Natural Ways to Improve Testosterone in a Man - More informaiton

Natural Ways to Improve Testosterone in a Man

This handout is designed to help men increase testosterone naturally. A lot of men have low testosterone, and most are expecting a script for testosterone. However, many of the men probably would be harmed more than helped, by this strategy of simply giving testosterone. As doctors who want the best for our patient’s health, we sometimes find the initial appointment to be a negotiation, knowing more conservative therapy initially is best. Testosterone is very important for male sexual function, physical performance, muscle growth, bone density, mood regulation, among other functions. However, testosterone treatment has known side effects including infertility, dependence requiring lifelong supplementation, thickened blood, and some studies indicating an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. These risks are greatly reduced and may be eliminated altogether if testosterone is raised naturally. Some men do require supplemental testosterone immediately, which is why a physical exam of testicles, bloodwork, and a detailed past medical history of testicular injury, testicular removal, radiation, or prior use of testosterone must be obtained. Also, a basic set of labs are required before deciding on treatment, to screen for prostate cancer, and screen for high cholesterol. The labs must be obtained within 3 hours after you normally wake up, with the sooner after waking the better. This is because testosterone is highest upon waking. After this workup, we may recommend an initial trial of conservative management, which usually is for at minimum 4-6 months. The recommendations below are proven methods to increase testosterone naturally. They do require dedication, but those who follow them will feel much healthier, with improvements in health beyond testosterone levels.

A general principle for improving testosterone naturally is that testosterone improves as general health improves. Testosterone is the hormone that is released to “build up” the body, so states of poor health and stress to the body will decrease it. In order to improve testosterone levels:

**Decrease stress – This is an underrated and incredibly important contributor to low testosterone. Stress has a powerful effect on the body, and releases cortisol, which is a hormone that works against testosterone. We all have stress in our lives, but it is important to manage it. Some helpful methods include meditation, practicing mindfulness so you recognize when you are stressed, take walks in nature, try to limit distressing thoughts and poor internal dialogue, and/or make a list of your stressors and find ways to decrease them. Make sure you obtain adequate sleep (more about that below), as poor sleep increases stress. It is easy to dismiss stress as a part of life, but by finding ways to decrease it your overall health and testosterone will improve.

**Sleep – Another incredibly powerful influence on testosterone is sleep. Most of testosterone in a man is produced during deep sleep. So, both amount and quality of sleep are critical. Make sure you go to bed at the same time every night. Most people require 7-8 hours of sleep. Many people learn to survive on less sleep, but the key word here is survive, not thrive. Try to eliminate blue light activities like computers and TVs within at least 30 minutes prior to bed. Do not have electronics in your bedroom. Use the bedroom strictly for sleeping, not for watching TV or reading. Some people find a hot shower before bed helps sleep. Others find meditation useful to clear their mind. If you snore, you should be tested for sleep apnea. You should consult with your urologist, if you are waking up at night to urinate. Your life will improve dramatically with proper sleep quantity and quality. A special mention about night shift workers – you are at significantly higher risk of low testosterone, among other health issues. It would be healthier to try to avoid night shift work, but if that is not possible, then consistent sleep still is critical.

**Decrease body fat - Excess body fat converts testosterone to estrogen. Therefore, maintaining a healthy body weight is critical. However, fad or crash diets will decrease testosterone significantly, so do not starve yourself! The body decreases testosterone production substantially in states of relative starvation. Therefore, slow and steady weight loss over many months to a year, with good nutrition and mild to moderate exercise is best. You may want to consult a nutritionist.

**Diet – Diet is another major contributor to testosterone production. Diet recommendations could be an entire book, so below is a brief overview only. Certain foods provide the basic ingredients for the body to make testosterone, such as salmon has omega 3 fats and eggs have cholesterol. Other examples are foods with zinc and magnesium. In addition, certain foods are needed to remove estrogens from the body such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. A nutritionist can help with making a diet plan. But, in general, counting macro-nutrients, which are carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, is important (aim for about 33% of each). There are online calculators for how many calories you need to consume in a day, and apps to keep count of macros. Importantly, people have been advised for some time to avoid fats, but not all fats are the same. Unsaturated fats like those in avocados and nuts are critical to provide the body what it needs to make testosterone and perform other crucial functions. Also, eggs provide cholesterol, another important molecule for the body. Please note your cholesterol levels will need to be checked prior to starting any diet changes. Some patients should not increase their fat consumption. These include those whose cholesterol levels are high, are on medications for high cholesterol already, or have certain health conditions like vascular disease. However, for many people healthy fats are excellent food choices for many reasons. Avoid saturated fats and processed (trans) fats. Look at the food labels to find this information. Other good tips are to stay hydrated with at least 2 liters of water, unless you have health problems such as congestive heart failure or kidney disease. Being well hydrated will keep your energy levels up and decrease hunger for poor food choices, like simple carbohydrates found in candy. In addition, anti-oxidants like blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries can prevent stress on your body. Other great sources of anti-oxidants are coffee and black/green tea. Lastly, to repeat from earlier, do not starve yourself. Adequate calories are critical, or your body will turn off the making of testosterone.

**Supplements – In terms of nutrition, proper diet is all most people need to make adequate testosterone. There are health issues that cause exceptions to this, including patients with malabsorption issues. Vitamin D levels should be checked by your doctor, and if low should be supplemented. Of note, 10 minutes of mid-day sunlight from late spring to early fall a couple times a week will make adequate amounts of vitamin D from the skin. Those with personal history or family history of skin cancer will not tolerate sun exposure and should consult their dermatologist. In general, a few minutes of sunlight can be beneficial, but your skin should never burn. You should take about 2000 units of vitamin D in the winter, if your labs show low Vitamin D levels. Those deficient in magnesium and zinc may benefit from increasing dietary intake of foods with these, or of a short course of supplementation. Foods with zinc include meats, nuts, spinach, and eggs, among many others. Foods with magnesium include green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and certain seafoods. Fish oil may be found in foods like salmon, tuna, seeds, and nuts. A multi-vitamin or half a multi-vitamin is also reasonable, but may not be necessary, depending on the quality of your diet. Of course, dietary restrictions, past medical history, and allergies may limit which foods you can eat.

**Exercise – Exercise has been found to raise testosterone. This is another topic that has enough information for an entire book. General principles are if you are new to lifting, start very slowly or you risk injury. Also, please consult your doctor about your general health and ability to work out. Those with significant medical conditions, including heart or back problems, may not be able to exercise or may be limited. These patients must have clearance before engaging in physical activity. For those who are healthy and have a baseline level of fitness already, general recommendations are to engage in compound movements and to work out in shorter burst movements with high intensity. Lifting heavy weights with a high volume will increase testosterone the most. Exercises include compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, push press, and shoulder press. Also high intensity interval training (HIIT) is excellent for testosterone. HIIT involves short bursts of activity like squats with body weight or burpees, followed by a short rest. Be careful about endurance training like long distance running and biking. While good for your heart, overdoing these exercises may lower testosterone, due to the chronic stress on the body. So, sprints are actually better than long distance running. We advise consulting a personal trainer, and starting off very slowly. It is easy to injure yourself with the best exercises for increasing testosterone. Proper form and a basic fitness level is critical to not being injured, so please be extremely careful. For those with medical conditions limiting exercise, any exercise is helpful, and this includes walking or even water aerobics for those with joint issues.

**Avoid overtraining – This is an overlooked and very critical point. Make sure you are taking rest days every week. Do not exercise every day of the week, and rotate cardio exercises (such as HIIT) and weight lifting. Overtraining will decrease testosterone substantially, and also lead to injury. If you are new to exercise, work out only 2 and no more than 3 days a week at first. And even if you are already fit, take at least two days off strenuous exercise every week. The off days can involve activities like stretching or hiking, but nothing taxing. Overtraining leads to chronic inflammation, injury, and causes testosterone to plummet.

**Sexual Intercourse – Some studies suggest sexual activity helps increase testosterone, and higher testosterone in turn helps improves sexual performance, including erections. Of course, you need to practice safe sexual practices. Moreover, abstinence from sex will not decrease testosterone. So don’t worry if you are not having a lot of sex, as your testosterone levels will be ok without it. You will find the desire to have sex improves as your testosterone increases.

In conclusion, many men can up to double their testosterone levels in 4-12 months naturally. Testosterone is produced maximally when you are taking care of yourself, and most of these tips also are helpful for overall health. Natural increases in testosterone are much preferable to giving testosterone, because it is sustainable, healthy, and good for the testicles. You will need to be followed with labs to ensure the methods are working, and there are no unintended consequences. If you put in the effort to take care of yourself, you’ll feel better beyond testosterone increases, and no doubt you’ll feel the effort was well wo