6 Foods to Avoid If You Want Healthy Testosterone Levels

03/21/2024

If you are concerned about your testosterone levels, try avoiding the food items listed below. These foods might threaten your testosterone levels, resulting in decreased libido, focus, and muscle mass.

Note: The depletion in testosterone levels after a certain age is very common. The testosterone level tends to fall by 1 to 2% each year around the age of 40. Other factors can also contribute to this fall, such as underlying health conditions, unhealthy lifestyle, lack of physical activities, smoking, alcohol, etc. If you are trapped in any of the following factors, try to work on it to keep your life active and healthy.

The Following are Testosterone killing Foods: 

Alcohol:

Drinking alcohol among youngsters and adults is more prevalent than ever, irrespective of its ill effects on health. Certain people take alcohol daily, resulting in deteriorated health. The most negative effects of drinking alcohol can be seen on your testosterone levels. If you have low testosterone levels, cutting down or limiting alcohol consumption leads to fruitful outcomes. 

Several studies unveil that heavy alcohol usage or daily drinking over a long-term period can significantly lower testosterone levels in men. Therefore, if you drink daily, try to change this habit. And if your drinking habit is regulated by your mood, try to incorporate new habits into your routine. For example, if you take alcohol whenever you are stressed or anxious, try to divert your mind by going for a walk or doing something that you like.

The hormone responsible for producing hormones such as testosterone is Leydig cells, which are affected by the consumption of alcohol. Therefore, gradually cutting alcohol intake can result in healthy testosterone levels. 

Dairy products: 

If your testosterone level is falling greatly, dairy products such as milk could be a potential cause. Undoubtedly, dairy products are one of the great sources of protein for people trying to gain muscle mass and reduce fat. Unfortunately, some studies prove that whole milk can affect testosterone levels. Most dairy products are obtained from pregnant cows with increased hormones like estrogen and progesterone, which can affect and decrease the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). In the absence of this hormone, the men’s body cannot produce the important hormone to produce testosterone. 

Therefore, to support healthy testosterone levels, you must avoid saturated fat and replace whole milk with low-fat milk. 

Baked foods like bread, pastries and desserts 

If you are also someone who loves to munch on bread, pastries, and desserts, then you should reconsider your choices. Having baked goods once in a while is fine, but munching on them daily can be alarming. These baked food items are rich in trans unsaturated fatty acids, which can decline testosterone levels. A study was conducted in 2017, which showed that people who consumed a diet rich in trans-fat had a 15% lower testosterone level than men who didn’t. 

In addition to the above, these food items add inches to your waist size and increase insulin levels, contributing to low testosterone levels. Therefore, before you go for the second doughnut, think twice. 

Sugar: 

You get an ice cream or a doughnut whenever a sweet tooth hits you. However, this could stand as the possible cause of low testosterone levels. Sugar is already responsible for causing thousands of health conditions, for example, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, etc. Therefore, you shouldn’t consume more than the recommended amount. The excess consumption of it is also responsible for low testosterone levels. According to The American Heart Association, a man takes 17 teaspoons of sugar daily, which is nearly double the daily recommended limit. 

 To cut off the intake of sugar, try to avoid soda, energy drinks, baked goods, candy, etc from your diet. Reducing the intake of sugar will bring benefits to your overall well-being. 

Vegetable Oils: 

Experts say that vegetable oils can be detrimental to your overall well-being, especially for testosterone levels, if consumed regularly. These days, vegetable oils have become kitchen staples to enhance the taste and texture of the food. You might be shocked to know that vegetable oil contains omega-6 fatty acids in large quantities that can harm your testosterone production. Therefore, you should avoid taking vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn, soybean, peanut, sesame, etc. Instead of these vegetable oils, you can use olive or coconut oil.  

Most vegetable oils are high in PUFA fats and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These compounds hold the potential to decline your testosterone levels.  

Conclusion: 

Some studies show that certain foods, like soy, dairy products, sugar, alcohol, etc., can affect your testosterone levels. However, it is important to note that many factors influence hormonal levels, and diet is just one of the puzzles. Factors like age, overall well-being, genetics, and lifestyle choice matter a lot in determining the levels of testosterone. Opting for a balanced and mixed diet is generally recommended for overall well-being. Therefore, you should focus on consuming nutrient-rich foods, staying hydrated, and maintaining a healthy weight. If the problem is serious, you should reach out to a health provider for personalized advice based on your unique situation. 

FAQs: 

1. Why should I avoid soy-based products?

Daily consumption of soy products like soy milk, tofu, and edamame can decrease testosterone levels. The body transforms isoflavones found in soy into phytoestrogens, which are quite similar to human oestrogen, which is found in both men's and women's bodies naturally. Consuming a lot of isoflavones may increase the production of estrogen and reduce the production of testosterone. 

2. How does alcohol affect testosterone levels?

The heavy and daily usage of alcohol can affect the Leydig cells drastically, which are responsible for the production and secretion of a hormone known as testosterone. The prolonged use of alcohol excessively can affect the levels of testosterone in the blood. 

3. Why are processed foods bad for testosterone?

Processed foods are rich in trans fats, which are harmful to testosterone levels. Consuming trans fats through processed food can affect testosterone levels, resulting in low libido, unstable erection, fatigue, etc. Therefore, avoid processed food items to keep your health in check.

4. How does mint impact testosterone?

Some studies reveal that mint consumption can lower testosterone levels. Mint causes a dip in testosterone levels in both males and females. If you are already concerned about your testosterone level, avoid its usage.