Testosterone is the primary male hormone that causes physical changes in the body during puberty. Some examples of physical changes include an increase in muscle mass and strength.
As a man grows older, testosterone levels tend to decrease. A low testosterone level in men can cause a variety of health problems. Some common symptoms of low testosterone levels are low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, sperm production, and quality problems.
Do testosterone levels matter? Yes, it does. Low testosterone can also lead to changes in mood or weight, fatigue, and a decrease in muscle mass. In some cases, low testosterone can even contribute to the development of heart disease or diabetes.
Here’s good news. A decrease in testosterone level is not the end of the world. You can do something about it. Let’s look at five ways to increase testosterone levels naturally.
1. Eat a healthy, improved diet.
A healthy diet can improve your testosterone levels. The foods you eat significantly impact your testosterone and hormone levels. Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be complicated. Just make sure that your diet consists of a healthy balance of protein, fat, and carbs.
Foods that boost testosterone production include the following:
- Fatty fish like sardines and salmon, and fish oil
- Eggs- rich in protein, healthy fat, and selenium
- Cocoa products-high in magnesium and flavonoid antioxidants
- Green, leafy vegetables- the source of micronutrients, including magnesium
- Oysters (shellfish) -a rich source of selenium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids
- Pomegranates, berries, and cherries- rich in flavonoid antioxidants that help increase testosterone production
- Extra-virgin olive oil -rich in monounsaturated fat and vitamin E, which is an antioxidant
- Onions- increase testosterone level · Avocados- the source of magnesium and boron, a mineral that benefits testosterone level
- Ginger- helps improve fertility in men
Foods to avoid
To meet your goal of increasing your testosterone levels, you should avoid eating processed foods. These foods are prepackaged, frozen, canned, and/or packaged in plastic, the very ones many of us usually go for because they are easy to pop into the microwave. Avoid drinking too much alcohol. It is known to reduce fertility in both men and women.
2. Get adequate sleep every night.
Like a proper diet, sleep is essential to boost your testosterone levels. Yes, you heard that right. Men need their beauty sleep, too. To help maintain overall good health, you need to get enough sleep every night. Adequate sleep promotes testosterone levels. In fact, sleep directly affects your testosterone levels.
Generally, adults need seven or more hours of sleep every night. Many people are so busy in this modern world that they don’t allocate enough time to sleep or take sleep for granted.
You might think that four or five hours of sleep is enough to get you by every night. However but the reduced sleep hours could cause lower testosterone levels. An earlier study showed that the testosterone levels of the respondents decreased by 10 to 15 percent after having only five hours of sleep each night for one week.
See to it that you get adequate, high-quality sleep every night to maintain your testosterone levels and enjoy long-term health.
3. Exercise and resistance training
You can increase your testosterone levels naturally, but you have to exert some effort. Exercise is one method to boost your testosterone, but it is also and of the most effective ways to stay fit and healthy. A study showed that physically active men have healthier semen production and higher testosterone levels.
Combining resistance training into your exercise routine will give you the needed to boost testosterone production. Resistance training, such as weight lifting and high-intensity training, is the most effective exercise to boost testosterone levels, both the short- and long-term.
This is how it works. If you exercise regularly, you will burn calories and lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. If you’re too lazy to move or get up from your chair, chances are you’ll gain weight or even become obese. Excessive weight contributes to low testosterone levels.
If you haven’t started an exercise regimen, create one if you want to boost your testosterone levels.
4. Reduce stress and cortisol levels
Like sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet, stress affects your entire well-being, including testosterone levels. Every time you are stressed, your body releases cortisol. Cortisol is the steroid hormone that helps regulate your body’s response to stress.
Your cortisol levels and testosterone levels have an inverse relationship. Think of a see-saw. When your cortisol level gets high, your testosterone level gets low.
How do you know when your cortisol levels get high? The symptoms include weight gain, acne, flushed face, muscle weakness, thinning skin, slowed healing, etc.
A lot of stress can create a rippling effect. Have you heard of stress eating? Some people tend to eat a lot when they are stressed. Stress and high cortisol levels can increase food shortage, and of course, it will result in weight gain. We now know that excessive weight can cause testosterone levels to go down.
Try to keep away from stressful thoughts and situations. Do something you enjoy. Hang out with cheerful people. Smile, take time to laugh, and be happy. The minute you start thinking about problems that could give you stress, stop. Take deep breaths, relax and remind yourself that you can’t afford to be stressed because you want to get those testosterone levels to go up.
5. Take vitamins and mineral supplements
There are so many available vitamin and mineral supplements on the market today. Each one claims to be the best one to boost testosterone levels. However, three supplements stand out to be more effective – Vitamin D, Zinc, and magnesium supplements.
Research showed that Vitamin D might increase testosterone levels. Vitamin D is naturally available through sunlight exposure. If you don’t have time to go out or stay most of the time indoors, you can get it from food sources. Some sources of Vitamin D are fatty fish, beef liver, egg yolks, cheese, dairy products, soy milk, cereals, and more.
Zinc is also known to boost testosterone in athletes and people with zinc deficiency. Every time you sweat, you lose zinc. If you’re an athlete or one of those who sweat a lot, you are more likely to be zinc deficient. You can find rich sources of zinc from oysters, red meat, poultry, fortified breakfast cereals, beans, nuts, and dairy products.
An increase in magnesium intake can increase testosterone production. Get your dose of magnesium from green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and others. You can also get magnesium from water- tap, mineral, or bottled but the amount of magnesium in water varies depending on the source and brand.
These are the best testosterone supplements for men. Some herbal supplements are also known to boost testosterone levels. Ginger extract, for example, is not only a delicious herb, but modern research indicates it improves fertility in men.
Bottom Line
Testosterone levels peak during a man’s late teenage years and decline when they reach their mid-30s. However, not only older men can have lower testosterone levels. Younger men with obesity and underlying health conditions like diabetes and sleep apnea can suffer from low testosterone levels.
Address all underlying medical conditions if you have any. See a doctor if you are having issues related to low testosterone so you can start to get treatments if necessary.
There are many different ways to increase testosterone levels naturally. Some are more effective than others, but they all have the potential to help. Boost your testosterone levels naturally. Follow a healthy lifestyle starting off with the five methods mentioned above.