Testosterone is both found in men and women, as well as in other animals. According to research, the testicle is the primary source of testosterone in men, while women’s ovaries also make testosterone, though in much smaller amounts. During puberty, testosterone levels significantly increase and begin to dip after age 30 or so.
Testosterone has a vital purpose and is most often associated with sex drive and sperm production. It affects bone and muscle mass, the way men store fat in the body, and red blood cell production. Testosterone levels can also affect a man’s mood.
It’s important to keep the production of testosterone because low levels of testosterone, also called low T levels, can produce a variety of symptoms in men, including:
- decreased sex drive
- less energy
- weight gain
- feelings of depression
- moodiness
- low self-esteem
- less body hair
- thinner bones
What are some of the signs of low testosterone? Low sex drive, erection difficulty, low semen level, hair loss, more rampant fatigue, muscle mass loss, increase in body fat, decreased bone mass, mood instability, and memory impairment. It can also affect testicle size and blood count.
Advantages of Increasing Testosterone Levels
Healthy Heart and Blood
A healthy heart pumps blood to the whole body that provides muscles and organs with the oxygen needed for maximum performance. Testosterone helps the red blood cell production via the bone marrow.
Less Fat, More Muscle
Testosterone makes it possible to increase muscle mass. Leaner body mass means controlled weight and increased energy. You’ll likely see most of the benefits when you ensure that testosterone therapy, strength training, and exercise are combined.
Stronger Bones
Testosterone has an impact on bone mineral density. Bone density decreases as men age, and as the testosterone levels decrease. This highly impacts the risk of weak bones and osteoporosis. When you have strong bones, it helps support your muscles and internal organs, which can boost physical performance.
Better Verbal Memory, Spatial Abilities, or Mathematical Reasoning
According to research, having higher levels of testosterone plays a role on the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. There are also pieces of evidence linking testosterone and thinking abilities, such as verbal memory and faster processing speed.
Better Libido
When you have high testosterone levels, it’s naturally linked to higher sexual arousal and activity. According to studies, men with higher levels of testosterone usually experience greater sexual activity.
Improved Mood
Lower levels of testosterone are often associated with poor quality of life. Some of the symptoms of low levels of testosterone include depression, fatigue, and irritability. With testosterone therapy, research suggests that this may be an effective antidepressant treatment.
How to Increase Testosterone Levels
There are a lot of natural ways to increase testosterone levels. Some food, vitamins, and herbs can help boost your testosterone levels.
Start eating fat, protein, and carbs
There is enough evidence that persistent dieting or overeating may disrupt your testosterone levels. Being able to eat enough protein can help sustain a healthy fat loss, and is associated with an increase in testosterone. Eating carbs can also help. Research shows that carbs can help boost testosterone levels when doing resistance training.
Research also shows that enough healthy fats are beneficial for an increase in testosterone levels and most importantly, health.
With a healthy balance of fat, protein, and carbs, both hormone levels and long-term health will be achieved.
Invest in vitamins and supplements
Although there are several debates regarding the benefits of multivitamins, specific vitamins and minerals may be beneficial.
A supplement being taken by bodybuilders, Testogen, has natural ingredients to boost the levels of testosterone easily and safely. It includes Korean red ginseng extract, D-aspartic acid, fenugreek extract, vitamin B6, vitamin D3, and nettle leaf extract.
Other studies also suggest vitamins A, C, and E can play a role in your sex hormone and testosterone levels, although more research is needed.
Here are other vitamins and supplements that could increase testosterone levels: Tribulus Terrestris, Fenugreek, Ginger, DHEA, Zinc, and Ashwagandha
Get some Vitamin D
Research shows that Vitamin D has a lot of health benefits. It includes a natural testosterone booster. Unfortunately, nearly half of the US population lacks vitamin D.
To boost testosterone and have other benefits of vitamin D, try to get regular exposure to sunlight which is a great source of vitamin D.
Do some lifting and exercise
IMAGE SOURCE: https://pixabay.com/photos/man-person-power-strength-strong-1282232/
Studies show that exercising regularly contributes to higher testosterone levels. For the elders, aside from increased levels of testosterone, it also helps with their fitness and develops their reaction time.
Updated or new research shows that increased physical activity has more benefits than a weight loss diet when it comes to increasing testosterone levels who are also trying to get back in shape.
Weight lifting can also do the trick to boost testosterone. Have you heard about
High-intensity interval training or HIIT? It’s also an effective type of exercise that works to some extent when done in the right way. There are a lot of videos online about it if you are on a budget or you could also join gym classes or have a personal coach to guide you with it. Also, taking caffeine may further boost your levels when combined with these training approaches.
Minimize stress and cortisol levels
Cortisol, also called the stress hormone, is a steroid hormone that helps the body respond to stress. Levels of cortisol in the body spike during times of high stress.
Stress and high cortisol are also responsible for increased food intake, weight gain, harmful body fat. As a result, these negatively impact your testosterone levels.
What you could do is to reduce stressful situations in your life. This includes focusing on a diet that best suits you (you may consult your nutritionist or the right expert for this), have regular exercise, have enough sleep, and just have a balanced lifestyle.
Bottom line is, testosterone is crucial in a lot of aspects, including sexual health and body composition. A balance of the right diet for your body type, taking supplements and vitamins, having enough and the right exposure to the sun, doing exercises, and consulting professions are essentials in taking care of your testosterone levels. It’s also important to safely maintain your testosterone levels.
