Naturally Increasing Testosterone

Testosterone can be something of a taboo topic to discuss (or even google) among men, so I'd like to start out by saying: I wrote this article on request of male homies, but testosterine isn’t just for people who identify as biologically male. In fact, nothing about increasing testosterone strictly pertains to men, though we most often associate it with men’s fitness and sexual health. Every person’s body, regardless of gender, works to balance levels of two primary sex hormones: testosterone and estrogen. Maintaining a healthy synergy of these two hormones has profound effects on wellbeing — on your workouts in the gym, on your mental health, on hair growth and loss, on aging and, of course, on sexual function, and so much more. So, let’s get comfortable talking about how we recognize, treat, and maintain a healthy sex hormone balance.

Why healthy testosterone levels can benefit everyone

Healthy levels of testosterone are linked to:

improved heart health through increased RBC production
increased muscle mass, decreased fat
increase in overall energy
increase in the strength of bones and bone density, which decreases as we age.

Healthy levels of testosterone are also linked to better verbal memory and spatial abilities which increases your chance to ward off Alzheimer’s. And probably what it’s most known for: healthy T is linked to better libido and mood across genders(1).

Increasing Testosterone with Food and Supplements

Providing our body with the building blocks to produce testosterone with food and other naturally occurring habits is a great way to boost testosterone. However, with so many ways to support testosterone production naturally, supplements are sometimes the best option for people looking to save time, budget, or develop the skills to make all of the right decisions in regards to balancing hormones on a daily basis. While we like to begin by addressing how to naturally boost T by making the right food choices, we will also provide a way to get the nutrients your body requires to increase testosterone production with supplements you can buy to support the everyday reader. If you are anything like me either time, skills, or diet choices make it difficult to obtain all your nutrients from diet alone. Fear not, we have you covered.

-Probiotic-Rich Foods

(fermented foods: Kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkrat, pickeled veggies)

Reason:

Our first natural food for increasing testosterone is going to be probiotic-rich fermented foods. Of course, I started with fermented foods because gut health is the most important for overall health. There have not been peer-reviewed scientific studies that show a direct correlation between gut health, abdominal fat, and testosterone. However, as we age, abdominal fat increases while testosterone decreases(2). Abdominal fat (or lack thereof) can be a visible indicator that our body is in testosterone decline.

A healthy gut microbiome is a key to increasing testosterone. Fat around the midsection is an easy signal that testosterone production is suffering, and one of the best ways to combat this is a probiotic-rich diet. Incorporating one probiotic-rich food with every meal is a way to ensure your gut health is getting the nutrients it needs to maintain its integrity.

Supplements for probiotic-rich foods:

Tier 1 -Visbiome (3)

Tier 2 -Thorne Probiotics (4)

Tier 3 -Florajen (5)

Essential Fatty Acids (DHA and DHEA)

(Fish oil, Cod liver oil, krill oil, Algae oil, salmon, mackrel, seabass, oysters, sardines, shrimp, trout, seaweed &algae, chia seed, hemp seep, flaxseed, walnuts, edamame, kidney beans, soybean oil)

Reason: Essential fatty acids are the base moleules — essentially, the building blocks — for hormones and without them, you literally can’t create new hormones. Having appropriate levels of *DHA can drastically impact the ability of your body to produce hormones. Oral **DHEA supplementation can elevate free testosterone levels in middle-aged men, and prevent testosterone from declining(6), (7).

*DHA is shown to increase the production of testosterone in animal models(8).

**DHEA is important for free testosterone but not available via diet. Adrenal glands help convert dietary DHA&EHA can be converted to DHEA. Free testosterone means your testosterone is free for the body to use as needed. Alternatively, testosterone that is not "free" means that testosterone is already has a programmed purpose signifying it no longer be used by the body.

Supplements for essential fatty acids:

Tier 1 -Thorne - Super EPA (9)

Tier 2 -Blue Ice Royal Butter Oil / Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend (10)

Tier 3 -Carlson - Cod Liver Oil (11)

-Vitamin D/K2

(Vitamin D is found in oily fish and Dairy - trout, salmon, sardines, eggs, liver, milk, cereal, yogurt, butter, oranges)

(K2 is found in dairy, fermented foods, and animal products: Chicken, Liver, Egg yolk, Cheese, Butter, Eel, and Soybeans(12))

Vitamin D3/K2

Reason: vitamin D supplementation (3332 IU daily for 1 year) increased total, free, and bioavailable testosterone levels in a group of 31 middle-aged men(13). K2 is necessary to help process vitamin D3 so that calcium goes to your bones and does not lead to calcium build-up in your arteries.

Supplement:

Tier 1 -nutraMetrix Isotonix® Vitamin D with K2 (14)

Tier 2 -Thorne Vitamin D + K2 Liquid (15)

-Creatine

(Red meat and seafood)

Reason: Creatine is one of the most widely available and well-researched nutrients on this list. Natural sources of creatine are only available though meat consumption. If you are following a vegetarian or vegan diet, then creatine supplementation may prove to be beneficial in maintaining a healthy testosterone level. Creatine increases DHT (dihydrotestosterone) by 56% after 7 days of creatine loading and remained 40% above baseline after 14 days of maintenance. DHT plays a vital role in the sexual development of males. DHT side effects promote prostate growth, sebaceous gland activity, male pattern baldness, and body, facial and pubic hair growth (16), (17).

Fun facts on creatine

Athletes use creatine to assist in high-intensity training.
It can cause an increase in body mass.

Because creatine helps build muscle, it may be useful for individuals with muscular dystrophy.
There is some evidence that creatine can boost memory. It is also being studied for use in a number of diseases including Parkinson’s disease and depression.
Creatine appears to be safe in moderate doses, but long-term safety has not been proven.

(18)

Supplement:

Tier 1 -Thorne Creatine (19)

Tier 2 -BulkSupplements.com Creatine Monohydrate Powder (20)

-Zinc & Magnesium

-Zinc: Oysters, red meat, poultry, beans, nuts, certain types of seafood (such as crab and lobster), whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and dairy products [2,11].(21).

-Magnesium: Leafy green vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and fish (salmon, Halibut, Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic pollock) are the best ways to keep healthy levels of magnesium in your body.

Vegetables and Fruits That Have Magnesium Spinach, Swiss chard, Edamame, Tamarind, Potato with skin, Okra. These meat alternatives are also good magnesium sources: Black-eyed peas (cooked), Tempeh (cooked), Soy nuts, Cooked beans (black, lima, navy, pinto, chickpeas), Tofu, Almonds, Cashews, Flaxseed, and Peanut butter (22).

Reason: Zinc and magnesium do not provide any increase in testosterone directly(23). However, zinc and magnesium improve the quality of sleep, which leads to more free testosterone as a result. Zinc and Magnesium also provide many benefits on their own. Zinc may effectively reduce inflammation, boost immune health, reduce your risk of age-related diseases, speed wound healing and improve acne symptoms(24) . Magnesium is lost in certain conditions like Crohn's disease, celiac disease, type 2 diabetes, alcoholism, and chronic diarrhea. Getting a healthy amount of magnesium from your diet or supplementation may help with common symptoms including loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.

ZMA Supplement

Tier 1 -Zinc Picolinate (25) /Magnesium CitraMate (26)

Tier 2 -Optimum Nutrition Zinc Magnesium Aspartate (27)

Honorable Mentions

-Ashwagandha as a tea or supplement

Reason: ashwagandha extract (Shoden beads) taken for 8 weeks was associated with increased levels of DHEA-S and testosterone (28), (29).

Tier 1 -Phytisone (30)

Tier 2 -Organic Ashwagandha Capsules (31)

-Ginseng as a root or tea

Reason: The positive effects of ginseng on male reproductive sexual health have been a long part of Chinese medicine and have been proven in human case-control studies (32), (33)

Tier 1 - Phytisone (30)

Tier 2 -Korean Ginseng Instant Tea (34)

Increasing Testosterone with Sleep

Sleep quality plays such an important role in the many regulatory systems in our body that for me, it’s impossible to leave sleep out of our discussion. Quality of sleep is one of the most important factors in how we choose what we eat. Not only that, but sleep is where our body does its maintenance by removing waste and creating hormones so our body can perform at optimal levels. Not getting enough sleep can impact testosterone levels 10-15% (35). The majority of the daily testosterone release in men occurs during sleep and sleep fragmentation and obstructive sleep apnea are associated with reduced testosterone levels (36),(37). Morning testosterone levels, a time where testosterone production should be at its highest, are partly predicted by total sleep time (38).

"…short sleep…will increase hunger and appetite, compromise impulse control within the brain, increase food consumption (especially of high-calorie foods), decrease feelings of food satisfaction after eating, and prevent effective weight loss when dieting." Mather Walker (39)

The topic of sleep should have its own dedicated article so to keep it short and simple I like to measure the quality of sleep by using two factors outlined by Mathew Walker in his book Why We Sleep: (1) Duration (length) and (2) regularity -sleep schedule.

(1) Sleep duration varies by individual but a typical healthy amount of sleep is 7.5-9 hours. The average cycle from REM sleep to deep sleep and back to REM is 90min. We have heard of the people who can get around 6 hours of sleep and still perform the same based on a very rare variant gene ADRB1(40).

The number of individuals who actually have that gene is 4/100,000 or 0.004%. It is probably safe to not think you are one of them.

(2) The regularity of our sleep schedule also impacts the quality of our sleep. When we establish a schedule our body produces hormones in anticipation of sleep and awakening.

Increasing Testosterone with Exercise and Competition

It’s no surprise that exercise can increase testosterone production due to various factors including weight management, metabolic age, and fitness level (41). There is good evidence that all exercise will benefit the relationship of sex hormones, but resistance training is the best form of exercise to increase testosterone (42). In particular, resistance training with proper rest periods creates the greatest elevation in testosterone.

There is a well-articulated argument by Andrew Huberman, Stanford University School of Medicine neurobiology proffesor, that competition itself is beneficial for increasing testosterone. The idea is that competition has historically served as a way to pass on your gene pool. Alternatively, the outcome of competition in cave days could have been the difference between life or death. Both are high-risk outcomes and in either circumstance, a boost in testosterone would prove to be beneficial.

Today, "competition" often means something different. However, our body still operates at a physiological level in the same way it did thousands of years ago. (The same can be said for stress in today's world. Previously stress meant trying to survive being eaten by a predator, while today's stress happens when we receive a mean email from our boss. While the circumstances are very different our biological systems still respond as though we are escaping a predator.)

Competition creates a physiological response to prepare for the levels of exertion required. Our body increases heart rate and dilation of blood vessels for the challenge ahead. Not only that, but we have some biochemical changes as well. These changes include an increase in testosterone and cortisol. These changes are not well understood but it is clear that "in men and women, athletic competition is typically associated with an increase in testosterone (T) and cortisol (C)"(43). Addditionally, there is speculation that "winning a competition leads to more dominant behavior, albeit in a manner that is not statistically regulated by testosterone, possibly through increased feeling of entitlement"(44), (45).

Conclusion: Eat well. Sleep well. Get exercise and compete

Its important to note that these are natural methods to increase testosterone. There are blood test available that can measure your levels of sex hormones. If you are looking to vastly increase testosterone you may want to consult your doctor on further steps to take including testosterone replacement therapy.

Reference:

3 Easy Ways to Boost Testosterone Naturally

Naturally Increasing Testosterone

Why healthy testosterone levels can benefit everyone

Increasing Testosterone with Food and Supplements

-Probiotic-Rich Foods

(fermented foods: Kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkrat, pickeled veggies)

Reason:

Supplements for probiotic-rich foods:

Essential Fatty Acids (DHA and DHEA)

(Fish oil, Cod liver oil, krill oil, Algae oil, salmon, mackrel, seabass, oysters, sardines, shrimp, trout, seaweed &algae, chia seed, hemp seep, flaxseed, walnuts, edamame, kidney beans, soybean oil)

*DHA is shown to increase the production of testosterone in animal models(8).

Supplements for essential fatty acids:

-Vitamin D/K2

(Vitamin D is found in oily fish and Dairy - trout, salmon, sardines, eggs, liver, milk, cereal, yogurt, butter, oranges)

(K2 is found in dairy, fermented foods, and animal products: Chicken, Liver, Egg yolk, Cheese, Butter, Eel, and Soybeans(12))

Supplement:

-Creatine

(Red meat and seafood)

Fun facts on creatine

Supplement:

-Zinc & Magnesium

ZMA Supplement

Honorable Mentions

-Ashwagandha as a tea or supplement

-Ginseng as a root or tea

Increasing Testosterone with Sleep

"…short sleep…will increase hunger and appetite, compromise impulse control within the brain, increase food consumption (especially of high-calorie foods), decrease feelings of food satisfaction after eating, and prevent effective weight loss when dieting." Mather Walker (39)

Increasing Testosterone with Exercise and Competition

Health = Wealth 💪🏽

3 Easy Ways to Boost Testosterone Naturally

Naturally Increasing Testosterone

Why healthy testosterone levels can benefit everyone

Increasing Testosterone with Food and Supplements

-Probiotic-Rich Foods

(fermented foods: Kefir, kombucha, kimchi, sauerkrat, pickeled veggies)

Reason:

Supplements for probiotic-rich foods:

Essential Fatty Acids (DHA and DHEA)

(Fish oil, Cod liver oil, krill oil, Algae oil, salmon, mackrel, seabass, oysters, sardines, shrimp, trout, seaweed &algae, chia seed, hemp seep, flaxseed, walnuts, edamame, kidney beans, soybean oil)

*DHA is shown to increase the production of testosterone in animal models(8).

Supplements for essential fatty acids:

-Vitamin D/K2

(Vitamin D is found in oily fish and Dairy - trout, salmon, sardines, eggs, liver, milk, cereal, yogurt, butter, oranges)

(K2 is found in dairy, fermented foods, and animal products: Chicken, Liver, Egg yolk, Cheese, Butter, Eel, and Soybeans(12))

Supplement:

-Creatine

(Red meat and seafood)

Fun facts on creatine

Supplement:

-Zinc & Magnesium

ZMA Supplement

Honorable Mentions

-Ashwagandha as a tea or supplement

-Ginseng as a root or tea

Increasing Testosterone with Sleep

"…short sleep…will increase hunger and appetite, compromise impulse control within the brain, increase food consumption (especially of high-calorie foods), decrease feelings of food satisfaction after eating, and prevent effective weight loss when dieting." Mather Walker (39)

Increasing Testosterone with Exercise and Competition

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Health = Wealth 💪🏽