Strength Sleep and Stress – 7 easy ways to increase testosterone levels naturally
Introduction
Testosterone is a hormone that is made primarily in the male gonads. It can also be found in lower levels in females. It plays an important role in developing male sexual functions and characteristics. Testosterone levels increase during the puberty phase, where boys develop secondary sexual characteristics such as increased muscle mass, deepening of the voice and facial hair growth. Testosterone is essential for men to produce sperm (male reproductive cell).
Levels of testosterone tend to reduce as men age. Unfortunately, some men suffer from low levels of testosterone. Some indications of low levels of testosterone are;
- Tiredness
- Loss of bodily hair
- Difficulties with erection
- Depression
- Reduced sexual interest
It is important that there are many other causes to these mentioned above.
Here are some changes you can that could act as natural testosterone booster!
- Food
Some foods are known to stimulate testosterone levels in our body. Both garlic and onion are your best friends here. They enhance testosterone levels in the body by increasing a hormone that triggers testosterone production in the body. Foods’s rich in zinc and magnesium can help with boosting testosterone levels. Some examples of these are spinach and oysters.
Obesity and poor metabolic health are known to effect testosterone levels; therefore, it is important to have a balanced diet with adequate amount of protein. Adequate amount of protein is dependent on your gender, age and your daily activity. In the event of low protein diet, less amount of testosterone is available to the body.
- Alcohol
Persistent and excessive levels of alcohol are known to lower testosterone levels in the body. Taking a break from alcohol and reducing alcohol consumption may help increasing levels of testosterone. Alcohol affects the body in multiple ways, and it is known to affect many of the hormones in the body. Excessive alcohol use is related to decrease in the size of the male gonad, testes.
- Vitamin D
This vitamin is known as the sunshine vitamin and is also found in foods. Some examples of foods rich in Vitamin D are fish, cod liver oil and egg yolk. Vitamin D is a known booster for testosterone levels in the human body.
- Sleep
The importance of good sleep cannot be emphasized enough! A good amount of complete 7 – 8 hours of sleep may help boost levels of testosterone. Sleep also helps with reduced levels of stress and overall wellbeing. The science behind this is that the human body produces more testosterone when you sleep. This hormone peaks during sleep stages where dream occurs. Some data suggest that testosterone levels may reduce during sleep deprivation.
- Strength
Building muscle mass helps with boosting testosterone levels. Strength training such as weight lifting will help in building muscle mass. These should be done in moderation as excessive weight training, causes excessive stress on the body and may cause the opposite effect!
- Stress factor
We all experience a certain amount of stress throughout our daily life. However, excessive amount of stress triggers the body’s natural “fight-or-flight” response. This results in release of stress hormones which can cause depletion in testosterone levels in the body if present in abnormal duration of time.
- Weight loss
Obesity is linked to lower levels of testosterone in the body. Weight loss will help your body with insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a state where your body is not able to use its glucose storage. This leads to increased production of insulin in the body. There is a relation between insulin resistance and lower levels of testosterone. Keeping your weight in check will help with maintaining levels of testosterone in your body.
Conclusion
Some of these factors discussed in this blog often are linked to one another. For example, increased stress levels can lead to increased stress hormones. This can then lead to weight gain and insulin resistance, which impacts on the levels of testosterone. Therefore, it is important to have a measured and holistic approach.
There can also be other medical causes to low levels of testosterone. If you are concerned about your testosterone levels, you should speak to your doctor or you could consult one of our doctors at Eirdoc. Please click here to book an appointment.
References and further reading
- https://www.webmd.com/men/ss/slideshow-low-testosterone-natural-boost
- https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/l/low-testosterone
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/
- Pasquali,R. (2012) The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and sex hormones in chronic stress and obesity: Pathophysiological and clinical aspects. N. Y. Acad. Sci., 1264, 20–35.