People often choose to eat a vegan diet for health or ethical reasons. Research has suggested that a following a vegan diet is healthier than a following a traditional diet, and that it may help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Although a vegan diet has not been linked to a decline in testosterone levels, you may want to avoid certain foods or add certain foods to your diet to ensure your testosterone levels remain the same.
Testosterone
Although the hormone is present in both males and females, the role of testosterone is more readily understood in men. In men, the hormone helps to maintain bone density, muscle strength, sex drive, sperm production, and red blood cells, according to the Mayo Clinic. Testosterone production naturally declines as men age. After the age of 30, testosterone production in a typical man is reduced by approximately one percent of the hormone production every year.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that is important in the production of testosterone. Although other foods contain zinc, animal products have the highest amounts of the mineral. A 1996 study in “Nutrition” stated that a zinc deficiency in young men is associated with a significant decrease in serum testosterone concentrations. Vegan foods that are high in zinc include baked beans, cashews, almonds, chickpeas and oatmeal. Some breakfast cereal is also zinc fortified. The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that adult men consume 11 mg of zinc per day.
Soy
Some research has indicated that soy, which is often used as a meat replacement in vegetarian and vegan diets, may influence male sexual behavior. A study published in the “Journal of Andrology” in 2008 treated juvenile rats with daidzein, a specific compound found in soy beans. When rats reached adulthood, those that had been treated with a medium or high dose of daidzein had lower testosterone levels than the control group.
Vegetables
Certain vegetables may increase testosterone levels in men on a vegan diet. Vegetables high in the phytonutrient indole-3 carbinol may help to boost testosterone, but more research is needed. A 1992 study published in “Food and Chemical Toxicology” found that rats given indole-3 carbinol had higher testosterone levels than when they first started the study. Researchers found that the liver is able to metabolize certain hormones better with indole-3 carbinol, which may help in testosterone production. Indole-3 carbinol can be found in cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Testosterone Therapy: Key to Male Vitality?; August 2010
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Zinc
- “Nutrition”; Zinc Status and Serum Testosterone Levels of Healthy Adults; A.S. Prasad, et al.; May 1996
- “Journal of Andrology”; Exposure of Juvenile Rats to the Phytoestrogen Daidzein Impairs Erectile Function in a Dose-Related Manner in Adulthood; Lianjun Pan, et al.; January/Februrary 2008
- “Food and Chemical Toxicology”; Effects of Indole-3-Carbinol on Biotransformation Enzymes in the Rat; H.M. Wortelboer, et al.; July 1992
- Prostate.net; Indole-3-carbinol (I3C)/DIM; Geo Espinosa; January 2011
- Huffington Post; Eat Less Meat And Cheese, Environmental Group Recommends, Lynn Peeples; July 2011
