Boost Testosterone Levels With these Certain Foods — Part 1
Dietary Strategies for Testosterone Production
The food you eat can either boost or lower your testosterone levels. In reality, studies reveal that a low intake of prepared meals and dark green vegetables combined with an excessive consumption of bread, pastries, dairy products, and desserts can on its own predict low testosterone levels with relatively high accuracy.
This is important because having a higher testosterone level will help increase muscle mass and strength; it’ll help enhance your mood; and it’ll improve your libido.
Low testosterone leads to a loss of muscle atrophy, accumulation of body fat, decreased libido, and depression.
Below are some of the foods that directly or indirectly boost testosterone levels if incorporated into a healthy diet.
1 — Oysters
Oysters are a good source of nutrients booster. Specifically, oysters are very high in zinc, which is an essential mineral for testosterone production. People who engage in intense physical activity and sweat profusely are at an increased risk of becoming deficient in zinc.
Zinc is lost in sweat. The loss of zinc through sweat is especially true for people who take part in endurance sports, undergo intense training sessions, have a physically demanding job, or just have a higher sweat rate than average.
This deficiency can have adverse effects on your performance, recovery, and immune function, and of course, it can take a toll on your testosterone levels.
Oysters also contain vitamin D, which plays a role in testosterone production, as well as amino acids that can help stimulate hormone-releasing signals within the body. The only downside is that oysters are difficult to cook. Canned oysters can still provide you with very comparable amounts of nutrients like zinc.
2 — Garlic
Another food that can help support testosterone levels and overall hormonal health is garlic. Garlic has been linked to improved endothelial function. Endothelial function essentially describes the health of your blood vessels. Having healthy blood vessels is essential for proper blood flow, and better blood flow is beneficial for testosterone production as well as overall sexual health.
Another benefit is that garlic provides many antioxidants that can help protect cells that are involved in hormone production from oxidative damage. Garlic also contains compounds like allisin, which can help lower cortisol levels, reducing stress-related interference with testosterone.
Garlic has anti-inflammatory properties that leads to a healthier hormonal environment by reducing chronic inflammation. One to three cloves of garlic a day could be beneficial for overall well-being and testosterone, or alternatively, you can take a garlic supplement, many of which help you get around the bad odour that comes with eating regular garlic.
3 — Pomegranate
Next is pomegranate. One way that pomegranates are able to boost testosterone is by stimulating nitric oxide production and enhancing blood flow, which can positively affect sexual function and contribute to healthier testosterone levels.
Pomegranates are also rich in polyphenols and flavonoids. These compounds combat oxidative stress by protecting the leydig cells, the primary source of testosterone in males. Healthy leydig cells help to promote healthy natural testosterone production.
Because pomegranates block estrogen action, they contain anti-estrogenic properties that help to indirectly boost increased testosterone levels.
4 — Ginger
Ginger contains gingerol, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Ginger can help promote a more favorable hormonal environment for testosterone production.
Research in animals has shown that ginger extract can stimulate the release of lutenizing hormone, which is a hormone that’s produced by the pituitary gland, and it signals the testes to produce more testosterone.
Unfortunately, human studies are limited, but this effect on lutenizing hormones suggests a potential direct impact on testosterone production. Ginger has also been associated with improved sperm quality and motility, which isn’t a direct boost to testosterone, but it’s beneficial for overall male reproductive health.
5 — Fatty fish
Another excellent food for testosterone levels is fatty fish like salmon. This fish contributes to increased testosterone levels due to its nutritional content; it contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and play an important role in hormone regulation.
Omega-3s can also help reduce chronic inflammation, which on its own can potentially improve hormonal balance within your body. Fatty fish provides the often demonized yet essential compound known as cholesterol, which is a precursor for testosterone production.
Fatty fish also provide some vitamin D, which is important for testosterone specifically because it’s crucial for normal functioning testes, which is directly where testosterone is produced.
You should also include other foods that are full of healthy fats in your diet. Examples include grass-fed beef, avocados, olive oil, and coconut oil. These help in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D.
For example, just like salmon, these foods provide dietary cholesterol as well, and that cholesterol acts as the building block for testosterone production. These fats also help regulate hormone signalling within the body, and they help maintain cell membrane integrity, which is where hormone receptors, including those for testosterone, are located.
