Testosterone, Testy, Big T; whatever you label it, Testosterone is one of the key building blocks of the human body. It directly impacts muscle growth, strength, libido, and overall male health in many different, subtle ways.
If you want to be a healthy, physically active man in the sex department, you’re going to need good levels of testosterone in your body. Which of course begs the question, what is the best way to get your T levels up and keep them up?
There is no single perfect answer, of course. However, a key part of keeping the body healthy is through nutrition. With that in mind, here is a list of testosterone boosting foods that are rich in compounds to boost your body’s natural production of testosterone, and keep your sex drive roaring.
1. Eggs
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Putting eggs into your diet is an excellent step toward keeping your testosterone levels high and healthy.
The yolks of whole eggs are rich in cholesterol and essential fats. This might seem like a collection of warning words, but the fact is that health experts no longer condemn these dietary additives outright.
Rather, it’s a matter of proportion that you have to consider. An egg or two per day for breakfast is not going to have a significant negative impact on your heart health in most cases. This is modified by other behaviours such as pre-existing heart disease or for smokers, but in most cases you’ll be just fine having a few eggs.
The key is that fats and cholesterol are building blocks, or precursors, to testosterone production. Including them in your diet gives your body the basic components it needs to healthily develop testosterone levels.
2. Oysters
These shellfish might seem like a strange option, but the fact is they are an excellent dietary choice if you want to maintain high testosterone levels.
The winning compound in oysters is zinc. Low zinc levels or outright zinc deficiency have been linked to hypogonadism, aka low testosterone in male subjects.
To be sure, moderate or minor deficiency has not been as strongly linked to testosterone levels as significant or major zinc deficiency. However, the fact is that zinc is an essential mineral to preventing testosterone loss in major cases, and oysters are a great way to get zinc.
3. Spinach
We’ll skip the obligatory Popeye joke and simply point out that spinach is high in natural magnesium. Studies archived by NCBI have consistently linked healthy magnesium levels to healthy testosterone levels in the human body.
What is most interesting about this study is that it is activity-independent. The increase in testosterone for those supplementing with magnesium was significant whether they were an athlete or naturally sedentary.
4. Beef
Steak, hamburger, pot roast; beef is an excellent source of nutritional components that provide the building blocks for testosterone. In particular, it contains proteins, fats, and cholesterols that the body uses to build muscle, and to directly build testosterone in men.
Another benefit is that it lacks carbohydrates, meaning that the nutritional content is protein dense. While some may quibble about the specific fat ratios, the fact is beef isn’t going to contribute to sugar excesses like other carb-heavy foods will.
5. Grapes
Grapes are sweet and delicious, but they may provide an alternative testosterone boosting element as well. The specific benefit here is from Resveratrol.
Studies on resveratrol are relatively new, and more data is needed, so this portion of the article should be given more time for consideration.
However, initial studies in lab animal tests showed a marked connection between intake of trans-resveratrol and sperm count. Sperm count is associated with healthy libido and testosterone levels, and other studies have shown tentative links between T-R and testosterone.
Ok, but What Does Testosterone Offer?
Low testosterone levels can put a serious damper on the love life of those who suffer from this condition.
Low T has been linked to:
– Sexual Dysfunction
Erectile Dysfunction (ED) has a strong link to low testosterone levels in patients. If you want to be able to “get it up,” examining your testosterone levels could be a key treatment.
– Increased Fatigue
It’s hard to perform, even at our most aroused, when we’re just bone-deep tired. Physical exhaustion in general, and a faster rate of tiring out in particular, are common side effects of reduced testosterone levels.
If you want to have the energy to enjoy an active libido, your testosterone level could be a culprit worth investigating.
– Decreased Libido
Sometimes it isn’t that the body is weak, it’s that the spirit isn’t willing. A low testosterone level can result in a simple lack of desire to engage in sex at any one time.
Decreased sex drive has been linked to ED, as well.
It can be difficult to maintain a relationship when one of the partners lacks interest. This can compound with other emotional changes from lack of testosterone, leading to relationship conflict.
Head these worries off by making sure your testosterone level isn’t sabotaging your desire for healthy, vigorous sex.
– Infertility
Let’s face it, the original function of sex was for reproduction. Many of us want to have children of our own, to raise and show the infinite wonders of the world. Low testosterone levels could be sabotaging these efforts, though.
A common side effect of low T levels is lower sperm count and sperm motility. This hinders the rate of fertilization of eggs, meaning pregnancy just doesn’t happen, or happens rarely.
Boosting your T levels can help you fight infertility in cases like these, so eat those healthy foods!
– Physical Weakness
Testosterone has a direct link to muscle-building in the body. Lower T levels mean it is harder for your body to build those proteins into strong, healthy muscles.
Nobody wants to be physically weak. Boosting T levels to healthy margins means it’s easier to bulk up and build those powerful muscles. There’s a reason that bodybuilders spend time talking about testosterone levels, after all.
