Testosterone could be regarded as[1] the primary male sex hormone responsible for various male health benefits.
The hormone is mainly produced in the testicles of men, but the adrenal gland also contributes a small portion of testosterone to the body.
Moreover, females also have testosterone in trace amounts produced in their ovaries and adrenals.
Testosterone is a steroid hormone that could play a significant role in the changes during the puberty period like the growth of body hair, deep voice, etc., in males.
Hence, an optimum testosterone level is crucial in the body for a smooth transition from teenager to adult in men.
However, it may be difficult for an individual to hold an average testosterone level throughout life.
As a man starts aging, the testosterone level starts to drop naturally due to multiple factors like underlying medical conditions, stress, and the consumption of foods that lower testosterone is also one of the issues.
But, decreasing sex hormone levels should be immediately addressed as it may lead to various health conditions.
Low testosterone due to poor lifestyle isn’t permanent; hence, it could be maintained[2] by changing lifestyle and food consumption.
Moreover, several natural testosterone boosters are available that may contribute to the overall growth of testosterone levels.
Hence, this article will list several potential methods to enhance sex hormone levels in the body.
12 Methods To Increase Testosterone
Follow A Balanced Diet
Some potential reasons for low testosterone levels could be obesity and high blood sugar levels.
Hence, anyone struggling with low testosterone levels may need to work on their diet to reduce body weight and control blood sugar.
A healthy diet to optimize testosterone should provide a balance between carbohydrates, proteins, and fibers.
You may consider multiple vegetables, fruits, or protein-rich food like meat or fish to fulfill the nutrition demands.
Each component of your balanced diet may aid[3] the testosterone level.
For example, carbohydrates play a crucial role in balancing the testosterone level during resistance training.
On the other hand, protein could be essential to support your muscle mass and provide satiety, while fat intake provides substrate for steroid hormone production.Increase Intake Of Essential Vitamins And Minerals
It is believed that regular Vitamin D consumption may help[4] you maintain healthy testosterone in the body.
Alongside other potential health risks, low vitamin D acts may lead to lower T levels.
Several studies have mentioned that regular consumption of Vitamin D3 in a prescribed quantity has increased the testosterone level by a good margin in men with vitamin D deficiency.
Alongside Vitamin D, DHEA supplements may benefit you in recovering the testosterone content in the body.
DHEA hormone is responsible for testosterone and other hormone production.
Several researchers have mentioned that Vitamin B, C, E, and A may have a role in boosting the testosterone level, but additional studies are needed.
Zinc-deficient athletes sometimes experience a testosterone boost by consuming[5] zinc-containing supplements.Regular Exercise
Low testosterone levels could be due to an irregular lifestyle and low physical activity.
Adding regular exercise to your routine may help deal with these lifestyle-related conditions.
One survey[6] has shown that people doing regular exercise had more testosterone than others.
Moreover, regular exercise may work for older people to increase their testosterone levels.
You may start with basic exercises initially but shift to helpful exercises like weight lifting, cardio, etc.
People looking to boost their testosterone level for the long term should highly focus on resistance training.
These exercises could effectively cut down excessive fat and make you fit.
Alongside these exercises, you may add high-intensity interval exercises to boost testosterone immensely in the body.Change Your Routine
It’s your lifestyle that has a significant impact[7] on your sex hormone.
An individual resting the whole day or doing a bare minimum activity may struggle to maintain a healthy testosterone level.
Hence, activeness in life could be highly crucial in boosting testosterone levels. A healthy lifestyle with a balanced routine may help you maintain your testosterone level.
You may need to make some changes if you have an unbalanced routine. For example, if you currently sleep excessively, cut the sleep hours to 8-9 hours per day.
Similarly, you may dedicate specific hours to different essential tasks to keep yourself active and busy for healthy testosterone production.Start Losing Weight
Piling up weight due to body fat could bring multiple adverse effects on your body.
Similarly, heavy weight due to body fat may impact[8] testosterone production in men.
Any individual with higher body fat may have high estrogen content.
Men having high estrogen may struggle to produce optimum testosterone for their bodies.
Estrogen exerts a negative stimulation at the brain’s hypothalamic-pituitary region, decreasing testosterone production in the gonads.
Hence, you may need to reduce the body fat concentration to maintain the testosterone level in the body.
You may decrease your weight by multiple methods like controlling your diet, doing exercises, or fasting.
But, as soon as you lose weight, you may observe a positive change in your testosterone level.Never Cut Down Average Sleep Hours
A hectic schedule may force you to cut down a few hours of sleep, which may result in low testosterone levels.
You may not be aware that your gonads produce maximum sex hormone while sleeping.
Hence, when you cut down the sleep hours, you may reduce the overall testosterone production.
An individual must dedicate one-third of the day to sleep, i.e., 8 hours.
Alongside quantity, sleep quality could also play a role in maintaining[9] testosterone levels.Work On Reducing Stress
Stress and anxiety always play a negative role in the well-being of an individual.
Here, excessive stress may affect[10] the overall testosterone levels in the blood. Whenever you feel stressed, your body gets stimulated to release a hormone called cortisol.
The stress hormone is tasked with preparing your body to tackle the stress effectively.
But, when you take excessive stress, the stress hormone stays in the blood for a prolonged period, reducing free testosterone in the blood.
While trying to increase testosterone levels, you should focus on reducing stress.
You may do some activities to relax, like listening to songs, deep breathing, etc., that may help you control anxiety or stress.Completely Avoid Alcohol And Drugs Consumption
Alcohol and drug consumption hurts physically and mentally an individual.
Several researchers[11] have concluded that alcohol and drug abuse eventually leads to organ failures, psychological issues, and other potentially fatal conditions.
Similarly, these substances may hurt testosterone production and the levels of free testosterone in the blood.
Alcohol consumption harms multiple glands and inhibits the release of hormones linked to male sexual health.
Moreover, they cause cellular damage and hormonal reactions in the body, lowering testosterone levels.
On the other hand, drug abuse may directly impact the gonad’s function, hence, it could be linked to reduced spermatogenesis and androgen production.Consider Changing Medications
You may not be aware that medication could negatively affect testosterone levels.
The decreasing testosterone levels could be due to the side effects shown by some medicines.
Especially people who have diabetes, cancer, or other chronic medical conditions may find their medications to be the cause of low testosterone levels.
The chemotherapeutic drugs are believed to damage the gonads; hence, a significant drop in testosterone production could be seen.
Similarly, other medications like Ketoconazole (fights fungal infections), Cimetidine (treats gastroesophageal issues), Spironolactone (lowers blood pressure and heart failures), etc., may be responsible for low testosterone in men.
You might want to note that maintaining a decent level of testosterone could reduce the risk of diabetes. This paper[12] confirms this theory.Consume Natural Testosterone Boosters
It isn’t necessary to depend on artificial supplements to get an immediate hormonal boost.
Several natural testosterone boosters like fenugreek extract, ginseng, ashwagandha, etc., could help lift your testosterone levels.
The theory about ashwagandha promoting free testosterone also appears promising according to studies.[13]
These natural ingredients are rich in essential compounds like certain phytochemicals that may improve testosterone production in gonads.
Moreover, the natural testosterone boosters may contribute to the uptake of essential minerals like boron, zinc, etc., required for increasing testosterone levels.Avoid Estrogen-Like Compounds That Suppress Testosterone Production
As you know, excessive estrogen concentration in the body may lower testosterone production.
Hence, it gets crucial for an individual to avoid estrogen-like compounds that may increase the estrogen level.
You may consider avoiding plastics as they contain BPA, paraben, and other chemicals that may inhibit testosterone production.
Hence, start using glassware or steel utensils to reduce the usage of plastics in daily life.Inform Any Underlying Condition To The Doctors
An individual needs to inform the doctors regarding any underlying medical conditions or past conditions for better diagnosis.
Several medical conditions like type-2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, etc., could negatively affect testosterone levels.
Moreover, past treatments like chemotherapy and exposure to radiation may contribute to low testosterone production.
Conclusion
You might know testosterone as a sex hormone, but it offers benefits beyond the sexual health of an individual. Hence, it is crucial to be present in the optimum amount to stay healthy and fit.
If you are struggling to maintain an average testosterone count, then you may consider the above-mentioned ideas to treat the low-testosterone condition naturally.
In case, you don’t see any significant change after applying the above methods, never hesitate to go for testosterone therapy.
13 References/Sources
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- George N. Nassar; Stephen W. Leslie Physiology, Testosterone Last Update: January 4, 2022. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526128/
- Improving Low Testosterone Naturally Available from: https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/improving-low-testosterone-naturally.asp
- Tzu-Yu Hu, Yi Chun Chen, Pei Lin, et al. Testosterone-Associated Dietary Pattern Predicts Low Testosterone Levels and Hypogonadism Nutrients. 2018 Nov; 10(11): 1786. Published online 2018 Nov 16. doi: 10.3390/nu10111786
- S Pilz , S Frisch, H Koertke, et al. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men Horm Metab Res. 2011 Mar;43(3):223-5. doi: 10.1055/s-0030-1269854. Epub 2010 Dec 10. Available from:https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21154195/
- A S Prasad , C S Mantzoros, F W Beck, et al. Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults Nutrition. 1996 May;12(5):344-8. doi: 10.1016/s0899-9007(96)80058-x. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8875519/
- Hiroshi Kumagai , Asako Zempo-Miyaki , Toru Yoshikawa et al. Increased physical activity has a greater effect than reduced energy intake on lifestyle modification-induced increases in testosterone J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2016 Jan;58(1):84-9. doi: 10.3164/jcbn.15-48. Epub 2015 Nov 27. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26798202/
- Naomi E Allen 1, Paul N Appleby, Gwyneth K Davey et al. Lifestyle and nutritional determinants of bioavailable androgens and related hormones in British men Cancer Causes Control. 2002 May;13(4):353-63. doi: 10.1023/a:1015238102830. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12074505/
- D M Kelly , T H Jones Testosterone and obesity Obes Rev. 2015 Jul;16(7):581-606. doi: 10.1111/obr.12282. Epub 2015 May 15. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25982085/
- Gary Wittert The relationship between sleep disorders and testosterone in men Asian J Androl. 2014 Mar-Apr; 16(2): 262–265. Published online 2014 Jan 7. doi: 10.4103/1008-682X.122586
- Reza Afrisham, Sahar Sadegh-Nejadi, Omid SoliemaniFar, et al Salivary Testosterone Levels Under Psychological Stress and Its Relationship with Rumination and Five Personality Traits in Medical Students Psychiatry Investig. 2016 Nov; 13(6): 637–643. Published online 2016 Nov 24. doi: 10.4306/pi.2016.13.6.637
- Ylenia Duca, Antonio Aversa, Rosita Angela Condorelli, et al. Substance Abuse and Male Hypogonadism J Clin Med. 2019 May; 8(5): 732.
Published online 2019 May 22. doi: 10.3390/jcm8050732 - Qiu-ming Yao, Bin Wang, Xiao-fei An, et al. Testosterone level and risk of type 2 diabetes in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis Endocr Connect. 2018 Jan; 7(1): 220–231. Published online 2017 Dec 12. doi: 10.1530/EC-17-0253
- Adrian L. Lopresti, Peter D. Drummond, and Stephen J. Smith A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males Am J Mens Health. 2019 Mar-Apr; 13(2): 1557988319835985. Published online 2019 Mar 10. doi: 10.1177/1557988319835985
- About the Author
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Michael has been in the male wellness industry for 25+ years. Before joining Working For Health as a full-time male wellness journalist, he contributed to multiple online portals in the male wellness field. Before that, he has been an assistant to several sexologists.