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Add our bulked-up ingredients list to your weekly diet and fuel your masculinity Muscle Growth
Your testosterone is the foundation of your existence. It helps build muscle, affects your sex drive, your bone strength, your heart, your memory and your penis size.
However, due to certain lifestyle choices and the natural process of ageing, testosterone levels can start to wane, which is why it's important to give your T-levels some attention every now and again.
An effective to do this is through your diet. Below are the best foods that will boost testosterone.
Testosterone is the main male sex hormone, produces mainly in the testicles. Quite simply, if we didn't have testosterone, we'd all look distinctly prepubescent. While testosterone is responsible for all things we go through during puberty, it also increases the potential for muscle growth by forcing our body to increase protein synthesis, according to the Journal of Applied Physiology.
According to research, at the age of 30, testosterone production begins to drop off, resulting in:
Yes. And no. Yes – and no. Increased testosterone offers the potential for more muscle, true, and this can be effective. However, long-term use of testosterone supplements or anabolic steroids have their downsides. The journal PLOS One found that when you take an artificial T hit, your body slows down testosterone production naturally as it registers enough T to do the job for the time being. Take enough steroids and the slowdown becomes permanent.
According to the 'What Is TDS' campaign, hypogonadism is a condition where the testes produce an unusually low level of testosterone, or dry up altogether. Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome has many symptoms, most notably, a loss of libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, depression, anxiety, loss of wellbeing and a decline in cognitive functions. If you are worried your T levels are dropping, visit your GP for a blood test.
Thankfully, there are many natural ways to help boost your testosterone levels.
These are the 15 best foods to help boost your testosterone levels naturally.
Eat a bunch of red grapes daily to give your own low-hanging fruit a boost: the skins contain resveratrol, which makes for hardier sperm. Chinese researchers found the equivalent of 500mg – roughly the amount in 5-10g of grape skins – was enough to raise T-levels and improve epididymal motility (your sperm’s ability to swim).
Tuna’s ‘fragrance’ may not be ideal for a first date, but its vitamin D content is. The vitamin bolsters testosterone by up to 90%, found a study at Graz Medical University, Austria, slashing levels of libido-killing chemical Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG). A can of tuna contains 100% of your RDA.
Some say it was the Biblical forbidden fruit, and old Adam could have done a lot worse. The International Journal of Impotence Research reports that 47% of impotent men found their condition improved after a daily glass of antioxidant-rich pomegranate juice. You don’t need a serpent to tell you that’s a good thing.
Veggies look away: “A meat-free diet can lower testosterone by 14%,” says Carruthers. “Lack of protein boosts testosterone-de-activating hormones.” On the other hand, a University of Utah study found a diet overly rich in the sat fats in beef and lamb can also make it dip. The middle ground is venison. Stag-gering.
Banish vampires and weak muscles alike: garlic contains allicin, a compound that lowers levels of ‘stress hormone’ cortisol. “Cortisol competes with testosterone for the same sites within muscle cells,” says nutrition consultant Alan Gordon. Ditch the cortisol, then the testosterone can get to work. Garlic’s more potent uncooked.
For extra buzz in the bedroom, dip into honey. It contains the mineral boron, linked to high testosterone. Honey is also rich in nitric oxide, says Gordon: “This is key in opening up blood vessels that create erections. Four teaspoons of honey can boost nitric oxide levels by 50%.”
Proof we are supposed to have hard bodies, University of Pittsburgh researchers found that fat blokes have more oestrogen.
Cut the blubber by boosting your T-levels with milk: its amino acids boost production of anabolic hormones, which in turn build muscle and trim fat. The Department of Health recommends three 200ml glasses a day.
Eggs really do have a sunny side. “The yolk’s cholesterol is the precursor for testosterone,” says clinical nutritionist Kim Pearson. Don’t worry about your heart: a University of Connecticut study found that study subjects could eat three eggs a day without affecting cholesterol levels.
King of the veg patch, cabbage is full of a chemical called indole-3-carbinol, which rids your blood of girly hormones. Healthy men took 500mg daily for a week at Rockefeller University; their oestrogen levels halved, making testosterone more effective. It’s time to become more of a man at meal times.
All in moderation, but beef liver is a brilliant source of vitamin D while zinc, an essential nutrient during puberty, is found in abundance in ground beef and chuck roast.
According to findings, taking a daily ginger supplement for three months increased testosterone levels by 17 per cent in a group of 75 adult male participants with fertility issues.
Popeye had the right idea. Magnesium, a mineral found in spinach, blocks certain protein from binding with testosterone. As a result, there's more testosterone that's usable in your body.
They're chock-full of the mineral zinc, which is needed to boost testosterone, build muscle and directly increase sperm count.
A Peruvian root that can be bought in powdered form, the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found maca increased production of testosterone, sperm motility and in some cases, the human growth hormone. One perfectly legal powder to bolster your muscles? Count us in.
The wellness-warrior's ally of choice, the perennially Instagrammable seed is the definition of "superfood". With potassium, zinc, iron and magnesium all contributing to testosterone production, fertility and muscle growth, sprinkle on top of your morning oats to start your day with a T-boost.
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