How To Raise Your Testosterone (Men Only)

As men age, they need the help of a testosterone booster because the decreasing levels of the hormone can significantly affect their health. Today, I'm going to talk about how to raise testosterone in men to avoid the symptoms of low testosterone.

In this article:

1. Symptoms of Low Testosterone

2. What Are the Other Causes of Low Testosterone?

3. How to Increase Testosterone Levels

4. Aging Lowers Testosterone Levels

Testosterone Booster: Ways to Improve the Hormone

Symptoms of Low Testosterone

The following are symptoms of low testosterone:

1. Prostate Enlargement

Sometimes, people are confused and say "I thought testosterone causes prostate enlargement." They're talking about a powerful form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). First of all, if testosterone causes prostate enlargement, then as you get older and men have more incidence of prostate enlargement, that does not correlate with the aging process that lowers testosterone. So, what really happens is having a lower testosterone level makes estrogen higher. It's the estrogen dominance in a male body that enlarges the prostate. In fact, certain doctors use DHT to shrink the prostate. With more testosterone, the prostate becomes healthier and protected against estrogen.

DHT Definition: A hormone that helps stimulate male characteristic development.

2. Low Libido

Although libido varies from one man to another, low testosterone can significantly affect a man's sexual desire. If the hormone's levels get too low as a man ages, the person may experience a decline in sex drive. Stress and lack of sleep may also negatively affect a man's libido.

3. Erectile Dysfunction

Low levels of testosterone can decrease your sexual desires, and when this happens constantly, erectile dysfunction may develop, affecting your sexual health. Men may have difficulties maintaining an erection, which affects their sexual performance. Other causes of erectile dysfunction can include relationship issues, anxiety, and depression.

4. Muscle Loss

It's hard to get lean muscle even if you are working out if you have low testosterone. Then, you start losing collagen. Things start hanging from your body like breast tissue and skin.

5. Loss of Vitality

Low testosterone can also make men experience chronic fatigue where tiredness does not improve even after resting. When this happens, a man's energy is also significantly affected, leading to a loss of vitality. Aging also affects energy naturally, so this adds up to the loss of energy.

6. Loss of Body Hair (Even in the Lower Part of the Legs)

Testosterone also plays a crucial role in the production of body hair. Those with low testosterone may experience a loss of facial and body hair as they age. Balding, for example, is one, but aging can also cause this condition.

7. Man Boobs

Man boobs are another symptom of low testosterone where a man may develop larger breasts. Since the hormone is responsible for shaping a man's physical features, low levels of testosterone can increase the breast size instead of shaping it into a muscle-like chest. Estrogen dominance is still the culprit here. Men may experience two same-size large breasts or one breast getting larger than the other.

8. Higher Voice

Testosterone is important in developing male characteristics, including the deepening of the voice. When there are low levels of it, men may experience a higher pitched voice. This is also because estrogen is dominant, making the voice sound more feminine.

Other than these symptoms, you have nothing to worry about.

What Are the Other Causes of Low Testosterone?

Although aging largely contributes to having low testosterone, there are also other reasons for the lack of this hormone production.

1. High Estrogen

Estrogen is considered the primary female sex hormone and is present in meats, dairy products, genetically modified organism (GMO) foods (that's why you have to go with organic, hormone-free products), and water supply. There is estrogen if you drink tap water so you need to get your water filtered. Most filters will get rid of the estrogen.

2. Liver Damage

If you have a fatty liver, you're going to produce more estrogen, and that's going to lower testosterone. Drinking alcohol is very estrogenic as well. It's going to make estrogen levels go up and testosterone levels go down.

3. High Fat Storing Hormone

Fat Storing Hormone from sugar, like raising it with too much night snacking, is going to spike and lower testosterone below normal levels. So, what you want is to do three meals a day or even two meals instead.

4. Low-Fat Diets

Low-fat diets can lower your testosterone levels because the hormone is lipid-based. This means dietary fat must be in your body so the hormone can perform optimally. One study showed that male participants who went on a 6-week low-fat diet lowered their testosterone levels.

5. Medications

Statins and high-blood pressure and diabetic medications are the types of drugs that mess with testosterone. Statins, for example, has been linked to increased prevalences of hypogonadism where men cannot produce enough testosterone.

6. High Aromatase

Aromatase is an enzyme in your body made by the adrenals and testosterone. It converts your testosterone to estrogen. High levels of this enzyme make the body more feminized. There are a couple of things you can do to correct that. You can use the remedy called stinging nettle root and zinc, which are both aromatase inhibitors. You can take those to decrease the aromatase problem.

Stinging Nettle Definition: A plant where people use its roots and other parts as a medicine usually for urination issues related to prostate enlargement.

How to Increase Testosterone Levels

There are several ways to increase your testosterone levels naturally.

1. Raise Human Growth Hormone

A good testosterone booster is boosting your growth hormone, an anti-aging hormone made by the pituitary, which works through your liver. Wherever growth hormone goes, testosterone follows. To increase growth hormone, you can do the following:

• Eat a moderate-to-not-high amount of protein with each meal.

• Get enough sleep and lower your stress levels.

• Perform intense, full-body exercises. Deadlifts are the best workout to increase testosterone because you're using your upper and lower body. Do note that you have to get your form down and work out gradually or you might hurt your back.

2. Follow Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is also another testosterone booster that will help raise testosterone and can also correct Fat Storing Hormone levels. You may eat when you are only hungry. If you eat the right things, you become more satisfied, you work off your own fat, and you eat less. Never eat when you are not hungry.

3. Eat Cruciferous Vegetables

Eat anti-estrogenic foods, that is, cruciferous vegetables to boost testosterone. These veggies are very important in cleaning out estrogen, which may be holding down your testosterone. If you want to enhance that, I have a supplement product called Whole Cruciferous Food containing all the cruciferous veggies in capsule form. You take about 3 to 6 capsules a day.

4. Decrease Cortisol

Decreasing cortisol, a stress hormone from the adrenals, is a testosterone booster as well. This is dependent on how much sleep you get and how much sun exposure you get. I had a guy, and he had this fat belly. All he had to do was go to Florida for a week to get himself some sun. His belly decreased with that, which is amazing. That can happen to you, too. You can take vitamin D during the winter season, but if you have the chance to get some sun exposure, that will really help lower cortisol levels.

Aging Lowers Testosterone Levels

The aging process alone lowers the testosterone hormone. By the time you hit 40, your natural testosterone levels go down, and it's at its peak at 18 years old. When people notice their testosterone drop, they start taking bioidentical hormones. The problem with taking these hormones is it inactivates your own testicles and adrenal that are supposed to make testosterone. So, we end up creating a problem with a shrinking testicle and an adrenal that inactivates if we take bioidentical hormones too long.

Knowing the causes and symptoms of low testosterone and which testosterone booster is the best helps you correct your testosterone deficiency. Low levels of the hormone can significantly affect many aspects of your health, so it's important to take care of your testosterone level with a little change in your lifestyle and diet.

What other natural ways to increase testosterone can you share with us? Leave them in the comments section below!

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Disclaimer: Our educational content is not meant or intended for medical advice or treatment.