21 Foods That May Help Boost Testosterone Levels Naturally

There are many foods that boost testosterone levels. These are especially useful for those with muscle weakness and a tendency to feel lethargic frequently. Low testosterone levels can make you feel depressed for a large part of the day or lose your sexual interest.

It is mainly a male sex hormone, but women also produce testosterone in modest amounts. The above issues can occur when testosterone levels are lacking. So, what should you do to ensure your testosterone levels are restored to normal? Which foods increase testosterone the most? Read on to know the answer, and learn about the nutrient-dense foods that can boost testosterone levels.

What Are The Foods That Boost Testosterone Levels Naturally?

For the sake of simplicity, let’s split the testosterone booster foods into two categories – non-vegetarian, and vegan and vegetarian.

Testosterone-Boosting Foods For Non-Vegetarians

1. Tuna And Wild Salmon

These fish are rich in vitamin D, a nutrient linked to testosterone production (1). Just ensure you stick to 2 to 3 servings per day of this testosterone booster food to minimize mercury intake.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can include a pack of canned tuna or salmon in your everyday meal.

2. Egg Yolks

Egg yolks are rich in vitamin D and can help boost your testosterone levels. Just be wary of the cholesterol in egg yolks, though – if you already have cholesterol issues, you can consume other alternatives (like fish).

How To Include In Your Diet

Include one egg yolk in your breakfast every day.

You can get eggs from your nearest supermarket

3. Oysters

Oysters are rich sources of zinc, a nutrient important for testosterone production.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can have a few raw oysters along with your evening meal.

4. Shrimp And Other Shellfish

Shrimp is another vitamin D-rich seafood that has a strong link to higher testosterone levels.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can add shrimp to your favorite evening soup, along with other veggies.

5. Beef And Venison

Beef is another great source of vitamin D that boosts testosterone levels. Venison (deer meat) is rich in protein, just like most meat foods, and is important for testosterone. Inadequate protein can increase the levels of certain hormones in the body that can deactivate testosterone.

But be wary of beef – as it contains more fat than most meaty foods. Choose lean cuts of beef and avoid eating beef every day.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can garnish your vegetable salad with cooked beef or venison. Just ensure you limit the portions of red meat.

These are the non-vegetarian foods that boost testosterone. But what if you are a vegetarian or a vegan? This is what you should consume then.

Testosterone-Boosting Foods For Vegans And Vegetarians

6. Fortified Cereals

Consuming cereals fortified with vitamin D is also a good way to boost testosterone levels. The cereals contain other healthy nutrients as well that help jump-start your day.

How To Include In Your Diet

Have the cereals as part of your regular morning breakfast.

7. Beans

Beans (white, black, and kidney) are all great sources of vitamin D and zinc – two essential nutrients for optimal testosterone levels.

How To Include In Your Diet

Make beans a part of your regular evening salad.

Quick Tip

You can make curries with beans and add them over rice or tacos.

8. Pomegranates

Research shows that pomegranates may help women improve their testosterone levels. In one study, 22 participants taking pomegranate juice every day for two weeks saw a 24% increase in their testosterone levels.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can drink pomegranate juice for breakfast.

You can buy pomegranates from the nearest supermarket store.

9. Garlic

Studies have shown that garlic can increase testosterone levels in males. This property can be attributed to diallyl disulfide, a sulfur-containing compound in garlic (2).

How To Include In Your Diet

You can simply garnish your dishes with roasted garlic. Consuming one garlic clove a day can also help.

10. Cruciferous Veggies

The high-fiber vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli that help flush out excess estrogenⁱ  XIt belongs to the class of sex hormones that develop and control the female reproductive system as well as secondary sex traits. and make testosterone in the body far more effective. These cruciferous vegetables contain indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that aids this process. You can also include cauliflower in your diet to boost testosterone levels.

How To Include In Your Diet

Include these veggies in your evening vegetable salad.

11. Olive Oil

Olive oil contains healthy fats, which, as per some sources, may have androgen promoting properties and help boost testosterone levels.

How To Include In Your Diet

Drizzle olive oil over your evening salad or other snack dishes.

Quick Tip

Pick extra virgin olive oil if you want to consume it raw, drizzled over your meals. However, opt for virgin olive oil (less expensive) if you want to use it for cooking.

12. Wheat Bran

Wheat bran is replete with magnesium, a mineral that can boost testosterone levels. Studies show that this mineral supplementation can increase testosterone levels in athletes (3).

How To Include In Your Diet

Sprinkle wheat bran on your breakfast cereal.

13. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, a mineral ideal for boosting testosterone levels. Sources state that women deficient in zinc may have lower concentrations of testosterone.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can have roasted pumpkin seeds as a delightful evening snack. Brush the seeds with olive oil and season with cumin or garlic powder. Bake until the seeds are roasted.

14. Brazil Nuts

Brazil nuts are one of the richest sources of selenium, a mineral associated with higher testosterone levels.

How To Include In Your Diet

Have 1 to 2 Brazil nuts every day. Since these nuts are very high in selenium, limit your intake to just 1 or 2 a day – to avoid selenium toxicity.

15. Hot Sauce

The capsaicin in hot sauce has been found to boost testosterone levels in adults.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can include some hot sauce in your breakfast preparations. You can also use it to amp up the taste of your evening snack.

16. Ginseng

Some research says that intake of ginseng can lead to an increase in blood testosterone levels (4).

How To Include In Your Diet

You can eat ginseng roots raw. Or simmer 5 to 6 slices of the root in hot water to make ginseng tea and have it in the evenings.

17. Asparagus

Asparagus is rich in B vitamins and vitamin E, nutrients crucial for the production of testosterone.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can add chopped asparagus to your dinner preparations.

These vegetarian and vegan options are great. But are there any other foods that increase testosterone? Let us find out.

18. Onion

Onions have many beneficial compounds – like quercetin, kaempferol, and sulfur compounds – that may affect human health. According to research, onions can boost testosterone levels through various mechanisms. These include increasing the luteinizing hormone production, strengthening antioxidant defenses, combating harmful free radicals present in the testes, and improving insulin sensitivity (5). However, these findings have been studied in rats. Further human studies, primarily clinical trials, are needed to confirm these effects.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can sauté onions with your favorite vegetables, use them as a savory topping by caramelizing them, or toss them into salads, sandwiches, and soups. You can also grill onion rings or halves and serve them as a side dish or burger topping.

Other Foods That Boost Testosterone

19. Low-Fat Fortified Milk

Consuming milk fortified with vitamin D is another good way to enhance your testosterone levels. The vitamin D in the milk, as we are aware, helps in this aspect.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can have a glass of milk every morning. You can also add it to your breakfast cereal.

You can get your pack of milk from your nearest supermarket store.

20. Honey

Honey is a good source of magnesium, a nutrient important for testosterone production. It also contains boron that is equally important. The nitric oxide in honey opens up blood vessels and helps improve the strength of an erection.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can add a teaspoon of honey to your morning cup of tea.

21. Whey Protein

Whey protein contains D-aspartic acid, an amino acid known to increase testosterone levels.

How To Include In Your Diet

You can have a scoop of whey protein in the mornings before working out. Whey protein has the best effects if you include exercise in your routine.

The microbes present in foods like yogurt and other probiotics may also help boost testosterone levels (6). These are the top 20 foods you can take to boost your testosterone levels. But wait, why do you need testosterone? What does it do?

What Does Testosterone Do?

With optimal levels of testosterone, women can experience the following benefits:

1. Testosterone Strengthens The Heart

Testosterone boosts the production of red blood cells, which ultimately benefits the heart. In fact, low levels of testosterone have been linked to cardiovascular issues. Studies showed how women with their testosterone levels back to normal enjoyed a lower risk of developing heart disease.

2. Promotes Bone Strength

The hormone also plays a crucial role in bone mineral density. Women with decreased testosterone levels (due to aging) were found to have lower bone densities. Clinical studies have found that testosterone can increase the hip and spinal bone density.

3. Improves Muscle Mass

Testosterone improves muscle mass, and this means weight control and increased energy. These benefits of testosterone get enhanced when you also include strength training in your routine.

4. Enhances Sex Drive

In women (and as well as men), an increase in testosterone levels is a natural response to increased sexual arousal and activity. This means women with higher levels of this hormone have better sexual activity.

Ryan Dunn, a lifestyle blogger, tried a testosterone-boosting diet for 60 days and concluded his experience thus: “However, [I saw] an increase in the frequency of sexual encounters through the 60 days. So while desire stayed in stasis, my ability to perform appeared to increase (i).”

Studies show that testosterone therapy can improve sexual performance (7).

5. Improves Mood

Low testosterone levels have been associated with low quality of life. In fact, some symptoms of low testosterone levels include irritability, depression, and fatigue.

6. Enhances Mental Health

Studies show how women with optimal levels of testosterone have a lower risk of Alzheimer’sⁱ  XA degenerative neurological condition that kills brain cells and leads to degeneration, causing confusion and memory loss. . Higher testosterone levels also improve mental processing speed and memory.

Testosterone is quite crucial. Pretty much. But not all women need the same amounts of testosterone.

What Is The Required Testosterone Amount As Per Age?

So, how to increase testosterone levels? Well, consuming high-testosterone foods is one thing. But there are other additional ways women can improve their testosterone levels. And that is, by improving their lifestyle.

What Are The Lifestyle Changes One Can Incorporate For Healthy Testosterone Levels?

1. Exercise

And preferably, lift weights as well. Increased physical activity can increase testosterone levels, in addition to having several other benefits.

2. Minimize Stress

Stress is bad. No arguments about it. Excess stress can reduce testosterone levels and cause other severe issues.
So, how do you reduce stress?

Meditate. Practice mindfulness and awareness. Consume the right foods (reduce junk and smoking and excess alcohol). Exercise regularly. Laugh a lot. Stay away from negative people. All of these tips can reduce stress and help maintain your testosterone levels.

Data obtained from a clinical trial involving 788 men with an average age of 72 years indicated that among participants with low testosterone levels who underwent treatment, 7.6% were categorized as current smokers, while 64.8% had a history of smoking. Additionally, 19.8% of the participants were found to have sleep apnea.

3. Take Supplements

The importance of supplements is hotly debated, but ultimately, your health depends on the right amounts of nutrients that you take in. Supplements help here.

Essential nutrients for optimal testosterone levels include zinc, B vitamins, and vitamins A, C, D, and E. Get sunlight as well – vitamin D is especially crucial.

4. Get Adequate Sleep

You know how much sleep you need. If you wake up in the morning feeling well rested, it simply means you had the right amount of sleep.

Studies show that with every hour of sleep you get, your testosterone levels go up by about 15 percent. Now, this doesn’t mean one can oversleep. That has negative effects too.

5. Avoid Excess Intake Of Certain Foods

These include flax seeds, licorice, mint, high protein foods, soy and other soy products, vegetable oils, soda, processed sugars, excess green tea or alcohol. If your testosterone levels are low, avoid these products.

All great. But what about testosterone supplements? Are they safe?

A Note On Testosterone Supplements

Also called testosterone boosters, these are supplements that help boost testosterone levels in the body. These may also include prohormones, a type of steroids. Similarly, probiotics supplements may help improve testosterone levels by decreasing cortisol levels in the body.

Though testosterone boosters and probiotic supplements have worked in some cases, more research is needed in this area. Also, not all brands and methods are reliable.

We strongly recommend you not to go for testosterone supplements or prohormones until you get a nod from a reputed nutritionist or doctor. Also, please research reliable brands. Do your due diligence before taking a call in this aspect.

Alright. Anything else you need to keep in mind? Well, yes.

What Are The Side Effects Of Excess Testosterone?

You saw the required amounts of testosterone as per the age. Exceeding the limits can lead to complications in women, which include:

• Heart disease
• Reduced breast size
• Sleep apneaⁱ  XA sleep disorder in which breathing constantly stops and starts. Obesity and age are risk factors. Men are more prone to it.
• Heart attacks, also called myocardial infarction
• Reduced sperm production
• Skin issues, including oily skin and acne
• Growth of cysts around the prostate

Infographic: Signs Of Low Testosterone Levels

Testosterone is a male sex hormone also produced in women in modest amounts. However, infection, injury, a sedentary lifestyle, or cancer may decrease testosterone levels. The following infographic lists various signs of low testosterone levels. Check it out!

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the signs of low testosterone levels?

If you have low testosterone levels, you may experience fatigue, low sex drive, loss of muscular strength, irritability, and difficulties with concentration and memory.

What foods reduce testosterone levels in the body?

Foods like soy products (edamame and tofu), licorice root, mint, alcohol, and dairy products may deplete testosterone levels in the body.

Does coffee increase testosterone?

Yes. Drinking caffeinated coffee can increase testosterone levels in men (8).

Image: Dall·E/StyleCraze Design Team

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Merlin Annie RajRegistered Dietitian Nutritionist

   

Merlin Annie Raj is a Registered Dietitian based out of Hyderabad, India. She has 14 years of experience in Clinical Nutrition as well as teaching Nutrition and Dietetics to undergraduate and postgraduate students. She was awarded the ‘President’s Award’ at the 47th Annual National Conference of the Indian Dietetic Association, 2014.   Merlin has conducted various weight management programs, prepared...more

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