7 Science-Backed Ways To Naturally Boost Testosterone

Testosterone is a hormone found in both humans and animals. It's critical to the development of male sexual characteristics in humans. In men, testosterone is primarily produced by Leydig cells in the testes. It's also produced in smaller amounts in the kidneys by the adrenal glands.

Testosterone is an androgen, meaning it shapes male temperaments as well.

Females do produce testosterone in their ovaries, though in much smaller quantities than men. Combined with estrogen (the female sex hormone), testosterone helps shape mental temperament and assists in the repair of reproductive tissue, as well as influencing female bone mass and structure.

What Role Does Testosterone Play in the Body?

Testosterone has a major impact on humans. Characteristics we associate with masculinity, including increased bone mass and the function of critical organs in the body, require testosterone to be present in sufficient levels. Lower levels of testosterone can lead to a reduction in muscle mass, bone mass, and physical strength.

Testosterone promotes the production of strong sperm in healthy quantities, which support fertilization of female eggs during sex.

Male sex drive is primarily driven by testosterone levels. A reduction in testosterone often leads to a reduced sex drive.

Testosterone also plays a role in the production of red blood cells. Red blood cells transfer oxygen to the organs throughout the body. A reduction in testosterone levels can be harmful to organs as a result of reduced oxygen supply reaching vital organs.

During puberty, testosterone plays a key role in the development of sexual organs (i.e. testicles and the penis). Hair growth is also impacted as beards and pubic hair become more prominent. As we’ve already mentioned, the increase of testosterone during puberty also leads to changes in mental temperament. A reduction in testosterone is often associated with mood swings and fatigue.

How to Boost Testosterone Naturally

Whereas many prescriptions are available for increasing testosterone levels in men, they come packed with risks. They are not, therefore, a recommendation if there is an alternative.

Using natural means to gain testosterone is one major way to not only regain your confidence but ascertain your health generally falls into place. Low testosterone results from other health issues, and if these issues are fed and attended then testosterone levels resume to normal levels or even increase.

What these methods and techniques do is aid the body in deficient areas. By adding those particular deficiencies, allow the body to resume the natural order of testosterone production.

Seven Ways to Boost Testosterone Levels

1. Exercising

Staying active is a good way of ensuring that your body has the prerequisites needed to adjust to the growing need for testosterone as you age. Research has indicated that men reduce the levels of this hormone as they deteriorate age-wise. The elderly have less testosterone as compared to their younger counterparts.

To continue to boost the hormone's availability and production quantity, exercise is recommended. When involved in a physical activity, the body is coaxed to develop muscular adherence to counter the progressive need for more strength. Testosterone increases with the buildup of muscles.

Any form of body activity will see into the addition of testosterone. However, a larger amount is added if you practice the more intensive exercises.

Strength training-also referred to as resistance training- is one of the frequent exercises that adds to development. You gain muscular density when building muscles by moving against your body weight or free weight like dumbbells. In essence, any form of weight lifting can be classified as resistance training.

Also, doing exercises that involve using compound muscles (more than one muscle) is a great way to add muscular tissue to your body. They are much more effective than single muscle training. This training also is best to improve your flexibility, muscle mass retention, and strength as you age.

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT for shorts, is very active in muscle training. In a workout involving HIIT, you perform intensive cardio sessions, alternating with sessions of low-intensity activities. Here workouts feature heartbeat-raising exercises like squats, jumps, and planks. These are done with 20-40 seconds intervals with rests in between and then repeated all over again. Studies show a notable testosterone increase in persons who involve themselves in hot HIIT workouts.

2. Getting quality sleep

In the western countries, mainly in the United States, where working two or three jobs is a normal thing, sleep patterns are greatly affected. Many people result in sleeping between shifts, and this, unfortunately, won't cut it. If you are working 14-16 hours a day, you have about four to five hours of sleep.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the accepted range of sleep for a working adult is seven to nine hours daily. The dispersion of the hours, however, is undefined. Whether you choose to take frequent naps or a compounded sleeping session of nine hours, sleep is a pivotal part of growth. Testosterone is mostly made when we rest. This is because the body, at this time, has no main activities that require the use of testosterone.

Many people will tell you that sleeping too much is being lazy. No, and factually taking a good sleep will ensure that your productivity rises compared to that person who sleeps less. How? When sleeping, all body functions rest, apart from the essentials like the brain, heart, etc. So when you wake, you are refreshed, and your muscles are more energetic since they have been refreshed and replenished for the whole night.

3. Proper Dieting

What you eat impacts your hormonal levels. Eating foods that favor your body development is key to having a testosterone increment. Avoiding foods containing large amounts of carbs and fat reduces your chances of weight gain.  Consequently, this reduces the levels of testosterone in your body. It is advisable to stick to healthy meals that actualize your muscle retention.

A good meal will have a decent amount of protein which aids in fighting body fat. Having a balanced diet is good for your body; have proteins, carbs/grain, dairy, veggies, and fruits to provide vitamins.

A good way is to implement a dieting plan that encompasses those all-important nutrients and minerals that your body will need to be in a capacity to produce more testosterone. Lean meat and whole foods should be your preference. By all means, avoid processed food, not to mention the long-term health benefits you stand to gain from consuming quality food.

Inconsistent dietary options lead to periodical increase and decrease of body weight. Since body weight affects your testosterone levels, they tend to fluctuate with your diet. Promote a healthy eating habit so that your testosterone can be stable and even increase.

4. Avoid stress

Cortisol is a typical stress hormone that is released by the adrenal glands when you are stressed. This hormone constricts the circulation of testosterone. In turn, cortisol encourages your body to store fat. This phenomenon is closely related to low testosterone indefinitely.

Chronic stress leads to many complications with the body, including long-term effects and depression. Depression causes fluctuation of body mass, which affects the testosterone levels present in your body. Choose to avoid repetitive stressful situations in your life.

5. Evade excess intake of drugs and alcohol

Moderate alcohol intake is healthy as it boosts digestion and can prevent heart problem conditions. However, excessive consumption of the substance is harmful to your health. It destroys cells and promotes weight gain, which is bad for your testosterone levels.

The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism states that using alcohol affects the hormones responsible for reproductive health in men.

6. Take natural supplements

Studies show that using natural supplements to boost the production of testosterone works. These nutrients and minerals help the body produce more hormonal constituents:

• Vitamin D is a good promoter of body health in general. It can be gotten from sunlight. In as much as it's common and available, many people still suffer from its deficiency. Taking supplements to cater to this is a great way to replenish the missing amounts. Vitamin D is proven to improve an individual's sexual functions.

• Magnesium is responsible for muscle function and the bone structure of a human.

• Zinc improves the quality of semen in semi-fertile males and boosts testosterone in a person suffering from zinc deficiency.

• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is associated with increased hormonal levels in humans, both estrogen and testosterone. Taking DHEA supplements will boost your testosterone levels.

• Herbs like Ashwagandha (used as a stress reliever among other uses) and Fenugreek (people who used it experienced erections and increased sexual drive) have been used in studies to increase testosterone levels in males.

7. Avoid using estrogen products

Endocrine disruptors affect hormonal levels negatively. BPA, common in plastics, and parabens (synthetic compounds used in personal-care products) act as synthetic estrogens. They are common ingredients used to make shampoos, lotions, and toothpaste contain this combo.

These synthetic hormones trick the body into converting testosterone to female estrogen hormone as there can only be one superior hormone-either estrogen testosterone. You should check the constituents of your body wash, toothpaste, etc., before purchasing.

What Foods Are Natural Testosterone Boosters?

• Tuna

• Beef

• Salmon

• Spinach

• Beans

• Pomegranate

• Oysters

• Avocado

Effects of Low Testosterone Levels

Low testosterone levels in men are not as common, especially in teens and young men (16-30years). It’s not until 25-30 years that testosterone decreases. However, cases are present in many older men. Testosterone fades with age-studies indicate a decline of 1% per year.

Causes of decline include injuries, trauma, blood flow interruption to the testicles, and testicle infections. Cancer treatments have also been observed to cause reduced testosterone levels, specifically chemotherapy.

Chronic health issues are also contributors to low male sex hormone levels. Diseases like HIV-AIDS and diabetes are risk factors that reduce the production of testosterone.

Some of the effects of low hormonal levels in men include:

• Infertility in men

• Obesity, which later causes inflammations and heart problems

• Increased estrogen production leading to muscular deficiency and hair loss.

• Reduced sex drive coupled up with low libido and erectile dysfunction

• Low semen volume production

• Fatigue

Some of the symptoms you will notice that flag a problem in your testosterone levels are fatigue, lack of sex drive, losing body hair, and losing/gaining weight. Stress and depression are other signs that you may consider as symptoms of having a low testosterone level.

Final Thoughts:

The natural gain of testosterone is not simple, but it is doable. Many people may choose to do testosterone replacement therapy, but that too has its risks. Going the natural way offers no danger to your health and has lasting effects on your health. Compensating for lost testosterone using natural techniques not only puts your body in a better shape and healthier due to the diet planning, increasing your overall productivity.

Boosting Testosterone FAQs

Can testosterone be multiplied naturally for men with low levels?

Testosterone levels can be added by exercising regularly, particularly by practicing resistance training and High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). These exercises increase muscular generation, which favors increased levels of testosterone.

Adopting healthy eating is also a major way of maintaining testosterone levels at peak or gaining more. Ensure you eat a balanced diet for optimal results.

Other ways of getting a testosterone boost naturally include getting abundant sleep (7-9 hours daily), avoiding stress, desisting alcohol, taking natural testosterone supplements like vitamin D, and staying away from products that use estrogen-like ingredients.

What's the role of testosterone in the human body?

Testosterone is responsible for the development of male characteristics in human bodies. It aids in producing red blood cells, sperms, muscle mass, bone mass, strength, fat and behavioral traits. During puberty, this hormone enables the development of sexual organs into maturity, body hair growth, and regulating the sex drive.

Do women have testosterone?

Females produce testosterone in their ovaries, although in smaller amounts than males. Testosterone is primarily a male-forming hormone. Females have estrogen hormone, which is responsible for their feminine nature.

What are the effects of low levels of testosterone?

Low testosterone levels in men lead to a low sex drive, erectile dysfunction, obesity, low libido, and fatigue. In extreme cases, it causes heart problems, hair loss, and infertility.

How can you know if you have a low testosterone level?

The best solution is to get a test done by your doctor to test for the levels. However, you are at a high risk of having low testosterone if you experience fatigue, loss of body hair, have depression, and loss of body mass. Other symptoms are low or lack of sex drive and weight gain.