10 Foods to Boost Testosterone Levels Naturally
If you’re looking to naturally boost your testosterone levels with out medicine, look no further. Check out this list of foods to boost testosterone.
Keyword(s): foods to boost testosterone
You hear a lot about testosterone — but do you really understand it?
Men produce testosterone in the testes. This sex hormone plays a significant role throughout life, starting during puberty.
As an androgen, it triggers sexual development during puberty, deepening the voice, sprouting body hair, and allowing for sperm production. It also plays a role in growth and muscle development.
When testosterone levels dip, it can create devastating effects, ranging from erectile dysfunction to reduced bone mass. Eating foods to boost testosterone and taking other measures can help naturally keep levels of this crucial hormone stable.
Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered!
10 Remedies and Foods to Boost Testosterone
Testosterone therapy will help you keep your levels up. But, you should still do your part at home to naturally boost your levels through diet and other healthy lifestyle changes.
Read on to learn how to raise testosterone levels!
1. Eat Foods With Vitamin D
Eating rich foods that contain vitamin D may naturally raise testosterone levels! As an added bonus, it also seems to improve erectile dysfunction. Unfortunately, not many foods contain this vitamin.
Tuna, salmon, and mackerel all provide a healthy dose of vitamin D, though salmon offers you the safest option with the lowest mercury levels. You can also get this vitamin from egg yolks, beef liver, and fortified milk & cereals.
2. Consume Sources of Zinc
Another nutrient that helps raise testosterone levels is the mineral zinc. Zinc aids in the production of testosterone and works as a hormone balancer.
Some of the most nutritious sources of zinc come from the sea. At the top, oysters provide a whopping 74 milligrams per serving, offering 673% of the daily value. This might give oysters their infamous superpower as an aphrodisiac!
You can also get a good amount of zinc by eating king crab, beef, and lobster. Vegan sources zinc provide include chickpeas, nuts, and beans, but provide significantly less than their meaty counterparts.
3. Avoid Testosterone Busters
When figuring out how to increase testosterone, it is just as important to know which foods to avoid. While some boost your levels, others will bust them.
Soy contains phytoestrogens, which may cause a flop in your hormone levels. To avoid this, stay away from edamame, beancurd (tofu), and other soy products.
Also, do not think replacing soy milk with dairy products will help you much. Cow’s milk naturally contains some female hormones and may also contain others given to the cow.
This may throw your testosterone balance out of whack. Limit the amount of dairy you ingest if possible. Switch to almond milk for a touch of zinc!
You may also want to avoid mint. It contains menthol which may actually make testosterone levels dip.
Trans fats also pose a problem for maintaining healthy levels. Plus, this type of fat offers no real benefit to the human body and increases the risk of obesity and heart disease.
4. Quit Drinking
If you want your testosterone levels to rise, stop drinking! Heavy alcohol consumption negatively affects the endocrine system, including the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. This portion of the brain oversees testosterone production, as well as the synthesis of other sex hormones.
5. Sunbathe
When the sunshine hits your skin, the cholesterol in your cells converts to vitamin D. As we mentioned earlier, not many food sources contain high amounts of this testosterone boosting vitamin, so making it yourself is essential.
Try to get between 10-30 minutes of sun exposure daily. You may need to strive for more if you go out later in the day or if you have dark skin.
The UV light in tanning beds will also offer you that boost if you live in an area with limited sun. However, chronic sun exposure does increase your risk of skin cancer.
6. Exercise
Living an active lifestyle is how to naturally increase testosterone levels. This occurs because exercise builds muscle.
Increasing your muscle mass triggers your body to synthesize more testosterone. Because of this, weight training will boost your levels the most.
For optimal results, lift heavier weights with fewer repetitions but more sets. Wait 5 minutes between sets so that each time you lift your muscles recruit more units and bulk up more.
7. Manage Your Stress
Chronic stress negatively impacts your entire body. This includes raising cortisol levels and dropping testosterone production.
If your testosterone levels drop, managing your stress better might bring them back up. To do this, alter your perception by practicing gratitude and letting go of the circumstances you simply cannot change.
Also, incorporate yoga and meditation into your daily routine. This will help you learn to quiet your mind and focus inward on the things you can control.
If you feel like you need to let a lot out, talk it through with somebody you trust or write it all out into a private journal. Activities like hiking, coloring, listening to music, and laughing all help reduce your cortisol levels as well!
8. Sleep
Sleep deprivation negatively impacts testosterone levels. During REM sleep, testosterone levels spike.
They remain higher than normal throughout the night. Testosterone levels drop as you awaken and decrease throughout the day.
If you continuously miss sleep, normal levels will deplete without the shut-eye spikes. To help your body boost its levels back up, sleep 8-9 hours each night.
9. Have More Sex
This one offers conflicting research. While some studies conducted in natural settings suggest that sexual activity boosts testosterone levels, others maintain that it does not change the levels long term. Regardless, this might boost your levels and you will probably find it fun to try!
10. Incorporate Ginger
Start adding ginger to your meals! Research suggests that this root may offer a boost to your testosterone levels.
It increases luteinizing hormone, which triggers a series of processes that lead to a hormonal increase. Add fresh slices to sushi or grate it into tea with honey and lemon.
Naturally Boost Your Testosterone
Maintaining healthy levels of testosterone is important for men. Incorporate foods to boost testosterone and create a healthy lifestyle that promotes this hormone’s production.
We want to help you keep maintain this crucial component of your manhood. Contact us to schedule your free consultation!