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Apparently, testosterone is one of the essential hormones in our body, which is produced by men’s testicles. In women, there is only a small amount of testosterone.
The function of testosterone is for libido regulation, muscles strength, fat distribution, the production of red blood cells and sperms. Therefore, it is called a male hormone, which decides physical characteristics of a man.
As a part of aging, after 30, most men begin to experience a drop in testosterone level. Consequently, your life cannot stay the same due to some health problems appearing such as fatigue, depression, mood swings, the accumulation of body fat and decrease in bone as well as muscles mass, etc. Also, the libido decrease might be one of the obvious consequences of testosterone loss [1].
Aside from aging, your testosterone level can also be affected by many other factors such as genetics, infection, obesity, stress, alcoholism, diabetes, chronic kidney or liver diseases, medical treatments, nutritional deficiencies and so on.
The testosterone level ranges between 300 and 800 nanograms per deciliter. To measure yours, you can go for a blood test [2].
Do not worry if you find your testosterone beginning to decrease as some changes with your diet and lifestyle can help increase this hormone level naturally and instantly.
Here are top 10 effective treatments for how to increase testosterone naturally that will help you boost the hormone and improve your overall health…
1. Lose Weight
Since obesity is a potential cause of low testosterone level, it is advisable to lose some weight to get back the balance of hormone.
According to experts, the increase in body fat contributes greatly to the hormone imbalance. Specifically, it stimulates the body to convert testosterone into estrogen, leading to low testosterone level.
There has been much research on this area, in which they found out that with weight loss is able to assist men in middle age group to increase testosterone levels by almost 50% [3].
Therefore, before you raise the question how to increase testosterone naturally, shed your excess weight first to improve not only the hormone level but also your overall health.
It should be noted that testosterone would not produced if your body is in starving and exhausted condition. Therefore, opt for a balanced diet combined with regular and reasonable exercise to get your healthy body in perfect shape and size.
2. Exercise
Exercise seems to be a compulsory part of our life if you want to have a healthy body. Regular and suitable physical activities are able to increase energy, improve body function and promote your sleep quality. Besides, it is a great way to boost testosterone naturally without any intervention of medical treatments or supplements [4][5].
The best exercises for stimulating testosterone production is weight lifting, cardio workouts, aerobic exercise, swimming, running, etc. Spend at least 3 times a week for these activities and make sure your body gets enough time to recover between exercises; otherwise they might bring reverse effect.
3. Sleep
When your testosterone level drops, it is likely to create insomnia, which in turn keeps decreasing your steroid hormone significantly. Additionally, the lack of sleep also leads to an increase in cortisol, a hormone causing stress and depression, making your testosterone condition even worse [6].
If you want to boost testosterone level, try to spend 7-9 hours for sleeping and improve your sleep quality every night.
If you find it difficult to get a quality sleep at night, try these following tips:
- Put all electronic devices away at least 1 hour before bed.
- Avoid alcohols and beverages that contain caffeine in the evening.
- Take a shower or bath before going to sleep. Add some drops of lavender oil into your bathtub or some hot water and inhale the steam. Alternatively, put a few drops of it on your pillow and let the aroma help you to relax.
- Take some meditation before bed.
- Set your own schedule for bedtime and follow it strictly.
4. Vitamin D
According to many studies and researches, people with low testosterone also experience vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, to increase testosterone level, it is recommended to increase the vitamin D amount in the body [1].
The simplest and most effective way to improve vitamin D level is exposing your body to the sunlight in early morning 15 minutes daily. The best time for this activity is from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. The sunlight will actively stimulates the vitamin D production as well as absorption.
At the same time, remember to consume more food rich in vitamin D such as fish, milk, cereal, liver, eggs, etc. In case you want to take supplements of vitamin D, consult your doctor to avoid side effect.
5. Zinc
Zinc is an essential substance that contributes to testosterone production in our body. A lack of zinc in the body system also means a decrease in testosterone levels. Therefore, it is necessary to supply the body with a proper amount of zinc daily to help not only raise the level of steroid hormone, but also ensure other functioning of the body that need this substance [8].
The daily requirement of zinc for an adult man is 11 mg, which can be found in food sources like fish, crabs, red meat, cheese, milk, yogurt, beans, etc. Also, you can opt for zinc supplement. However, make sure you consult a doctor about the dosage before using as the excessive amount of zinc intake might inhibit the absorption of other minerals and nutrients.
6. Avoid Alcohol
Without a doubt, alcohol abuse not only brings no good to human but also causes various negative impacts on our body. One of those is the significant drop in testosterone level [9].
So… to boost your testosterone level naturally, cut back on the alcohol amount that you consume. In fact, a grown man should only have 3-4 units a day, which is equal with a half glass of wine or a half pint of weak beer. Also, it is highly recommended to have at least 2 day of a week that get no involved in alcohol.
7. Avoid Sugar
Another factor that can affect your testosterone level is blood sugar. According to recent research, as you consume sugar, especially liquid sugar, leading to blood sugar levels spike, the testosterone decrease by around 25% and this level remains for two hours later. Accordingly, if you let the blood sugar elevate all the time, the condition will quickly turn into chronically low testosterone [10][11].
To increase your testosterone level naturally, stay away from fast-acting carbs, cut down on sugar and completely avoid sugar-sweetened beverages.
8. Magnesium
Magnesium is another mineral that is needed to increase testosterone naturally. This is due to the fact that magnesium promotes the antioxidants in the body and inhibits inflammation, which in turn facilitates the production of testosterone [12].
Magnesium rich foods include nuts, seeds, leafy greens, avocados, bananas, dark chocolate, yogurt and so on.
Also, you can take magnesium supplement after consulting a doctor about the dosage.
9. Cabbage
Cabbage is rich in indole-3-carbinol (IC3), a substance used to promote your testosterone level. This substance is also able to decrease estrogen, the female hormone by 50% in men.
Therefore, to boost testosterone naturally, you’d better add more cabbage in your daily meal.
10. Eggs
Some people try to lose some weight and increase testosterone by completely avoid cholesterol. In fact, the truth is HDL, good cholesterol, is essential for the production of testosterone in our body [13].
Eggs are one of the best sources of HDL. Besides, they are also rich in protein and zinc, which actively assist the manufacture of this steroid hormone [14].
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