Aman with low testosterone often feels discouraged, tired, and has poor sexual performance. In these cases, increasing testosterone can even help you improve physical performance.
Additionally, increasing testosterone may help you improve your mood and sleep better.
This article details how to increase testosterone in men with natural foods and supplements.
How to increase testosterone in men?
Increasing testosterone is important when levels are below normal; This can be caused by genetic factors, poor diet, or exposure to stressful situations.
Testosterone is one of the essential hormones in muscle development and is directly related to men’s mental balance and sexual desire.
However, more is not always better. Continuously high levels of testosterone are not a good indicator of health.
For example, people who use anabolic steroids have significantly higher than normal testosterone levels. This type of supplement triggers all kinds of disorders in metabolism.
They have even been shown to increase the likelihood of developing cancer. (7)
Why increase testosterone?
Normal levels of the hormone testosterone in men lead to good muscle development and emotional health.
When testosterone is chronically low, psychological illnesses such as depression and anxiety can appear.
Including foods to increase testosterone is essential when you feel symptoms of low testosterone.
On the contrary, this is not necessary if you have traditional values. Studies suggest that men with high testosterone levels for long periods are more likely to be bald.
They also suffer from oily skin problems, acne, high levels of bad cholesterol, and high blood pressure. It clarifies that increasing testosterone is essential if its values get out of control.
Testosterone levels Low, high or normal?
If you are a man and you feel symptoms of low testosterone, it may be necessary to increase it.
However, the best indicator is an analysis of free testosterone content to assess testosterone level.
Free testosterone accounts for approximately 1-3% of the total body’s total testosterone.
Testosterone levels change during the day, with the morning being when the values are highest. An analysis should be done in the morning and fasting to determine the total and free testosterone values. Then a doctor should interpret the following table:
| AGE | Testosterona total (nmol /L) | Free testosterone (pg / mL) |
| <25 | 20 – 30 | 9.0 – 28 |
| 25 – 29 years | 15 – 29 | 8.8 – 27 |
| 30 – 34 years | 14 – 27 | 8.5 – 26 |
| 35 – 39 years | 13 – 26 | 8.0 – 25 |
| 40 – 44 years | 12 – 25 | 7.2 – 23 |
| 45 – 49 years | 12 – 24 | 6.5 – 22 |
| 50 – 54 years | 12 – 24 | 6.0 – 20 |
| 55 – 59 years | 12 – 24 | 5.6 – 19 |
Testosterone Levels in Normal Men by Age (11)
Foods to increase testosterone
Some foods help stimulate the natural production of this hormone. Although they do not increase it directly, they can increase your testosterone to average values.
Studies state that to maintain an average testosterone level, a man must include at least 10-15 mg of zinc in the diet, 400-420 mg of magnesium, and 400-1000 IU of vitamin D. (6)
An easy way to cover these nutrients is through food. Examples of foods to increase testosterone are described below:
- Coconut oil
Coconut oil is a vegetable fat-healthy ideal for increasing testosterone. Including at least 10% of this type of fat in the diet can help improve the levels of this hormone significantly.
- Sea fruits, dark chocolate, and nuts
The food magnesium and zinc are essential to promote the formation of testosterone. Including seafood, dark chocolate, and some nuts is necessary to meet the daily needs of these minerals. Some authors claim that it is even better if consumed at night, although studies still confirm this theory.
- Salmon, tuna, mackerel, and mushrooms
Fatty fish are foods high in vitamin D. They also provide Omega-3 fatty acids. Cheeses, egg yolks, and mushrooms are high in vitamin D. This vitamin is one of the essential components for the body to make testosterone.
Foods to avoid to increase testosterone
If you want to increase testosterone in your body, start by cutting out bakery products, limiting sugar, and avoiding certain plant food groups.
Changing these foods for a good quality dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, and mushrooms is an excellent way to increase their values. Foods to avoid to increase testosterone are:
- Foods with a high glycemic index
Foods with a high glycemic index negatively affect testosterone production. Its regular consumption alters the metabolism of insulin, and in the long term, they are counterproductive in increasing testosterone. (1)
- Extracts of celery, soy protein, and other foods high in phytoestrogens
Interestingly, celery extracts and testosterone are inversely related. In tests with mice where celery extracts were injected, testosterone levels decreased significantly. (9) Apparently, the phytoestrogens in celery can inhibit male gonads, similar to soy protein.
Low testosterone levels Why?
Being overweight and obese is one of the most critical factors that cause low testosterone. A higher percentage of body fat stimulates female sex hormone estrogens production.
The fatter a man is, the lower his testosterone level; the higher the estrogen level. (4) The less body fat a man has, the less testosterone he will convert to estrogen. For this reason, regular physical training is essential to normalize your levels.
On the other hand, the stress hormone cortisol acts opposite to testosterone. Avoiding situations of tension and stress is essential to prevent increasing testosterone with the help of a doctor.
Synthetic Supplements to Increase Testosterone – Men
To increase testosterone levels, c ubrir needs vitamins and trace minerals. Taking multivitamins can be a temporary solution to cover the lack of zinc and other minerals. However, this is not necessary if food is included in a balanced way. Examples of supplements to increase testosterone in men are described below:
- Anabolic steroids
The well-known anabolic steroids can instantly increase testosterone. However, the list of side effects they generate is worrying. These supplements create a testosterone boom in the initial stage of the cycle and then drastically reduce natural production. In no case should steroids be used without the authorization of a doctor. (7)
- Aspartic acid
Aspartic acid is one of the 20 amino acids, the components of proteins, in the form of positive supplements in increasing testosterone. Studies claim that regular use of this supplement can increase testosterone, prolactin, and growth hormone (1). A doctor must authorize its use. The usual dose is 2-3 grams per day for four weeks.
Natural supplements to increase testosterone
In the case of natural supplements, there are no current studies that have proven significant effects on increasing testosterone (3) (4) (5). Natural supplements such as ginseng, maca, and Tribulus Terrestris are considered a possible alternative to chemicals for fertility treatment. Not to increase testosterone. The effects of natural supplements are:
- Tribulus Terrestris
It is a natural supplement used in traditional Indian medicine ( Ayurveda ) to increase libido and male power. The recommended dose is around 1-3g of powdered Tribulus per day. The results of the studies confirm an 8% increase in sperm activity; the results of the rise in testosterone are not conclusive. (3)
- Ginseng (Eurycoma longifolia)
Since ancient times, this natural supplement has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as an aphrodisiac. Its testosterone-boosting effects are the most promising. (8) Consuming 900 mg of ginseng per day effectively stimulates the production of sex hormones in men and increases the quantity and quality of semen.
- Maca (Lepidium meyenii)
Maca roots increase the quality and quantity of sperm in men. However, research does not confirm a positive effect on increasing testosterone in men. However, one of the properties of maca is to improve the quality and quantity of sperm, which translates into increased infertility. (4)
ABSTRACT
- Increasing testosterone in men is not always necessary; it should be done if the levels are not typical.
- Synthetic supplements like anabolic steroids are effective for increasing testosterone instantly. However, they should not be used without the authorization of a doctor. Its use is associated with severe health side effects.
- A blood test in a laboratory can determine testosterone levels. Normal values range from 8.0 to 25 (pg / mL) for a 35- to 40-year-old man.
- The use of natural supplements such as ginseng, Tribulus Terrestris, and maca effectively increases fertility; its effects on increasing testosterone have not been proven.
- Including foods with magnesium and zinc is essential to achieving an average testosterone level in men. This is because they are the raw material for its synthesis.
