How to increase testosterone naturally without TRT

14 Foods That May Boost Testosterone Naturally

Your doctor will likely perform a physical exam and review your lifestyle to determine the problem. Men usually have between 300 and 1,000 nanograms (ng) of testosterone per deciliter (dL). If your test results show a low testosterone center level, you may need to increase the hormone. If you aren’t much of a seafood lover, you can also take omega-3 or DHA-enriched fish oil supplements. Male volunteers taking fish oil in one trial saw an increase in their total testosterone levels (25).

If you can’t get enough sun exposure, consider taking vitamin D supplements to boost your levels. People can boost testosterone naturally through diet and exercise or, in some cases, through supplementation. In combination with estrogen, testosterone helps with repairing reproductive tissues, growth, and maintaining sexual behavior. Too much testosterone, however, can cause symptoms such as excess body hair or deepening of the voice. Many people may turn to vitamins and supplements to boost testosterone. However, some studies have found that despite claims of such supplements boosting testosterone, only a small percentage actually do.

Researchers found that D-aspartic acid for testosterone enhanced the hormone levels in animal studies but showed inconsistent results in human trials. Healthy women make up to 300 micrograms of testosterone in their ovaries and adrenal glands every day. A high protein diet and supplementing oleuropein (a compound from extra virgin oil) increased testosterone by 300% in rats while halving cortisol [97]. Doing 4 hours of moderate (55-70% maximum heart rate) exercise per week increased testosterone by 250% compared to doing ~2 hours of exercise in 90 obese men. Administering pure lactate (a by-product of exercise) had a similar effect [93, 94]. A meta-analysis of 29 clinical trials and over 1,000 men found that testosterone treatment increases muscle strength [17]. In a clinical trial on 57 postmenopausal women, testosterone treatment prevented bone loss and increased hip bone mineral density [34].

It is worth noting that testosterone levels decline with normal aging. Therefore, healthy young men usually have higher testosterone levels than older men. Doctors usually measure daytime testosterone levels by obtaining a blood sample between 7 am and 10 am. If the result shows low testosterone, your doctor may order a repeat test for confirmation. Normal testosterone levels are 300 to 1,000 ng/dL in healthy males and 15 to 70 ng/dL in healthy females.

In other words, exercise reduces stress and helps you lose excess weight, both of which can lower testosterone levels. Combined with a good diet and enough sleep—which also helps crush cortisol—and you may well be able to boost testosterone without pharmaceutical intervention. “Weight loss through a combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise is a crucial strategy for addressing low testosterone in overweight or obese individuals,” explains Aston. “Shedding excess body fat can alleviate the estrogen dominance resulting from fat tissue, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and help rebalance hormonal levels,” she says. Low testosterone can lead to symptoms like low libido, decreased sperm count, difficulty sustaining erections, and loss of muscle mass.

Any day that you don’t get 20 minutes of direct sunlight on your skin, you want to supplement with 5,000 international units of vitamin D3. Studies suggest that heavy alcohol consumption may reduce testosterone levels. Alcohol also impairs the function of the testicular Sertoli cells that play a critical role in sperm maturation. Most men with low testosterone consume too much junk food and too many carbohydrates. You have to get rid of those empty calories and eat more healthy fat. For many men with low testosterone levels, implementing healthy lifestyle changes relieves their symptoms and increases their testosterone.

When you’re stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol negatively impacts testosterone, and high stress levels can contribute to low testosterone over time. Find ways to reduce stress, such as exercise or medication, to fight these effects. Carrying extra weight can lower testosterone levels and have a negative effect on other hormones. Maintaining a healthy weight or striving to shed extra pounds if you have weight to lose can help regulate testosterone.

Drug companies promote products that claim to increase testosterone, and while these might help some people, they may also slow down the body’s ability to produce testosterone naturally. According to a recent study of 9,054 men ages 19 and 39 who were of a healthy weight, normal testosterone levels range from between 264 and 916 nanograms per deciliters (ng/dL). We lead busy lives, and it’s easy to treat exercise as an afterthought. Either we don’t consistently make time for it in the first place, or we find a specific type of exercise we enjoy and put it on repeat.