Testosterone is universally acknowledged as the most important of all male hormones, responsible for sustaining reproductive and sexual health of the males apart from affecting their vigor and emotional well being. However, Testosterone synthesis in the human body follows an unusual pattern. This refers to the natural decrease in the Testosterone levels as a person ages. Due to the increasing deficiency in Testosterone levels, men are prone to developing sexual dysfunctions apart from facing the risk of being unable to conceive. This is evident in the form of problems like erectile dysfunction or ED caused by low testosterone levels.
Foods That Increase Testosterone
The overall sperm quality and its motility too depends heavily on the concentration of Testosterone. Thus, Testosterone-boosting foods are seriously recommended to people who are seeking to boost their sexual health without depending upon heavy medications or hormone supplementation pills. Please understand that none of the foods listed below actually contain the hormone, Testosterone. These are essentially ‘Testosterone-boosters’, i.e. foods that stimulate various receptors in the human body to synthesize more testosterone and catalyze better absorption of the hormone in the blood. Some of the most trusted Testosterone food resources and the testosterone-boosting compounds they contain have been listed below:
Dietary Zinc—this is regarded as the most essential of all dietary minerals for boosting testosterone concentration. Probably, the best source of absorbable, dietary zinc is animal meat. This includes meat of chicken and fish like salmon. To some extent, vegetarian food items like peanuts too contain zinc. Other vegetarian sources of zinc include beans. Please note that none of the usual fruits are known to boost testosterone production in a significant way. This is mainly because most of the plant-sourced zinc cannot be metabolized or absorbed properly by the body.
This is why men who complain of decreased muscle mass or the inability to put on muscle even after working-out religiously in the gym are recommended zinc-coated supplements. Zinc has been traditionally linked with boosting the sex drive and the overall metabolic rate. Zinc supplementation is even recommended to women who are suffering from low energy levels and those who complain of a malaise-like feeling. Some recommended sources of zinc are:
- Dried Pumpkin Seeds
- Dried Watermelon Seeds
- Roast Beef
- Cocoa
- Sesame butter
- Peanuts
- Chicken
- Oysters
- Lamb
- Most red meats
Herbal Testosterone Foods: Garlic is a highly recommended herb for those suffering from testosterone deficiency. Garlic was always considered a natural booster for libido among men and women but its actual contribution in terms of augmenting testosterone levels were discovered recently. Garlic contains a typical compound that is called Allicin. This is a rare biological compound that is found in very few foods and promotes testosterone synthesis.
Vitamin A-containing Foods: Vitamin A is among the most important of vitamins required for sustaining optimum levels of testosterone. This vitamin is easily available in some fruits such as:
- Apples
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Pineapple
Apart from fruits, vitamin A is found in fish, spinach and most of the vibrantly-colored vegetables including beetroot, tomatoes, yellow squash and red peppers.
Why salmon for boosting testosterone?
Most physicians recommend increasing salmon intake because this is among the rarest of testosterone boosters that also combines Vitamin A and Zinc (listed above) apart from some integral (muscle-boosting) proteins and a typical kind of fish oil that is known to boost SHBG, Sex Hormone Binding Globulin. Testosterone tends to bind with SHBG and thus, chances of the hormone being metabolized or broken down into other metabolic byproducts are greatly reduced. Salmon is recommended by most nutritionists and dieticians when charting patient diet plans for naturally boosting testosterone.
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