7 Best Foods That Help Boost Testosterone

Do you feel flat? Your desire is down? Maybe it’s a testosterone thing…

Testosterone isn’t just the key to libido. It is also an essential hormone for muscle gain, bone strength, strength and maintaining low body fat, and even the ability to concentrate. We know that it begins to decrease after the age of 30, and this is all the more true if you eat too much fat, sleep badly or are stressed.

If you experience these symptoms at the end of winter, take a course of testosterone boosters now to get back in shape. You can also bet on these 7 foods that naturally promote high testosterone.

What is testosterone used for?

Testosterone is the male hormone par excellence. If it is rightly attributed a role in virility, this hormone has many other functions in the human body. We take stock.

Testosterone is a hormone secreted by the testicles in men, in less quantity by the ovaries in women and also by the adrenal glands in both sexes.

In humans, the production of testosterone takes place during fetal life, then stops at birth and starts again at puberty. It is an androgenic hormone, that is to say that it is at the origin of the development of male physical characteristics such as the development of the genital organs, hairiness or even the change of the voice to the ‘adolescence.

At the sexual level, testosterone plays a crucial role in spermatogenesis, the maturation of sperm. But it is also the libido hormone par excellence, in men and in women to a lesser extent.

Testosterone affects mood and decreases the reaction to stress. It is associated with social competition and dominance behaviors. With a lower production of testosterone with age, men therefore tend to become more passive.

Testosterone also has an anabolic role: it promotes bone and muscle development and stimulates protein production, hence the attraction of top athletes for it. At the same time, testosterone stimulates the production of blood cells (hematopoiesis), which has the effect of reducing recovery time after exercise.

Note that testosterone does not only have beneficial effects: in men, it contributes to age-related hair loss.

WHEN TESTOSTERONE RUNS OUT

It happens that testosterone is not produced in sufficient quantity in men, in the event of insufficiency of functioning of the testicle or the hypothalamus, the region of the brain which controls the production of testosterone. The lack of testosterone then leads to problems of sexual impotence and low libido. This is also the case in some obese people, since the increase in body fat stimulates the transformation of testosterone into estrogen, a feminizing hormone which risks creating a push of the breasts.

However, despite the adverse effects that appear with lower testosterone levels, supplementation is not necessarily recommended. This could indeed increase the risk of cardiovascular disease or the development of cancerous cells in the event of a predisposition to prostate cancer.

For men, low testosterone means high risk of severe Covid-19

According to a study published in May 2021 in Jama Network Open, low blood testosterone levels are linked to a more severe form of Covid-19. The researchers could not prove that low testosterone was a cause of severe Covid-19, but these levels could serve as a marker for some other causative factors.

For this study, the researchers measured several hormones in blood samples from 90 men and 62 women with symptoms of Covid-19. In women, researchers found no correlation between hormone levels and disease severity. In men, only testosterone levels were related to the severity of the virus. Specifically, a blood testosterone level of 250 nanograms per deciliter or lower is considered low testosterone in adult men. On admission to hospital, men with severe Covid-19 had average testosterone levels of 53 nanograms per decilitre. Thirty-seven patients, including 25 men, died during the study.

7 Foods That May Help Boost Testosterone

For optimal testosterone levels to be maintained, a healthy lifestyle, including a healthy diet, is essential. Diets low in nutrient-dense foods and high in ultra-processed foods may lower testosterone levels, according to some studies. ( 1. Testosterone-Associated Dietary Pattern Predicts Low Testosterone Levels and Hypogonadism, 2. Association of Testosterone-Related Dietary Pattern with Testicular Function among Adult Men 3. Dietary patterns in relation to testosterone levels and severity of impaired kidney function among middle-aged and elderly men in Taiwan.)

Follow the advice of a medical professional if you have low testosterone levels. In addition, you might want to think about starting a diet that includes a lot of foods that contain nutrients that are necessary for keeping testosterone levels healthy.

Numerous supplements, including vitamin D, magnesium, and zinc, are significant for keeping up with ideal testosterone levels.

However, very little research has been done on the effects of particular foods on testosterone levels.

1. Bet on cabbage

All types of sprouts are good to take, as they are anti-estrogen (estrogen being hormone antagonists to testosterone). Be it green, red, cauliflower and broccoli cabbage, they are all rich in indole-3-carbinol acid which increases estradiol excretion by more than 50% and therefore controlling and limiting estrogen , promote testosterone.

2. Don’t forget the oysters

Their richness in zinc, one of the most important minerals for testosterone, increases both muscle growth, endurance and sperm density. If you don’t like oysters, zinc is also found in chicken liver and pumpkin seeds.

3. Put garlic on the menu

Bad for breath, but garlic has been proven to affect testosterone levels because it contains allicin, which reduces the action of cortisol (the stress hormone) in competition with testosterone. It is therefore in your best interest to consume it, preferably raw.

4. Think banana

Bananas contain bromelain, an enzyme (also present in pineapple), which would stimulate the libido. In addition to potassium, bananas are also high in B vitamins (including riboflavin), essential for testosterone production.

5. Snack on nuts

+26% testosterone.

Walnuts are rich in magnesium which has many virtues and in addition helps to raise testosterone levels and especially free testosterone. It seems that low magnesium levels are linked to low testosterone levels. Magnesium may increase free testosterone levels by 26%.

6. Gobble Eggs

It is their vitamin D content that makes eggs so attractive. But be careful, do not settle for the whites, because the yolk contains the cholesterol necessary for the production of testosterone. Vitamin D deficiency causes a drop in testosterone and an increase in estrogen. This vitamin is not only essential for the production of testosterone but would prevent aromatization. Taking vitamin D would increase testosterone levels by 20%.

7. Add tuna

After garlic, it’s tuna’s turn to flavor our meals

Don’t be put off by its strong and salty taste, as it contains a lot of vitamin D, which can boost testosterone levels by 90%. A single can of tuna provides the recommended dose. It is also an excellent source of magnesium.

These are foods that are easy to find and put on the menu and most are already part of bodybuilder diets, we understand why. There are still others such as grapes, avocados, meats, pomegranate, whose action on testosterone or libido is indirect. So don’t let your testosterone drop by following these bodybuilding tips!