Testosterone, better known as the male sex hormone, has multiple functions in your body, whether you’re a man or a woman. This is besides its pivotal role in how your sexual life plays out.
When testosterone levels dip, you may see an impact on your mood regulation, energy levels, muscle strength, and even bone formation. So how do you correct that imbalance? Changing your diet and bridging certain deficiencies may be the natural alternative you’ve been looking for.
What Your Body Needs
The building blocks of testosterone are certain vital nutrients, the most important of which are zinc and vitamin D3. Research has also found that certain fats like those found in virgin coconut oil and olive oil help to restore or increase testosterone levels.
It follows that by upping your intake of foods rich in these nutrients you should be able to give testosterone production that proverbial shot in the arm.
1. The Right Fats From Coconut
Your body needs adequate levels of healthy saturated fats for testosterone production. As one animal study found, virgin coconut oil can help significantly increase serum testosterone levels in subjects with alcohol-induced testicular injury.
It acts by reducing the oxidative stress caused by alcohol intake, lowering the levels of malondialdehyde (a marker of oxidative stress) in the testicles and alleviating the otherwise damaging effects of alcohol consumption on testosterone levels in the body.1
2. A Boost From Pomegranate
Pomegranate juice can help with testosterone levels and improve your mood in the bargain too. In one study where men and women were both given pomegranate juice every day for a two-week period, the outcome was a significant increase in levels of salivary testosterone.
On an average, test subjects showed a 24 percent increase in the level, accompanied by improved mood and emotions.2
3. Olive Oil’s Monounsaturated Fats
This Mediterranean favorite is a great way to ensure you have adequate monounsaturated fats in your diet. Heart-healthy olive oil is also good for keeping up the supply of testosterone.
Researchers investigated the effects of daily extra-virgin olive oil consumption on testosterone levels. They found that it caused levels of the hormone to rise by about 17.4 percent during the three-week study window.3
4. Zinc From Red Meat And Crustaceans (Or Dairy)
Studies have found a close association between the levels of zinc in your cells and serum testosterone concentrations. Taking zinc supplements helped increase serum testosterone levels among elderly men with a marginal zinc deficiency in one study.4
Crustaceans like crab, lobster, and oysters, as well as red meat in the form of your favorite steak, could help give your body the zinc it might be short on. Vegetarians can get their fix from raw cheese, raw milk, or yogurt.5
5. Fatty Fish And Eggs For Vitamin D
Give your body enough Vitamin D to keep that testosterone pumping. Excess weight can sometimes be associated with a vitamin D deficiency, apart from hormonal imbalances.
One test administered the vitamin in the form of supplements to overweight men and found that their testosterone levels had significantly gone up in a year’s time.6 Fatty fish like tuna, mackerel, or salmon, as well as eggs, are a great dietary source of vitamin D, a vitamin that’s otherwise notoriously hard to supply through diet and better generated through sunlight exposure or supplements.7
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