The Impact of Diet on Testosterone Levels: What Every Man Should Know
When it comes to male sexual health, there are often various technical terms such as seminal vesicle, androgens, and vas deferens. However, do you really understand what they are and how they are linked to male sexual health? This article will focus on one of the biggest elements of male sexual health, testosterone, and its relationship with nutrition.
Welcome to the Holmen’s Health dietitian blog post, I am dietitian Oscar and here we talk about foods, drinks, snacks, desserts, anything that you can think of when it comes to eating. I personally love eating and am passionate about assisting others in finding their most suitable diet pattern while promoting maximum health benefits. Let’s explore how foods affect testosterone levels.
Understanding Testosterone
Testosterone is a hormone produced in the testicles for male and in smaller amounts in females’ ovaries, which travels around the body through the bloodstream. It is a major sex hormone in males and is essential for the development of male reproductive tissues, secondary sexual characteristics, maintenance of muscle and bone mass, sex drive, and sperm production. The brain is the main control room for the production of testosterone; it sends signals to the pituitary gland to alter the level of production.
One of the most common myths about testosterone is that more testosterone leads to better sexual function. I can tell you that this is not always true. Excessive levels of testosterone can lead to low sperm counts, shrinking of the testicles, heart muscle damage, and insomnia, all of which can negatively affect normal sexual function. This is often caused by the consumption of anabolic steroids, testosterone, or other hormones to boost physical athletic abilities.
On the other hand, testosterone deficiency can happen to any man. Testosterone levels can drop around 1% to 2% each year during the ageing process. In fact, over one-third of men over age 45 experience some levels of reduction in testosterone. Some common symptoms of testosterone deficiency include low sex drive, low sperm count, and infertility, all of which are also harmful to male sexual function.
Key Nutrients for Testosterone Production
While the anabolic steroids have a significant effect on enhancing testosterone levels, I tend to believe in more “natural” ways to manipulate testosterone levels as a dietitian. The pathways of producing testosterone are highly complicated and involve different interactions between body systems. Different nutrients can facilitate the production of testosterone in various ways. The four nutrients to enhance testosterone levels are listed below.
1. Zinc
Zinc is a crucial micronutrient that affects various physiological systems. The recommended daily intake for zinc is between 13 mg to 14 mg per day, and it can be found in food sources such as oysters (30 mg in a 90 g serving), beef (3.8 mg in a 90 g serving), cheese (1.5 mg in a 45 g serving), rolled oats (2.3 mg in a 1 cup serving), and white bread (0.2 mg in a 1 slice). Zinc facilitates the synthesis of a hormone called luteinizing hormone (LH), which stimulates testosterone synthesis in the testes.
2. Vitamin D
Another key micronutrient for testosterone production is vitamin D. Vitamin D receptors are found on the cells within the testes that are responsible for producing testosterone from cholesterol. There are two biological forms of vitamin D: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 is more abundant in plant sources such as mushrooms, while vitamin D3 is mainly synthesised in the skin with sunlight exposure. It can also be found in certain food sources, including tuna, salmon, and egg yolk.
3. Healthy Fats
Fat is directly linked to the hormonal system, as hormones are primarily composed of fat. Specifically, cholesterol, which is a type of dietary fats, is one of the basic elements for testosterone production. While cholesterol is key to testosterone production, it is equally important to understand which types of fat are healthy and which are unhealthy. “Good” cholesterol, called high-density lipoprotein, is mostly found in foods with high unsaturated fat such as walnuts, chia seeds, olives, and avocado. “Bad” cholesterol, called low-density lipoprotein (LDL), is mostly found in foods with high saturated fat and trans-fat such as processed meat, deep fried fast foods, coconut oil, and butter.
4. Protein
There is often a misconception that protein lowers testosterone. This is not exactly the case. First of all, to optimise testosterone levels, it is recommended to consume 1.6 to 2.2 g per kg of body weight per day. A recent study conducted in 2022 found that a high-protein diet composed of more than 3.4 g per kg per day could decrease men’s testosterone levels. However, even for elite athletes, they usually consume around 3 g of protein per kg per day, so it is hard for a usual diet to surpass this and hit the 3.4 mark. Therefore, to benefit testosterone production, it is necessary to keep protein consumption with the recommendation range but not overdo it.
Foods That May Lower Testosterone Levels
While some foods are beneficial to testosterone production, there are also foods that can inhibit testosterone levels. Poor dietary habits might impact the pathways of testosterone synthesis or induce medical complications that can affect the testosterone levels, such as fatty liver, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The three types of food that might impact testosterone levels are listed below.
1. Processed Foods
Processed foods such as chips, bacon, sausage, cakes, and biscuits are often high in calories, saturated fat, artificial sweets, and sodium. A study conducted in 2019 showed that a diet high in fried and processed foods could decrease testosterone levels in middle-aged and elderly men. In addition to fried and processed foods, sugary foods and beverages are also concerning, as they can lower blood testosterone levels in adult male 20 to 39 years old, according to American research. Processed food can not only impact testosterone levels, but also increase the risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes, all of which could potentially further worsen sexual function.
2. Alcohol
Unhealthy habits, including smoking, lack of exercise, and alcohol abuse are highly associated with low testosterone levels. Specifically, regarding alcohol, it can impact the body directly through the testes and nervous system to lower testosterone levels, or indirectly by producing active oxygen radicals. Moreover, chronic excessive alcohol consumption of more than 8 drinks per week could lead to a loss of 4 ng/mL in testosterone levels.
3. Soy Products
As mentioned above, “bad” cholesterol, LDL, can be found in foods high in saturated fat and trans-fat. An experiment conducted in 2022 examined the effect of margarine on testosterone levels in rats. The results showed that margarine increased LDL and decreased HDL due to its high level of saturated fat and trans-fat. The serum testosterone levels of the rats significantly dropped, and their sexual organs, such as seminiferous tubules and testes, showed deterioration.
If you’re wanting support in learning how to improve your diet to support sexual function, learn more about our philosophy and services, please reach out to us! We work with clients virtually throughout Australia.
This blog post on the Impact of Diet on Testosterone Levels was published July 2024.
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- Abo-Ghanema, I. I., Aboelnour, A., Abd Elrehim, A. M., & Ghoneim, H. A. (2022). Effect of Different Dietary Fat Sources on Lipid Profile and Testosterone Level in Male Albino Rats. Damanhour Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 8(1), 24–30. https://doi.org/10.5455/djvs.2021.95910.1050
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