Non Medical Ways to Boost Testosterone Levels

Testosterone is the male hormone produced in the testicles and it is responsible for man’s sex drive. Low testosterone levels can impact a man’s sexual performance. This blog will discuss life-style changes that men can make to improve their testosterone levels.

The sex hormone testosterone is often touted as helping men maintain their vitality and virility, but levels begin to dip naturally by about 1 percent a year after age 30. Signs that your testosterone may be declining more rapidly include loss of energy, decreased sex drive, irritation or anger, and trouble sleeping.
Although testosterone supplementation is effective, there are risks and side effects that make life style changes a more attractive alternative. There are many tried and true drug-free and hormone-free ways to maintain testosterone levels.

Deep Six the Sauce (Alcohol)
A glass of wine with dinner is no problem, but overdrinking is not a good idea. Moderate alcohol consumption for men is a max of two drinks a day, with one being a 5-ounce glass of wine.

Shed Some Pounds
Being overweight or obese can increase risk for heart disease and certain cancers, but extra weight also increase the risk for low testosterone levels. Research published in Diabetes Care in June 2010 showed that 40 percent of obese men had lower-than-normal testosterone readings, and this percentage increased to 50 percent among obese men with diabetes. Weight loss can be a hormone-free way to combat low T. A benefit of weight loss for obese men is that the penis will appear to be longer because of the loss of the abdominal fat. I usually tell men that every 30 pound weight loss increases the length of the penis by 1.5 inches.

Send Out a Stress SOS
A study done at the University of Texas at Austin in 2010 suggested that the stress hormone cortisol may block the beneficial testosterone. When our stress levels are up, our testosterone can go down.

Regular exercise helps reduce stress levels as well as help you maintain a normal weight, so it packs a double whammy against low testosterone levels. Other stress reduction techniques, like deep breathing, can also serve as natural testosterone support.

Take a Big Dose of Vitamin “E”-Exercise
Exercise can help maintain your testosterone levels and avoid some of the symptoms of low T.
Research in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research backs this up. The study showed that a 4-week sprint-interval training program helped boost testosterone levels in a drug-free fashion among wrestlers.

Sleep And Sex
A small study conducted at the University of Chicago School of Medicine found that men who slept less than five hours a night for one week had lower levels of testosterone than when they had a full night’s sleep.
When you are sleep deprived, it impacts levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which reduces testosterone just like stress can. A sleep-deprived state is a testosterone-deprived state. Everyone’s sleep needs are different, but it’s important that you wake up feeling refreshed.

Avoid Plastic Bottles
The controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is found in many plastic water bottles as well as in the lining of food and beverage cans, and exposure to this plasticizer may result in low T. BPA can act like the female hormone estrogen in the body, which means it can lower levels of testosterone,
Don’t cook foods wrapped in plastic in the microwave, and try to drink from a glass or a steel thermos. The more flexible a plastic bottle, the more likely it is to leach BPA and affect the testosterone level

Think Zinc
If you take a multivitamin with zinc or eat oysters every day, your zinc levels are probably within the normal range. Aim for 12 to 15 milligrams a day to help stave off low T.

Some Fat Is Your Friend

Men who eat a low-fat diet have lower testosterone, because the body makes testosterone from cholesterol. But this doesn’t mean you should eat unhealthy bad fats. Instead choose healthy fats such as those found in avocado, nuts, and olive oil. These fats will boost testosterone naturally, but they won’t raise blood levels of artery-clogging cholesterol.

Skip the Sugar

Every time you eat sugar, testosterone is decreased, likely because the sugar causes a high insulin level which can decrease the testosterone level.
Bottom Line: Low testosterone levels are a treatable condition that affects millions of men. There are options that don’t require medication that also improve your overall health and wellness.

FAQ From My Patients

I am frequently asked questions by my patients and the answers may be of interest to you. If you have any questions that you would like me to answer, please write me at nbaum@neilbaum.com. to your good health.

I am a 60 yr. woman with recurrent urinary tract infections. I was told to drink cranberry juice. Is that effective?
Studies have documented that within eight hours of drinking cranberry juice, the juice could help prevent bacteria from developing into an infection in the urinary tract. Previous studies have suggested that the active compounds in cranberry juice work to fight against bacteria, including E. coli. Naturopaths believe in the medicinal value of cranberries. My own experience with hundreds of patients is that cranberry juice helps but you must drink 4-6 glasses a day, which is also a lot of sugar. So I suggest the cranberry juice pills. Anyone who suspects they have an infection should see a doctor, but drinking cranberry juice may be an easy, inexpensive way to help keep E. coli at bay.
I have chronic prostatitis. Is zinc helpful for this condition?
Zinc plays an important role in maintaining and improving prostate health. While zinc is found in every organ, tissue and cell in the human body, in males, the prostate has more zinc than any other tissue except bone.
As men get older, they tend to exercise less and their diets change as well, often causing them to fall short of the recommended daily allowance of zinc. Men who don’t have significant levels of zinc in their diets tend to have higher instances prostatitis. They also have higher prostate cancer rates.
The recommended daily allowance for men is 11 milligrams. Zinc is found in many popular foods, including meat and poultry, as well as oysters, beans, nuts, crab, lobster, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals and dairy products.

My urologist told me that I have a varicocele. Will this cause me to have a problem with infertility?

Yes it may. Varicoceles are enlarged varicose veins that occur in the scrotum. They are fairly common, affecting 15 out of 100 men overall and one of the most common causes of male infertility because the heat from the dilated veins affect sperm production. Varicoceles occur most often in the left testicle. A varicocele repair is done to improve male fertility and is accomplished on an outpatient basis with improvement in the sperm producing in 3-4 months after the procedure.

I had radiation therapy for prostate cancer and now have a loss of my sex drive. What is the cause?
Men who receive radiation therapy for prostate cancer often receive injections to lower the testosterone level to decrease the growth of the cancer. Testosterone is responsible for the sex drive or libido. Often the testosterone level will return to normal after the medication is discontinued after the radiation therapy. In some instances men can receive testosterone one year after radiation if the PSA level stays at a low level. I suggest you have a discussion with your urologist about the use of testosterone in men with prostate cancer.

Loss of Libido-Finding It Without Medication

Many men are experiencing a decrease in their libido or sex drive. The symptoms consist of more than just a loss of libido. Men may also have decreased energy, falls asleep after the evening meal, and may loss muscle and bone mass. There some suggestions that men can follow to boost their testosterone level without the necessity of taking medications or testosterone replacement therapy.

10: Drink in Moderation
One alcoholic drink can lubricate a nervous first-date situation. By reducing anxiety and stress one drink can help get you in the mood for sex. But beware, alcohol is a depressant, too much booze and you can end up with quite the opposite problem.

9: Try Aphrodisiacs
There is no magic love potion but aphrodisiacs can be fun. Often they are foods that look sexually suggestive like asparagus. Others, like oysters, gain their love-inducing reputation by containing antioxidants and trace elements necessary for good sexual functioning. For example, oysters are packed with zinc, a mineral central to fertility and good prostate health.

8: Stop Smoking
It’s well known that smoking can have a terrible affect on blood flow to the sexual organs as it causes the blood vessels to narrow. It also saps your stamina and most people don’t like kissing an ashtray.

7: Keep Fit
Moderate regular exercise will help improve blood flow to the sexual organs. In addition, exercise helps you feel good about yourself. Anything that improves self-esteem will improve libido.

6: Lose Weight
Being overweight can affect not only your self-esteem and your feelings of sexuality but you’re likely to suffer from blood vessel disease which can reduce essential blood flow to the genitals.

5: Eat the Right Things
If your body becomes frail due to bad health, sex invariably suffers. Five to nine fruits and vegetables a day can provide the cornerstone to your health. The vitamins and antioxidants will help maintain good blood flow to the sex organs and prevent certain chronic diseases.

4: Massage
Massage techniques can do wonders for sexual arousal particularly if you’re stressed, worried or angry. Prepare the room with soft lighting and soothing music then start with a back massage.

3: Yohimbine
Long used in Africa as an aphrodisiac and often called natural Viagra, yohimbine is thought to improve male impotence although clinical trials have been disappointing. There is little evidence that it works for women.

2: Gingko Biloba
This herbal remedy made from the leaves of the gingko biloba tree, is known to improve blood flow to the brain and sexual organs. It is thought to have an enhancing effect upon desire, excitement and orgasm.

1: Feel Good About Yourself
Nothing reduces your interest in sex more than low self-esteem. Spoil yourself when you’re feeling down and take some time to relax or do an activity that makes you feel better within yourself.

Bottom Line: Loss of libido is just one aspect of erectile dysfunction. The diagnosis is easily made with a simple blood test to measure the serum testosterone level. If the above suggestions do not work, you may want to consider hormone replacement therapy with testosterone injections, topical gels, or the new pellets that can be inserted under the skin and provides a normal blood level for 4-6 months.