When it comes to men’s health, testosterone hormone plays a vital role in maintaining some crucial elements of a male body like, muscle mass, bone density, red cell production, sperm production and most importantly it directly impacts sexual drive.
Even before birth, this hormone plays an important role in developing the male sex organs. When a male reaches puberty, it is this hormone that helps in the development of the secondary sex characteristics. Therefore it is important for a male body to produce the right amount of testosterone hormone. When the male body does not product adequate amount of testosterone, then they suffer from ‘hypogonadism’. Usually men above the age of 30, experience a fall in their testosterone levels. Having low levels of testosterone hormones can create many health issues like:
- Reduced sex drive
- Abnormal increase in breast size
- Lowers sperm production
- Sudden fits of depression
- Obesity
- Heart disease
- Type 2 diabetes
- Reduced mineral density
- Low physical strength
However there are some natural ways through which this hormone can be boosted.
Let’s look at some of them:
- Consume more fat – Interestingly, high fat diets can increase your testosterone levels, compared to low fat diets. Consuming both mono-saturated fats (olive oil, avocados and nuts) and saturated fats (cheese, butter, whole milk dairy products, fatty meats and coconut oil) can naturally boosts the testosterone hormone.
- Consume more zinc – Men with low testosterone suffer from Zinc deficiency. Zinc has been found as a major stimulus in increasing the testosterone hormone in both males and females. Natural foods like spinach, kidney beans, oysters, watermelon seed, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and beef are rich in Zinc. You could eat any of these regularly, to complement for the deficiency.
- Get adequate Sleep – Most hormones play an important role while we are at sleep, therefore it is important to have proper sleep. Researchers have observed that males, who slept for 7-8 hours daily, produced more of the testosterone hormone as compared to those who experience only 4-5 hours of deep sleep.
- Add vitamin D to your diet – Like many other benefits, vitamin D has been recognised as a major contributor of the testosterone hormone. Your everyday food, if rich in vitamin D can help you combat the problem of testosterone imbalance. Just add foods like Orange juice, cheese, soy milk and egg yolk to your everyday diet, and see the impact for yourself.
- Do not Avoid Cholesterol – Although we are made to believe that cholesterol is bad for our health, yet the truth is we require some amount of cholesterol in our body to balance the testosterone levels. Testosterone hormones are derived from cholesterol; therefore it is important to add it to our diet. Some of the top noted cholesterol-containing foods are red meat, egg yolks, shrimp, whole eggs and lobsters. As per your choice, you can add them to your daily diet.
- 60 minutes of workout period – Men love the gym; body building is more of a passion, than a need. But did you know that increased workout can result in lowering your testosterone levels. Also long rest periods between workouts can impact your hormones. Therefore the recommended duration is 60 minutes of workout with shorter rest periods.
Apart from the above natural ways, you can consult your doctor and go for Testosterone Therapy treatment, in which the patient takes an artificial version of the hormone. This treatment can boost your testosterone levels instantly. The results of this treatment can increase your bone density, muscle mass, insulin sensitivity, energy levels and psychological health. However it is recommended that before trying this treatment; you must try out the natural ways of increasing the testosterone levels.
Although testosterone is more crucial for men, yet it is important to know that even women produce this hormone, yet the secretion levels are very low. Females, who suffer from polycystic ovarian syndrome, usually have high levels of testosterone hormones, which leads to irregularity in menstrual cycles and can also impact fertility.
If you suspect you have low testosterone, then immediately consult your doctor and get a blood test done.
Source: https://www.nexelmedical.com