Which natural testosterone boosters actually work?
Jump To The BestUpdated: January 3rd 2024
At Center TRT we understand as men get older natural testosterone production will start to decline. Falling at a rate of about 1% a year after the age of 30 [1], leading to many looking to optimise there tesosterone levels and reduce that impact. Of course there are also many other reasons beyond aging that a mans testosterone levels are starting to drop. This can be anything from weight gain, to illness, to medication. Either way, if you're in need of a natural boost to your testosterone there is something you can do about it.
There's a multitude of vitamins, minerals and herbal compounds which can have the effect of raising testosterone, but not all natural testosterone boosters are created equal. In fact most don't work. So we've put some of the industries finest to the test so you don't have to.
These are not meant to be taken as an alternative to TRT, but could help you with some less severe cases.
And why you may or may not need them
Testosterone boosting supplements typically
work by either tackling vitamin deficiencies, or by loading your body up with
naturally occurring compounds that have been shown to raise testosterone
levels. As such, not all test boosters are created equal and some are little
more than an expensive multivitamin. The good ones however, are likely to
contain not only ingredients to help deficiency, but also ingredients that you
are not likely to get in your day to day life. The other thing that some brands
include are ingredients that are designed to bind to estrogen, meaning that
they lower estrogen levels, this leaves you with more "free
testosterone" which is what actually has the effect on your body and
performance. These supplements do not exist to help you get stacked beyond
belief and they don't include any form of synthetic testosterone. As such they
are not an alternative to TRT, but they are designed to make sure your body has
everything it needs to make as much free testosterone as it can.
And as these products all contain different blends, some contain only
ingredients that are clinically proven to raise test levels, and others are
simply snake oil salesmen, as you'd expect though, anything that's made it to
our best testosterone boosters list is of course in the well researched
scientific category.
But, are still good. Just not the "best" at anything.
When you're looking for a high quality testosterone booster that works, you'll want to make sure that you keep an eye out for the following ingredients, and make sure that they're in high enough volumes to actually be effective.
Whether
or not you choose to go with one of the products we've recommended there are a
couple of things you should avoid at all costs, particularly when it comes to testosterone
booster pills. Whilst, dietary supplements can be sketchy at times, it's often
more dangerous with those that promote testosterone production. Be very wary of
exaggerated claims from proprietary blends that are not known brands.
Especially any produced overseas in none FDA approved facilities, there have
been cases where some supposedly natural testosterone supplements have included
male sex hormone and anabolic steroids. Needless to say these worked and
increased testosterone levels, but came with substantial risk and side
effects.
All of the products on our list have been tested and marked as safe.
All of the ingredients in the products in our best testosterone boosters list have either been shown to help raise testosterone production or help with other elements of male health. That said, it should be noted that natural test boosters are not regulated in the same way that perscription medicines are, as such not all natural test boosters are created equal. When tested over the counter testosterone boosters were only proven to be effective about 30% of the time. However, a 1 in 3 shot of avoiding more serious treatment is probably a risk that a lot of men would be willing to take for an increase in test levels.
The good news is yes, but it depends what's causing your decline in testosterone. Typically speaking weight loss is one of the most effective ways to raise testosterone and partake in regular excercise, of course if you're already in good shape, then that may not be the solution. There have also been some studies that suggest a ketogenic diet could be effective, but the research is not definitive.
The main things you can do however are:
Strength training – Increasing your muscle mass is one surefire way to help your body produce more testosterone.
Balanced diet – As you'd expect this means you're far more likely to get all the vitamins and minerals you need.
Avoid alcohol – Alcohol
can be devastating for your body's hormone production. Beer, especially, has a
huge impact as it contains a large amount of phytoestrogen and prolactin
content which increase production levels of the female hormone estrogen.
Sleep – This isn't really a shock for anyone, sleep not only helps your muscles grow, but is essential for healthy male hormone production.
We all know that test is essential for male sexual health, reproduction, sperm quality and protein synthesis for building muscle. But, it goes far beyond just the bedroom and the gym. Men’s mental health is directly impacted this essential hormone starts to drop as you get older and can plummet even faster if you live an unhealthy lifestyle. Low testosterone can not only cause depression, but can also affect focus, sleep and ultimately have a compounding effect that will only get worse over time. Testosterone booster supplements do offer men an opportunity to help battle some of the issues, particularly if any of them are caused by a nutrient deficiency. The health benefits of improving T levels can be absolutely astounding and range from sexual performance, to lean muscle mass, and better mood regulation.
1 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6407704/ - Testosterone Imposters: An Analysis of Popular Online Testosterone Boosting Supplements
2 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2544367/ - Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4706091/ - Increased physical activity has a greater effect than reduced energy intake on lifestyle modification-induced increases in testosterone
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21154195/ - Vit D Increases Testosterone Production
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32083688/ - Diet Causes Low Test Levels
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24371462/ - Ashwagandha and infertility in men
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3967014/ - L Arginine and Test levels
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5340133/ - D Aspartic Acid As Fertility Treatment
https://www.healthline.com/health/low-testosterone/do-testosterone-supplements-work - Not All Boosters Work
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-k1-vs-k2#TOC_TITLE_HDR_9 - Vitamin K1 v K2
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3861174/ - Ginseng and Male Reproductive Function
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6191980/ - Fenugreek Boosts Testosterone
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139932/#:~:text=Luteolin%20(3)%20also%20activated%20StAR,expression%20%5B26%2C27%5D. - Luteolin and Testosterone