5 Tips to Naturally Boost Testosterone

Testosterone seems to be the recent poster child for Big Pharma profits. According to IMS Health, “sales of testosterone drugs grew by 90% over 5 years, reaching $1.9 billion in 2011. By 2017, the entire testosterone market is expected to hit $5 billion.” (Fiercepharma). Yet, there are many in the science and medical fields that feel low testosterone levels are normal after age 35 when they begin to decline. Synthetically replenishing this hormone could be less beneficial than expected. Consumer Reports published a controversial article (5/13) citing that their medical team urged men to be cautious of pharmaceutical testosterone therapy. Some even equate  possible results to the rise of breast cancer due to hormone replacement for menopause.

Your body may embrace a rise in testosterone levels through easy lifestyle changes resulting in many of the positive responses pharmaceuticals promise without the possible side effects. Always check with your doctor before applying a natural protocol to increase testosterone levels to make sure there are no contraindications with your personal health history.

Drop the Extra Real Estate

Yup, here’s another reason you should start adhering to a healthier weight regiment. Men that pack on the pounds are more likely to suffer a rapid testosterone decline. According to research presented at the Endocrine Society’s 2012 meeting, losing weight once again showed beneficial health results including an increase of natural testosterone production.

Zinc It Up

Zinc is a powerful mineral with highly essential health benefits. It has been shown to be an important factor in testosterone level production and after only six weeks of supplementation some report significant results. The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends daily zinc at 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women. Do note that zinc supplementation must be discussed with your doctor as it can have adverse affects with different medications and health conditions. Also, be sure to take zinc with food as it can upset an empty stomach.

Shut it Down

Lack of sleep is a major contributor to decreased testosterone levels. The University of Chicago conducted a study that showed a major drop in the hormone after just one week of reduced sleep. Combined with this drop was a decrease in feelings of well-being which included fatigue, lethargy, decreased sex drive and more. The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adult males get seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

Do the D

It is well known that Vitamin D is depleted in most people and needs to be replenished via supplemental doses. However, aside from all the obvious reasons such as assisting in bone strength, wound healing and immune boosting vitamin D has also been linked to testosterone production. In a study by the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Graz, Austria it was concluded that, “men with adequate vitamin D levels, defined as 30mcg/L or more, had higher testosterone levels compared to those with inadequate vitamin D levels, defined as 20 to 29.9mcg/L, according to findings reported in the August 2010 issue of “Clinical Endocrinology.” (LiveStrong)

Sans the Sugar

Processed sugar has been an acceptable poison for hundreds of years. No matter how many times people are told how bad it is for them sales of synthetic, sugar laden foods continue to rise. Well, low testosterone levels may be another reason to avoid sugar. According to The Endocrine Society, no matter the health status of an individual it was found that with excessive sugar intake (excessive is probably normal for most people) testosterone levels have been shown to decrease as much as 25%.

These 5 tips offer you the opportunity to take control of your health and increase your quality of living. Always check with your doctor before addressing your testosterone level.