A healthy young man each day produces roughly 5 mg of testosterone, the hormone most closely associated with male sexual characteristics. With advancing age comes a normal decline in levels of testosterone production. However, other factors sometimes cause a premature drop in testosterone levels, which can lead to a loss of the sex drive, erectile dysfunction, fragile bones and loss of muscle mass. Fortunately, there are some foods that appear to boost testosterone production.
Oysters and Shellfish
Oysters have been touted as an aphrodisiac for centuries, and there is some anecdotal evidence to support such claims. It's the high levels of zinc and magnesium in oysters and other shellfish that should get most of the credit for these effects. In an article in the January 2003 of issue of Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness, author Brian Rowley cites a study that showed supplements of zinc magnesium aspartate, or ZMA, successfully reversed a decline in testosterone levels among college athletes.
The subjects of the study, college football players, experienced sharp drops in testosterone levels after a period of intense spring training; strenuous activity normally depletes testosterone levels. Rowley reports that ZMA supplementation boosted testosterone levels by roughly 30 percent in these trained athletes. If you'd like to increase your consumption of zinc and magnesium naturally, eat not only oysters and other shellfish but also grains, legumes, yogurt, nuts and seeds--especially pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Lean Red Meat and Beans
The high levels of protein in lean red meat and beans help to boost testosterone production, according to retired urologist Larrian Gillespie, author of "The Gladiator Diet." Those foods also have plenty of zinc, which works with the proteins to raise testosterone levels. "Few things have as positive an impact on testosterone levels as lean meats," according to Gillespie. Since high levels of fat can deplete testosterone levels, it's important that all visible fat be trimmed from the cuts of meat you plan to eat.
Poultry and Eggs
The combination of high levels of protein and low levels of fat make poultry an ideal food for stimulating testosterone production. And eggs, which also have plenty of protein, are high in cholesterol, which is also a testosterone-positive attribute. Interviewed for an article in the January 2005 issue of Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness, Robert S. Tan, M.D., an associate professor of geriatric medicine at the University of Texas, Houston, points out that "testosterone is synthesized from cholesterol, and as such, food containing cholesterol is a good source of building blocks for testosterone."
Garlic
In an animal study published in the 2001 issue of the Journal of Nutrition, Japanese researchers found that garlic supplementation increased testicular testosterone levels in laboratory rats that were fed a high-protein diet. Their research showed that the supplements also had the effect of decreasing levels of plasma corticosterone in the animals. Clinical trials will be necessary to determine if garlic supplementation would have similar effects on human subjects.
References
- "Prevention"; Spice Up Your Sex Life; Denise Foley; February 2006.
- "Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness"; Boost the Big Testosterone; Brian Rowley; January 2003.
- "The Gladiator Diet"; Larrian Gillespie; 2001.
- "Joe Weider's Muscle & Fitness"; Forget "T" Not; Wyatt Myers; January 2005.
- The Journal of Nutrition: Garlic Supplementation Increases Testicular Testosterone and Decreases Plasma Corticosterone in Rats Fed a High Protein Diet
