How to Naturally Increase Testosterone, According to Science

7 Proven Ways to Naturally Increase Your Testosterone Levels

Low testosterone can result from natural aging, certain medical conditions (such as hypogonadism), obesity, chronic illness, certain medications, and more. How to manage erectile dysfunction through mindfulness practices helps you regain confidence and improve your intimate life through awareness techniques. While zinc deficiency isn’t common, those who do not consume much animal or plant-based protein might have low levels, and therefore, would benefit from a supplement. Men who enjoy shellfish likely have adequate levels, as just one oyster has 5.5mg of zinc, half of the recommended 11 mg daily intake. On the other hand, supplements widely promoted for their T-boosting properties—like Ashwagandha, ginseng, maca root, vitamin D, and zinc—either showed mixed results or no results when taken in supplement form.

Copyright © 2025 Gapin Institute

Also, testosterone affects women differently than men and they naturally have lower amounts of it. Dr. Honig warns against taking supplements claiming they can boost testosterone levels. “There is no regulation of supplements by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and there is no proof that they actually work,” he says. In fact, they can potentially be dangerous because you don’t know exactly what’s in them and how they will impact the body, he explains.

Additionally, bending and roll-ups promote flexibility and spinal mobility26. This structured combination ensures a well-rounded approach to fitness while minimizing resource requirements and supporting broader applicability across diverse populations. While many scientific studies and huge amounts of data show the safety of supplemental testosterone in postmenopausal women, only about 50% of women who take it experience a significant increase in sex drive.

Once in there, your body treats it like estrogen, which means it decreases your testosterone production and can raise your risk of other diseases, including cancer (15). With the exception of increasing my fat and cholesterol intake, my diet wasn’t that unconventional. I didn’t follow a strictly low-carb or Paleo diet because recent research has suggested that a diet high in protein and low in carbs actually causes T levels to decrease. I tried to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruit, but I didn’t freak out if my wife made us spaghetti for dinner. Having too big a gap between the calories you burn and the calories you use can also decrease testosterone. Research has shown that low-fat diets decrease testosterone levels in men, but more research is needed to understand why. Cooking with and adding extra virgin olive oil to your food are natural ways to increase testosterone.

There are natural ways to boost your body’s production of the hormone, however, and many of them are simple lifestyle changes that can improve your sleep and overall health, too. Want to support your testosterone levels naturally and safely? BPI Sports features trusted products like BPI Sports’ A-HD Elite, designed for men who want to perform and feel their best.

The RISE app predicts your circadian rhythm each day, so you can see when your body naturally wants to wind down for bed and go to sleep. You can then sync up your meals, light, and sleep-wake times to match. Surprisingly, the study found testosterone pimples levels in shift workers depended on how satisfied those shift workers were with their work life.

Who knew deadlifts and squats were actually natural ways to increase testosterone? Push yourself as hard as you can for 30 seconds, and then rest (without slowing down your heart rate). Even 20 minutes a day of high-intensity interval training will boost your testosterone and start to build healthy, lean muscle. In males, this decline typically starts around the age of 30 and continues gradually over the years.

Cortisol (the main hormone produced during stress response) and testosterone interact in a see-saw-like fashion. Elevated cortisol can even make workouts less effective because of its testosterone-dampening effects (9). All types of exercise are beneficial for healthy testosterone, but strength exercises, like lifting weights, bodyweight, or calisthenics, are the most beneficial (3). This begs the question whether or not integrative medicine and researchers have fully explored the effect of diet and lifestyle choices on testosterone, rather than accepting a pre-programmed decline (7). Keep sleep debt low, lower stress levels, exercise, and cut down on alcohol. Supplements that may increase testosterone include Zinc, vitamin D, ginger, and ashwagandha. More research needs to be done into the long-term safety and efficacy of supplements, however, as they may not be suitable for everyone.

According to the American Urology Association (AUA) optimal testosterone levels in healthy men will range from 300 to 1050 ng/dL. Testosterone levels will peak in the late teens and early 20s and will begin to decline 1-2% per year after the age of 30 in men. Low testosterone in men is defined as less than 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dL).