Having a low amount of testosterone can greatly affect your ability to build muscle, but making certain dietary changes can increase your production of testosterone. Many foods have proven benefits because of different components and compounds they possess. Incorporate these foods into your diet to raise testosterone levels.
Lean Beef
Lean beef provides high amounts of quality protein and zinc with a small amount of saturated fat. Ananda Prasad, M.D., Ph.D., found with her research on zinc that men who are moderate to severely deficient in zinc, have lower levels of testosterone in the blood. When zinc was added to the diet, their testosterone levels went up. Twenty grams of saturated fats per day is needed to help in the production of testosterone.
Eggs
Eggs are a good source of cholesterol. Testosterone is a cholesterol-based steroid hormone. According to chief operating officer of the International Sports Sciences Association, Patrick Gamboa, B.S., MSS, FNBFE, dietary cholesterol provides a base for the production of testosterone in the body. Strive for 200 mg to 300 mg per day, unless otherwise told by a doctor.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Higher intakes of MUFAs in the diet have shown to help increase the amount of testosterone in males. In 2009, the journal "Lipids" published an article showing that male rats who were fed diets rich in olive oil had higher testosterone levels. This was not because of the MUFA content; the olive oil increases the activity of enzymes in the testes, which allowed them to pull more cholesterol into the cell, resulting in more testosterone.
Crucifeous Vegetables
Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are crucifeous vegetables. Gamboa states that crucifeous vegetables have a component known as indole-3-carbinol (I3C). The "Journal of the National Cancer Institute" concluded in a study that I3Cs decreased estrogens in both males and females. This restriction will help testosterone affect muscle mass.
References
- The Internation Journal of Applied and Basic Nutritional Sciences: Zinc Status and Serum Testosterone Levels of Healthy Adults
- "Fitness: The Complete Guide"; Frederick Hatfield, Ph.D.; 2004
- "Perspectives in Nutrition"; Gordon Wardlaw, PhD., R.D.; 2007
- Lipids: Influence of Commercial Dietary Oils on Lipid Composition and Testosterone Production in Interstitial Cells Isolated from Rat Testis
- Journal of the National Cancer Institute: Changes in Levels of Urinary Estrogen Metabolites After Oral Indole-3- Carbinol Treatment in Humans
