Know how to tackle your testosterone problem by changing your diet.
Many of us may take our testosterone levels for granted but for those who need a boost, the change may happen through your diet. While thinking of and dwelling over what our testosterone levels might be isn’t totally necessary, it is important to know at least where we stand. Testosterone is important. As a vital sex hormone, it helps with a host of bodily functions and if decreased, can hurt our gains and overall results.
What we eat can drastically affect how we feel. And when it comes to something like testosterone, this can work for us by increasing levels or against us by decreasing them. Whatever the case may be, knowing that the possibility to change your testosterone fortune through your diet is a great benefit to you. That means less trips to a doctor or saving money on certain supplements. It’s just adding and subtracting a few things from your grocery list.
Let’s check out the top ways to boost your testosterone through your diet so you don’t have to worry about low T levels again. The right foods and right approach can greatly affect just how well your testosterone levels increase.
Why Testosterone Matters
Testosterone is a vital sex hormone used for many bodily functions that keep us operating every single day. Testosterone has a role in building muscle mass and building stronger bones for better functional movements and overall health (1), improving sex drive, increasing mood and an overall quality of life, among others like our overall development. Low levels of testosterone can hinder these processes and work against us, either against our training, health, or both.
Foods That Work
When it comes to boosting your testosterone levels, the right foods can greatly impact how your levels change. By taking your diet and making sure it works for you, the right approach is all you need to start seeing results.
Fatty Fish
Having too low of fat in your diet can lead to lower levels of testosterone and including healthy fat options can increase hormonal health for the best in terms of those levels (2).
Similar to fatty fish, having that fat in your diet is key. But what avocados have is boron which has promising and worthwhile benefits to increasing testosterone levels.
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High Protein Foods
These are necessary because too little can affect testosterone production. Also, protein will help with weight loss and management and if you have a higher body fat percentage, this can decrease testosterone production as well (3).
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- Chicken, grass-fed beef, wild salmon, eggs, lentils
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Complex Carbohydrates
A great source for increasing energy and mood, all playing into testosterone production on a more efficient level.
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- Oats, quinoa, brown rice, sweet potatoes
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Ashwagandha
A popular herb in testosterone boosters, this can help deal with stress and those stress levels while boosting growth and increasing T levels (4).
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Foods With Magnesium
Magnesium does have links to testosterone production and focusing on foods with these levels can improve sleep and work to boost production.
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- Dark chocolate, spinach, banana, various seeds and nut butters
Food That Don’t Work
On the other hand, knowing what not to eat can work wonders for you as you seek to change your testosterone reality. Some foods can work against testosterone and counter the effects, often times too strong, and avoiding these foods can be of great service to you.
While we all love sugar, kicking this out or at least limiting it is important for testosterone production given its impact on insulin and the resistance your body can potentially build up.
Alcohol can interfere with hormone production and may counteract the process of testosterone production. While this is on a level of heavy alcohol use, it is still important to monitor especially if you are someone seeking results (5).
Dairy products can affect testosterone synthesis by working against it to produce estrogen, as well as increasing blood insulin, both having negative effects towards testosterone production.
Soy is the same deal as dairy in that it will raise your estrogen levels and hurt those valuable testosterone levels, making soy products something to kick to the curb.
Other Ways To Boost Testosterone With Your Diet
While foods are great and can work well for you, other approaches, whether they be training or diet related, can help as well.
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HIIT Workouts
Performing HIIT workouts will work for better muscle growth overall resulting in less protein breakdown. As a result, this helps increase testosterone levels to help maintain that muscle mass. More muscle works to create more testosterone. Plus, HIIT workouts are great ways to see those desired body composition changes.
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Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting is a great diet for those wanting to increase testosterone levels because it will work to avoid overeating and help with weight management, since higher body fat percentage leads to less testosterone. It also can increase growth hormone which is closely tied to testosterone as well.
Best Supplements To Boost Testosterone
For those struggling to boost their testosterone levels, looking towards the right supplements is all you need. While plenty of options do exist, working with premium and high-quality products can make life just a little bit easier. A testosterone booster is a great supplement for those looking to increase testosterone and vitality and what a good test booster will do is increase strength and muscle growth, burn stored fat, increase your sex drive, and improve overall mood. This is exactly what you need when looking to increase growth and see those results you want most.
Wrap Up
It can be challenging to accept the fact that you are suffering from low T levels. But don’t let that be emasculating. Taking the right steps to address and fix the situation can make it seem like it never happened. Through what foods you eat, your dietary approach, or using a testosterone booster, you can see those results you want most and get those levels back to where they belong.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
- Sinha-Hikim, I.; et al. (2002). “Testosterone-induced increase in muscle size in healthy young men is associated with muscle fiber hypertrophy”. (source)
- Zaima, N.; et al. (2016). “Effect of dietary fish oil on mouse testosterone level and the distribution of eicosapentaenoic acid-containing phosphatidylcholine in testicular interstitium”. (source)
- Alemany, J.; et al. (2008). “Effects of dietary protein content on IGF-I, testosterone, and body composition during 8 days of severe energy deficit and arduous physical activity”. (source)
- Singh, N.; et al. (2011). “An Overview on Ashwagandha: A Rasayana (Rejuvenator) of Ayurveda”. (source)
- Walter, M.; et al. (2006). “Controlled Study On The Combined Effect Of Alcohol And Tobacco Smoking On Testosterone In Alcohol-Dependent Men”. (source)