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Sign up for a free Medical News Today account to customize your medical and health news experiences. Testosterone is vital to a person's overall health and well-being. Low levels of testosterone can affect body composition unfavorably, and as people age, reduced testosterone levels can also cause weight gain. Low levels of testosterone also affect sexual function, causing reduced sex drive, fewer erections, and infertility.
Drug companies promote products that are supposed to increase testosterone, and while these might help some people, they may also slow down the body's ability to naturally produce testosterone. A study noted that the benefits and safety of long-term use of testosterone replacement products are not known. The best way to improve testosterone levels is by adopting some lifestyle habits that can improve overall health and well-being. Lack of sleep can adversely affect the levels of hormones and chemicals that the body needs to function correctly, including testosterone. One study from the University of Chicago found that testosterone levels can drop in men who do not get enough sleep.
Ten healthy men aged around 24 years old spent 1 week sleeping for 8 hours per night at home, they then spent the next 11 nights in a lab. They slept for 10 hours per night for 3 nights, followed by 8 nights of restricted sleep, when they slept for only 5 hours. Doctors checked their blood every 15 to 30 minutes during the last night that they slept 10 hours, as well as on the sleep-restricted session.
The researchers found that after only 1 week of restricted sleep, daytime testosterone levels dropped by up to 15 percent. By contrast, normal aging sees testosterone decreases of just 1 to 2 percent per year. Making sleep a priority may help maintain testosterone levels. People should aim to sleep at least 7 to 8 hours each night. Anyone having problems getting good quality sleep on a regular basis should talk to their doctor.
Research has long shown that eating well is essential to maintaining testosterone levels and overall health. According to one report in the Journal of Neuroinflammation , low testosterone levels and being overweight may contribute to a variety of inflammatory conditions and impaired neurological function.
Additional research showed overeating and yo-yo dieting disrupted hormone levels. This effect is most evident in athletes and people who are very active. The best diets are ones that include mostly whole foods and offer a healthful balance of fats, carbohydrates , and proteins. Eating a healthful and nutritious diet can keep all hormones levels in the body balanced and promote optimal long-term health. Research has shown that men who carry more weight have lower levels of testosterone.
One study in the journal Clinical Endocrinology reported that some obese males between the ages of 14 and 20 have up to 50 percent less testosterone than those who are not overweight.
The hormone testosterone is important for muscle mass, fat loss and health. Here are 8 natural ways to increase testosterone levels, backed by. Testosterone is a male sex hormone that affects more than just sex drive. Along with your doctor’s recommendations, you may consider potential testosterone-boosting foods as a natural complement to low T treatments. Whether you choose canned or fresh, eating this fish can be a.
A study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that the more active an individual is, the more testosterone they will have. Another study suggested that increasing physical activity was more beneficial than weight loss for improving testosterone levels. However, it is a good idea not to overdo it, as higher levels of exercise may cause low testosterone.
In fact, the same study found that long-distance runners may experience low testosterone levels. The researchers speculated that this might be due to inadequate energy and improper nutrition. Long-term and chronic stress is dangerous and can lead to many issues in the body. Stress elevates the hormone cortisol, which is responsible for managing a variety of processes, including immune response and metabolism. Elevated cortisol negatively impacts testosterone. One study found that stressful events contributed to erratic changes to testosterone levels in males.
In the 2 months before their final exams, 58 male and female medical students filled in questionnaires and gave saliva samples while under exam stress.
The men in the study showed significant increases in salivary testosterone under exam stress, while the women had substantially decreased testosterone levels. The researchers suggest the stress response in the male study participants resulted in aggression, emotional inhibition, and rumination, and this could explain the differences in the sexes. One study published in the Journal of Hormone and Metabolic Research found that taking vitamin D supplements might correct a deficiency and even contribute to increased testosterone levels.
Getting at least 15 minutes of direct sunshine each day can also keep vitamin D levels managed. Food sources high in vitamin D include salmon and other fatty fishes or fortified milk and cereal products. DHEA is a hormone that helps to produce testosterone and other hormones that affect body composition.
As a person ages, DHEA levels drop, as do testosterone levels. One study involved giving DHEA supplements to a group of older men. The researchers found that the supplements produced small but significant positive effects in body composition.
Magnesium supplementation can help return testosterone levels to normal if the cause of the decrease is a deficiency. One study in the journal Biological Trace Element Research found that taking supplements for at least 1 month might increase testosterone in all people. The report added that people who exercise would see a more significant increase in testosterone levels than those who are not active.
As with magnesium, zinc deficiency may contribute to a drop in testosterone. One older study from showed 4 weeks of zinc supplementation could prevent a decline in testosterone levels in sedentary men who do exercise.
It is possible to correct both magnesium and zinc deficiency through diet. Magnesium-rich foods include whole grains and dark leafy greens. Zinc is also an ingredient in dark greens, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Creatine is known for its small but reliable testosterone increases. A research study from found higher levels of testosterone in college football players after taking creatine supplements for at least 10 weeks.
Creatine occurs naturally in salmon, tuna, and beef. While prescription medications can help manage a variety of health conditions, they are one of the most common reasons for low testosterone. According to one report in BMC Medicine , statins, which are medications that lower cholesterol , may partially operate by reducing testosterone. Anyone who suspects low testosterone is due to prescribed medications should bring these concerns to their doctor's attention. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism , alcohol use affects the glands and hormones involved in male reproductive health.
Further, alcohol can cause low testosterone levels due to the effects it has on the body, including causing hormonal reactions and cell damage. According to a report in Nature Reviews Endocrinology , there is little evidence to prove that testosterone therapy or marketed testosterone supplements can help men with age-related testosterone problems. Testosterone therapy may, however, be helpful when the body cannot produce testosterone on its own.
Because testosterone therapy is not suitable for everyone, the best way to increase testosterone levels is naturally. Anyone concerned about their testosterone levels should see their doctor for a testosterone test but also to discuss lifestyle changes and whether testosterone therapy or supplementation may help. Testosterone development starts before birth and assists in the development of the male sex organs.
Testosterone drives libido, production of sperm, distribution of body fat, muscle strength, and creation of red blood cells in males. Women also produce testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands, but they produce significantly lower levels than men. People can boost testosterone naturally through diet and exercise, or in some cases, through supplementation. However, there is no evidence to prove that testosterone therapy raises testosterone in healthy males.
Article last reviewed by Wed 18 July Don't think women aren't affected by reduced levels of this anabolic hormone as well. Similar to men, levels of testosterone in women—albeit only one-tenth that of their male counterparts—peak in their 20s and decline thereafter. This drop in testosterone can negatively alter the balance between testosterone and estrogen, resulting in an increase in body fat, slowed metabolism, reduced strength and bone mineral density, and difficulty putting on muscle.
Thankfully, there are many ways you can naturally increase your testosterone levels, with the most dramatic changes occurring though resistance training, nutrition, rest, and supplementation—some of which you might already be doing. Often thought as a "physique destroyer," dietary fat is actually one of the most critical players when it comes to optimizing natural testosterone production. It's now recognized as a sure way to increase testosterone levels.
In fact, a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that diets with higher amounts of monounsaturated and saturated fats have been shown to increase testosterone levels. In another study, men who switched from a high-fat diet 13 percent saturated fat to a low-fat diet 5 percent saturated fat experienced significantly lower testosterone production rates and lower circulating androgen levels. Testosterone is derived from cholesterol, so it should come as no surprise that if your diet is lacking in cholesterol, you're also more than likely shortchanging yourself when it comes to the muscle-building hormone.
Previous research has demonstrated a strong relationship between HDL cholesterol levels and free testosterone levels. Keep in mind that the majority of testosterone in your body is bound to proteins, but only the unattached, or free, testosterone is considered bioavailable and readily available for tissue uptake.
Furthermore, incorporating whole eggs into a moderately carbohydrate-restricted diet was shown to improve the lipoprotein profile increased HDL cholesterol. Top cholesterol-containing foods are typically the ones that are high in saturated fats. Some of your best choices are red meat, egg yolks, and seafood such as shrimp, squid, and lobster.
Whole eggs are a staple in my diet—I eat three every morning! Testofen, a standardized extract of fenugreek, is thought to support free testosterone levels, muscle mass, and sexual drive in men. While the research is still somewhat new in this area, a study out of Australia found that six weeks of supplementing with a formula containing Testofen as a major ingredient showed statistically significant increases in performance, sexual health, and satisfaction in healthy adult males.
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a critical role in testosterone production. Mild zinc deficiency, commonplace among both men and women in the United States, has been associated with suppressed testosterone concentrations. A notable study out of Wayne State University in Indiana found that older men who had a mild zinc deficiency significantly increased their testosterone from 8. Researchers of the study concluded that zinc may play an important role in modulating serum testosterone levels in normal healthy men. D-aspartic acid DAA is an amino acid present in neuroendocrine tissues and is believed to impact hormone levels by increasing the activity of testosterone production.
In one human study, 23 men were given a daily dose of 3, mg of DAA for 12 days, whereas another group was given a placebo. After just 12 days, the subjects supplementing with DAA experienced an increase in testosterone by an average of 42 percent and luteinizing hormone LH by an average of 33 percent. The results of this study show that DAA may help support the release and synthesis of LH and testosterone in humans.
So this is an interesting one. In the modern world, chronic stress , and subsequently elevated levels of cortisol, could mean that testosterone's effects are blocked in the long term, which is what you want to avoid. How long are you exposed to non-native Electromagnetic Radiation in your day? Please Sign In or Register to continue. What do I do? Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men; Horm Metab Res. Additional research showed overeating and yo-yo dieting disrupted hormone levels.
Try it out for yourself and gauge if this ingredient is right for you. Vitamin D is arguably the most important vitamin when it comes to testosterone. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology examined the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and testosterone levels in men.