25 Foods to boost testosterone up to 25%
Boosting testosterone naturally might seem impossible for some of you, but it’s actually possible. There are some foods that can give you an extra testosterone boost only if you know which ones.
Let’s look at the best food sources that increase your testosterone levels naturally to help lose fat, gain muscle and improve your overall sexual health.
Blue cheese is a fermented food just like yogurt. It contains microbes include lactic acid bacteria and Bifidobacteria.
These microbes help protect cells from the damaging effects of certain toxic compounds such as organophosphorus pesticides, bisphenol A, heavy metals and perchlorate, that all have testosterone lowering effects.
There are also live enzymes and other helpful compounds that contribute in supporting healthy testosterone levels.
2-Olive oil
Olive oil is an excellent alternative to some of the unhealthy vegetable oils. What makes it better than most vegetable oils is its high content of monounsaturated fats.
There’s a study done on Moroccan men who changed their main source of fat to the monounsaturated fats in olive oil and the results was a testosterone increased by 17% in just 14 days.
Therefore, a simple switch from other vegetable oils to organic extra virgin olive oil can pump up your testosterone levels.
3-Tuna
Whether you choose canned or fresh tuna, eating this fish can be a natural way of boosting testosterone. As it’s rich in vitamin D, which has been linked to longer life and testosterone production. It’s also a heart-healthy, protein-rich food that’s low in calories.
Just a serving of tuna fulfills your daily vitamin D needs. If you aren’t a tuna fan, you may consider other fishy sources of vitamin D, such as salmon or sardines.
Remember that moderation is key. Aim for a max of two to three servings a week to minimize your intake of mercury, which is found in seafood.
4-Egg yolk
Most bodybuilders just eat the egg whites, which don’t contain any of the healthy nutrients of the eggs. All the nutrients are really in the yolk.
Egg yolk is rich in cholesterol, While cholesterol has a bad reputation. It contains a healthy type of cholesterol that may help increase the low levels of testosterone.
As long as you don’t have any preexisting cholesterol issues, you can safely eat one egg per day.
Egg yolk also full of choline, which is an important estrogen counter among many other benefits of having the choline.
5-Beef Gelatin
Beef gelatin is a good source of proline and glycine, which are two amino acids that also act as neurotransmitters and they help increase LH production, which leads to more testosterone production, but they also help you sleep really well.
Grab some beef gelatin. What you’ll also see is that you get a lot of the added nutrients from the beef that you don’t normally get when eating a steak.
Pick yourself up some beef gelatine. It’s relatively cheap and definitely a good investment in your health.
6-Garlic
While this fragrant herb doesn’t contain the necessary nutrients to produce testosterone, it does contain a compound called allicin, which can be useful for lowering your cortisol levels.
When your body is under stress it produces cortisol and this has an impact on other bodily functions, including the production of testosterone. Therefore, by reducing the amount of cortisol in your system you allow testosterone to be produced more effectively.
7-Mackerel
Mackerel considered one of the best food sources of vitamin D that may increase testosterone levels dramatically.
In a study conducted at the Medical University of Graz in Austria, people who spent more time in the sun showed increased levels of both vitamin D and testosterone.
In a follow-up study, men who took vitamin D daily saw an average increase of testosterone levels by almost 25%.
The sun is still the best source of vitamin D, but if you don’t get outside much – or can’t tolerate fatty fish – you’ll find D in pork, beef liver, caviar and eggs.
8-Coffee
Coffee is great because it will increase cyclic amp levels, which can lead to an increase in levels of testosterone.
There are some studies showed that one to two cups of strong coffee (200 to 400 mg of caffeine) each day can help raise your testosterone levels.
A higher intake than this would likely raise levels of cortisol which can lead to catabolism and inhibition of muscle tissue growth. This will do you more harm than good.
Therefore, Keep your intake to about 1-2 cups per day to reap the testosterone boost benefits without any unwanted side effects.
9-Whey protein
Whey protein is the best protein source for building muscle mass, it also found to be effective in increasing testosterone levels within muscle tissues.
In research from Finland, scientists gave participants 15 grams of whey isolate both before and after resistance exercises. Muscle biopsy showed an increase in testosterone production of up to 25%, which was maintained for 48 hours.
Whey protein comes from milk and dairy products, but only in small amount (20% of the protein in milk comes from whey and the other 80% is casein).
Therefore, you should consider supplementing with whey protein as you get at least 20g of pure whey protein per serving.
Related: Top 10 Highest quality protein powders for the lowest price
10-Brazil nuts
Most nuts are really high in polyunsaturated fats, but Brazil nuts are low in polyunsaturated fats, higher in monounsaturated fats and saturated fats, which are better for testosterone production.
They also have an added benefit of being massively high in selenium.
Selenium is essential for thyroid hormone production, which is the hormone responsible for stimulating the production of other hormones including testosterone.
Consuming selenium in the form of just two Brazil nuts a day is really all you need to get a huge amount of the vital micronutrient into your diet, and it also tastes great.
11-Oats
Oats contain high amounts of complex carbs and fibers which is good for energy production and digestive health.
They are also a great source of Vitamins B, which play a key role in androgen (testosterone) production.
There are a number of different B Vitamins, many of which are found in Oats and other testosterone boosting foods of this list.
One Vitamin B, which plays a very direct role in testosterone production is Vitamin B6, which suppresses the production of estrogen. And the lower the estrogen, the higher the testosterone will be.
12-Almond
Almonds contain high levels of the mineral zinc which is known to raise testosterone levels in people who are zinc deficient.
If you are low in zinc this could stop the pituitary gland from releasing some of the key hormones for stimulating testosterone production.
By eating zinc rich foods, you can help make sure this doesn’t happen and avoid a reduction in your testosterone levels.
13-Salmon
Good quality wild salmon can increase testosterone levels in many ways as it contains a variety of healthy nutrients that increase testosterone production.
Some of these nutrients include; magnesium, vitamin B and omega-3s, which we have already established to be effective in increasing testosterone levels.
Not only this though, it also helps lower the levels of the “sex Hormone Binding Globulin” which makes testosterone non-functional. If this is lowered testosterone can have a stronger impact on your body and your overall health.
14-Pomegranate
This beautiful red fruit has been used medicinally for centuries because of its high levels of antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E and iron.
Researchers have found one glass of pomegranate juice a day can increase androgen levels between 16% and 30% improve mood, and increase libido.
Many of the research studies used pomegranate juice, but I strongly suggest consuming the fruit in its whole form instead.
Not only will this give you added fiber (which is found in the edible seeds), but it will ensure that you’re not overdoing it on fructose, which is found in high levels in all types of fruit juice.
15-Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are packed full of zinc and as you already know that it’s an essential mineral that plays a vital role in plenty of enzymatic functions including the production of many hormones including testosterone.
Men who have low zinc levels also produce less testosterone, according to “Nutrition” magazine. There many ways to incorporate pumpkin seeds into your diet as you can mix it into muesli, use it on the top of salads or eaten plain as a snack.
16-Pine pollen
Real testosterone can be found in pine pollen, not a mimetic compound but the real deal! There are about 80 nanograms (ng) of real testosterone per gram of pine pollen. This is why pine pollen is called nature’s most potent androgen.
Pine pollen is also dense in other nutrients. It has all the 22 essential amino acids and at least 100 different enzymes, along with 30 minerals and 15 different vitamins. All these contribute to better health and higher T levels.
Make sure you use pine pollen as a tincture under the tongue to absorb the testosterone.
17-Onions
Onions are great anti-inflammatory foods. They also have an effect on testosterone production.
This was found in rodent studies, there are actually three rodent studies there that showed an increase in testosterone and androgenic effect of giving the rodents the onions.
One of the coolest results is with onion juice. In rodent feed the researchers in this study found an increase of 300% average in testosterone levels when they put the onion juice into the rodent feed.
Again, that’s a rodent study, but we can assume that while it might not be as profound as an effect on humans probably going to be a similar effect.
18-Fava beans
Fave beans contain a substance called L-dopa. This substance has the ability to provide a positive effect on your testosterone levels.
The mechanism for this is that L-Dopa stimulates GnRH, a hormone that acts on the testes and stimulate the Leydig cells within the testes to release the androgen hormones.
It also promotes L-dopa the release of other hormones like dopamine, as well as the human growth hormone. More dopamine means more testosterone, and more growth hormone means more muscle!
19-Cacao
Cacao and chocolate products that contain a high percentage of cacao have a lot of antioxidants in them with friendly gut bacteria and enzymes to help with digestion.
They also have a lot of minerals in them. These cacao products have magnesium, zinc, manganese and iron in them, which all have a part in testosterone production.
There is research that links it to an increase in cardiovascular health and lower blood pressure, as well as lower blood glucose levels.
So, when you feel a craving toward a dessert, go for a bar of Dark chocolate with high cacao content.
20-Mushrooms
Most people don’t eat mushrooms; they even remove it from their pizza. But you won’t do it after knowing its benefits.
There are three studies showing that they have an anti-estrogenic effects related to the polysaccharides in white button mushrooms. They are outstanding because they block the aroma taste enzyme action of converting androgen (male hormone) into estrogen (female hormone).
Therefore, if you are looking for a testosterone boost, the white button mushrooms are something that you should include regularly in your diet.
21-Banana
Bananas are filled with simple carbohydrates, which make it a great energy source that could give you an extra energy boost during your workout.
But energy isn’t the only thing it boosts; it also contains an enzyme called bromelain, which is known to help boost testosterone levels.
If you follow a calorie restricted diet or a low carb diet, try not to eat too much of it as it’s high in calories and carbs. Just one banana a day is enough to utilize its benefits without ruining your diet.
22-Ginger
Ginger is great because of its anti-inflammatory properties through a compound called gingerol, which is a creative name apparently.
In addition to reducing inflammation, ginger may also increase testosterone levels and improve sexual function.
In a controlled study conducted on men undergoing infertility treatment, researchers found that ginger helped decrease levels of sperm DNA fragmentation (lower levels are linked to improved fertility and less chance of miscarriage).
Animal studies have found testosterone levels nearly doubled after ginger intake; as the amount of ginger increased, so did testosterone levels.
A human study found a 17% increase in testosterone levels when men used ginger as a supplement.
Therefore, ginger is a good one to add to this list.
23-Oysters
Long hailed as a libido-boosting food, these little morsels are high in zinc. As mentioned above, zinc is very important for the healthy production of testosterone, your libido and your sperm count.
They’re high in magnesium, selenium, vitamin D and copper which also contribute to the production of testosterone.
That’s why you may naturally experience a boost in your testosterone if you just added some oysters to your diet.
24-Spinach
As I was a kid, I used to watch Popeye and I always wondered how he gets all these powers just from eating spinach. Now I know why…
Spinach is a natural source of magnesium, which has been shown to correlate positively with testosterone levels. Spinach also contains vitamin B6 and Iron which are both excellent testosterone boosters.
So, as your mom told you before “eat your spinach!”
25-Coconut
Your body requires healthy saturated fats to produce most hormones, androgen included. Coconut will help you with that. Since it’s mostly saturated fat, it will increase testosterone production, increase thyroid hormones and boost metabolic rate.
It will also pump up your body’s ability to produce cholesterol, necessary for optimal health, help reduce body fat and maintain your weight. Weight control is another natural way of improving your testosterone production.
