levels rise.
Get Your Diet on Point: We often tailor our diet for a specific goal such as building muscle or getting lean, but you may need to eat with the aim of boosting your testosterone levels, as all aspects of your diet have an influence.
Adequate protein consumption, especially from sources like lean meats, eggs, and dairy, helps maintain muscle mass and supports testosterone levels. You also need to ensure that you have a sufficient carbohydrate intake, as low-carb diets can reduce testosterone. One of the most important and often neglected nutrients in terms of testosterone is fat, particularly healthy fats. Monounsaturated fats found in avocados, olive oil, nuts (like almonds and cashews), and seeds, are linked to increased testosterone levels. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish (e.g., salmon, mackerel, and sardines) help to reduce inflammation and promote overall hormonal balance. Unfortunately, these tend to be low in the western diet. Saturated fats tend to get a bit of a bad rap, but a moderate intake of healthy sources of saturated fats, like those found in coconut oil, eggs, and grass-fed animal products, can support testosterone production. In fact, cholesterol, derived from saturated fat, is a precursor to testosterone.
A range of vitamins and minerals also play a valuable role in testosterone production, including vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin K2 and boron. Like omega-3, these also tend to be low in the western diet.
What Not to Eat: We’ve looked at what you should be eating to optimise testosterone levels, but there are also certain foods that you need to avoid. We know that diets high in processed foods, trans fats, and added sugars can negatively impact testosterone by promoting inflammation and hormonal imbalances. Other foods have also been shown to lower testosterone levels such as mint, liquorice, and vegetable oils.
‘Soy boy’ is an insult sometimes directed at men who appear to lack testosterone, but there is evidence to suggest that regularly eating soy products such as tofu, soy milk, and miso may cause a drop in testosterone levels.
The reduction in testosterone caused by certain foods can be dramatic. For example, eating just 7 grams of liquorice root per day for 1 week has been shown to cause a 26% drop in testosterone levels. While 56g of pure soy protein powder per day for a period of 4 weeks was associated with a 19% decrease in young men.
Beware of Plastic: Plastic can contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). One well-known example is bisphenol A (BPA), which is used in the production of some plastics and resins and has been shown to lower testosterone. BPA can leach into food or beverages from containers made with it, especially when exposed to heat or acidic substances. Even some BPA-free plastics have been found to release other chemicals with estrogenic activity. To reduce exposure to such chemicals, you should use BPA free products or alternatives like glass or stainless steel for food and drink storage, avoid microwaving food in plastic containers, and steer clear of tinned foods lined with plastic resins.
Do Testosterone boosting supplements Work?
Any conversation on testosterone inevitably comes around to supplements and if they work. Well, some have more evidence to support their use than others. Also, when it comes to supplements, like many medicines, nothing tends to work for everybody and something always works for somebody.
A number have been shown to be support testosterone production, such as Ashwagandha, Fenugreek and Tribulus Terrestris.
However, before you reach for one of these, you need to start by looking a bit closer to home. As we have already seen, we tend to lack vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin K2, boron and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are contribute to testosterone production and can be supplemented easily.
Over the Hill or Just Unhealthy?
Obviously, we can’t change our age, but the traditionally accepted view that testosterone levels decline inevitably as we older, may not be quite right. Researchers in Australia found no decrease in testosterone in men over 40 who have very good or excellent health. It seems that developing chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, as we age might be responsible for the drop in testosterone that we assume is due to ageing. So, the take-home message here is the better our general health is, the less likely we are to suffer a decline in testosterone as we age. Of course, the best way of maintaining your general health is by living a healthy lifestyle.
How to Increase Testosterone Naturally: Summary
Testosterone is not just important for building and maintaining muscle and keeping us lean, but also for our general health, as it contributes to the production of red blood cells, cardiovascular and reproductive health (sperm production) and libido. It even affects our mood and how we think. There is a problem with declining levels, which is still not fully understood, but we do know that lifestyle factors play a large part. So, if your test levels are low, start with the basics: Sort out your diet and training; get in shape; make sure you’re not lacking in those essential nutrients; get enough sleep and cut down on the booze. If you do all of these things and your levels still aren’t quite right, then perhaps it’s time to consult a suitably qualified healthcare professional.