Diet plays a big part in how our body copes with the aging process. It has been well documented that men lose testosterone fairly rapidly after they reach their mid thirties. With that in mind it may worth avoiding eating foods that are know to kill testosterone!
What Will I Learn
What Foods Kill Testosterone?
Most of us love our food, but the sad facts are that some of the foodstuffs that we eat or drink can be highly detrimental to our testosterone production.
Repeatedly eating foods that kill testosterone can have huge impact on your health, wellness and sex drive. It is also been proven that intermittent fasting increases testosterone.
To reap the benefit of increased muscular strength, reduced belly fat and a relentless sex drive you need to be mindful of what foods kill testosterone production.
You also need to be aware of the nutrients contained within your food.
This article provides details of a number of foodstuffs that you really need to be avoiding if you want to retain your masculinity, muscularity and libido.
Oysters have always been associated with increasing T levels – here are the opposites.
Recommended Reading: Which Test Boosters are the most effective? Best testosterone boosting pills revealed.
Low Testosterone And Your Health
If you were asked to describe the ideal masculine traits, what would you be describing?
- Muscular arms, strength and a deep chest
- Broad shoulders, strong deep voice, chiselled jaw
- Confidence, and assertiveness
- Stamina and boundless energy.
All of the above are regulated and maintained by one thing – and that is Testosterone
From our teenage years and through our twenties, levels of this hormone are at at its peak, with us all enjoying the benefits that it brings.
Once we each our 30’s however, its perfectly natural for our testosterone production to slow down and reduce.
Medical experts tell us that on average the decline is between 1-2% per year.
At first the effects are rarely noticed.
Gradually most sufferers experience a reduction in their sex drive, muscle tone and strength.
They also gain extra fat around the belly and also experience poor moods.
By the time we reach 45, nearly 50% of us will be classed as having low T.
As we reach 60 most of us will be suffering to some extent.
Why Is Having Low Testosterone A Bad Thing?
Reduced testosterone can bring with it noticeable decreases in libido, sexual performance, muscle mass, strength, and physical performance.
It also causes a build up of body fat, and some men even develop gynecomastia (man boobs).
It can also have a more serious effect on our actual health.
Possibly leading to high blood pressure, heart health problems and even the risk of stroke.
It can also be liked to diabetes, metabolic syndrome and hyperchloestermia.
Reduced testosterone can also be linked to an early death in some men.
Studies have shown that men with blood testosterone levels of 241ng.dl are up to 40% more likely to die early than men with normal levels ( 300ng.dl and higher).
Foods That Kill Testosterone Production
When it comes down to eating foods that affect testosterone production, there are some that really should be avoided.
Here are a few foods that you really need to avoid.
Doing this will reduce the risk of developing hypogonadism (Low T) and the health problems that can come with it.
Here are some of the major foods that kill testosterone production:
1. Licorice
This popular sweet tasting food is take from the root of the glycyrrhiza glabra plant. It contains a bioactive saponin chemical known as glycyrrhizin acid.
This is used to sweeten or flavour a various amount of foods.
This includes candy, alcoholic drinks, breath fresheners and some herbal teas.
It is also found in certain medications too.
The problem is that studies prove that the glycyrrhizin in licorice can can actually reduce testosterone by up to 40%.
This evidence is not just based on one study either.
Another study saw that even a small amount of glycyrrhizic reduced testosterone levels from 740ng.dl down to 414ng.dl.
A third study followed a group who were given 7g of licorice to eat daily for 7 days. This produced a 26% reduction in testosterone.
2. Alcohol
Sorry to bring this up, as we all like a drink from time to time.
Now if you are an occasional drinker, don’t worry its not going to be a problem.
However, if you reach from the bottle on a regular basis, your testosterone levels will definitely take a hit.
The main component in Alcohol is Ethanol.
This acts as a nervous system depressant, it slows down our bodily functions as we all know.
(This is the reason why we stagger around and slur our speech when we have had one drink too many)
Aside from that its highly calorific and actually toxic to our endocrine system.
Studies have shown that when we drink alcohol to excess our testosterone production reduces as a direct result.
One particular study saw a group of healthy men drink 1.75 g of alcohol per kg of body weight.
After the drinking session, their testosterone levels dropped dramatically for just over 24 hrs.
3. Soda
Who doesn’t like a can of coke, lemonade, sprite, or in fact any fizzy drink – the world is full of men women and children who love them.
The first health risk is that they are cram packed with sugar, some drinks containing as much as 8 spoonfuls of sugar.
Its clinically recognised that drinking these sugar rich drinks can lead to our over consumption of calories by up to 17%.
This causes weight gain.
Gaining weight is one of the biggest causes of Low Testosterone.
Not only that its linked to an increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes too.
4. Junk or Fast Food
The fast food business is worth over $5 billion in sales each year in the US alone.
When I say fast or junk food, I mean anything that is high in calories, saturated fat, sugar or with little or no nutritional value.
Pizza, hot dogs, burgers and fried chicken are typical examples.
Add to that cakes, buiscuits, candy and even some full fat milk shakes can be included as they are packed with calories but are low in nutrients.
“Scientific studies have proven that men who eat more fast or Junk foods, have lower testosterone production. “
William Fallon
One study involving over 8000 subjects recognised that eating junk for increased the subjects exposure to chemical called phthalates – Bisphenol A is an example (BPA).
These are substances used in the production of certain plastics. These have been proven to reduce testosterone by as much as 30%.
5. Vegetable Oils
The last food type on my list are vegetable oils, in particular those who have large amounts of PUFA (Polyunsaturated fats).
Although essential for cooking can present problems with your T levels.
The use of these actually increases the risk of developing certain inflammatory and metabolic diseases.
These include:
- Diabetes
- High Cholesterol
- Irritable Bowel Disease
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Certain Cancers
The use of these actually increases the risk of developing certain inflammatory and metabolic diseases that can include:
Clinical research has shown that oils such as soybean, safflower and canola oils often contain refined ingredients.
They can contribute to male infertility by compromising testicular function, sperm motility and testosterone levels.
*Dishonourable Mention – Milk. Milk offer lots of health benefits. It’s high in protein and calcium. But milk can also kill testosterone. It doesn’t make our top 5 but worthy of a mention.
Foods That Kill Testosterone – To Sum Up
When you are trying to maximise your testosterone levels, its been proven that a number of foodstuffs are downright bad for your hormonal production.
Sure they wont have any real effect if taken only occasionally.
But if any of these form a regular part of your day to day diet, you really need to cur them out.
Other Things You Can Do
We have listed some foods that kill testosterone, and advised you to ensure that your diet is testosterone friendly.
You can get your T levels checked.
In addition you can encourage your body to naturally increase its male hormone production by taking a good natural testosterone booster.
Make sure you look at what is in the supplement though – many testosterone boosting ingredients don’t work.
These products deliver essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins that provide and nurture the right hormonal environment for optimum testosterone production.
Look for a product that uses a clinically proven formula, ensure that it has a positive user rating and also provides a full and lengthy cash back guarantee.
This assures buyers of a full refund should (after taking as directed) they be unhappy with the results.
The very bottom line is avoid foods that kill testosterone!
