Foods That Lower Testosterone Level
Testosterone is one of the most important hormone, especially in man, it is responsible for your muscles growth, body mass, sex drive and your overall masculinity.
So it’s naturally a big concern when it starts to decline.
And there could be a lot of factors causing the decline, like aging, obesity, diabetes, or a sedentary lifestyle.
Another big factor is the foods that you consume as some foods are known to decrease your testosterone levels.
This doesn’t mean you should completely stop eating these foods, they are healthy in a lot of other ways.
Everything should be eaten in moderation.
Here are few foods that could be decreasing your testosterone level.
Alcohol
The same endorphins that are released during your consumption of alcohol, making you feel good in the process, are the chemicals responsible for destroying your T-levels.
Alcohol is an intoxicant, and when you consume it cause a state of general stress, which can stimulate cortisol release, and this increase in cortisol level blocks the effect of testosterone.
Studies also shows alcoholics have a higher level of estrogen as compared to others.
Soy products
Studies published in journals such as Human Reproduction claim soy decreases sperm count and lowers testosterone.
Research from Colorado State University recently linked soy consumption to a high amount of a chemical in the gut called equol, which shuts down the production of Testosterone.
Soy products like such as soy milk, tofu are high in phytoestrogen (estrogenic isoflavones).
Phytoestrogens are naturally occurring sources of estrogen found in certain food products. Eating lots of soy products on a regular basis can lead to estrogen dominance in men and women, eventually leading to a decline in testosterone levels.
Contains goitrogens:
Goitrogen are substances that disrupt the production of thyroid hormones by interfering with iodine uptake in the thyroid gland. This triggers the pituitary to release thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which then promotes the growth of thyroid tissue, eventually leading to goiter.
And low functioning Thyroid activity can lower testosterone.
Sugary foods and drinks
Sweets, doughnuts all kinds of Sugary food including soda drinks can decrease your testosterone level. Eating too much of sugar can cause insulin resistance which has a direct effect on your testosterone level.
A study from Oxford University gave 75 men a 75g dose of pure sugar. Results shows, on average, there was a 25% drop in their testosterone level.
Vegetable oils
In one study, men were given a questionnaire on their dietary intake. 69 men aged between 43 and 88 were accessed. It was shown that there was a relationship between the consumption of polyunsaturated fats, estradiol and testosterone.
Common vegetable oils include canola oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, corn oil, and cottonseed oil contain extremely high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids have a huge effect one your hormones and are directly related to lower Testosterone levels.
A 1997 study shows the effects of different types of fats on testosterone production.
An increased intake of monounsaturated fats and saturated fats increased T-levels
And an increased intake of polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) decreased T-levels.
Nuts
One study done on 31 women with polycystic ovary syndrome showed that walnuts and almonds increased levels of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) by 12.5% and 16%, respectively.
Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) is a type of protein that binds to testosterone, which can lead to a decrease in the levels of free testosterone in your body
Nuts are also generally high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which is also another factor in decreasing testosterone.
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are high in lignans (which is another type of phytoestrogen).
And so they are used to reduce androgen in men with prostate cancer.
Tough flax seeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids, the presence of lignans will reduce the testosterone level in men.
Mint
This one comes as complete shock, mint obviously have a lot of health benefits.
But in one study done on rats, the rats were given 20 grams per litre of peppermint tea, it is found that it decreased their testosterone by 23%,
And another group of rats were given a same volume of spearmint tea, it decreased their testosterone by 51%.
On another study, they found that women drinking spearmint tea saw an average drop in free testosterone of about 30% in five days. They had 21 females that all had this condition doing this, and the average was 30% in five days.
Spearmint tea, has been shown to have anti-androgen effects in PCOS and can reduce hirsutism (which is a condition of unwanted, male-pattern hair growth in women).
Bottled water
Not a food but if you’re drinking water from a plastic bottle, this could be a concern.
Some plastic bottles contains bisphenol A or BPA (That’s why some bottles are tagged BPA free bottles)
BPA is what’s known as an anti-androgen.
A study shows men who had the highest levels of BPA in their urine showed an increase in the amount of testosterone in their blood.
BPA blocks the normal action of testosterone in the body and the starts body making more testosterone to overcome this, hence higher testosterone in the blood.
