Mm, Mm, Good: 5 Foods That Increase Testosterone In Men

Testosterone, or “T” the male hormone is essential for functioning the way you’re used to as a man. It’s what makes you sexually interested and able to get erections.

But it also has a role in your emotions and your hormonal processing. When you have low t, then things go downhill fast. You may find yourself gaining weight, lacking energy, or not being able to perform in the bedroom.

You can get medical testosterone boosts, but they’re costly and time-consuming. Why not just eat foods that increase testosterone in men first, and see if that works for you?

You can always explore the medical option later if it doesn’t. Ready to head to the grocery store? Here’s what to get.

1. Oysters

You’ve heard people say that oysters are an aphrodisiac and if you haven’t before – you’re hearing it now. Even for those who like them, the thought of the slimy-slurpy food seems like a strange thing to turn people on.

But part of its effects may have to do with their effect on testosterone levels. One of the main food values in Oysters is Zinc. If you’ve ever had a cough drop, you’ll notice Zinc is usually an ingredient.

Why? It boosts your immune system, in general – but it also boosts the “immunity” or health of your sperm.

If you get too low on zinc, you could actually get dangerously low testosterone levels, which is an illness known as hypogonadism. When you have that, it can cause impotence or reduced sperm count.

You can also get zinc in responsibly raised red meat (that isn’t given antibiotics). Other shellfish have some, and for the vegans, there’s always beans and nuts.

2. Ginger

If you lived 300 years ago, back when there were “healers” instead of doctors, you’d have taken a lot of ginger. Pretty much every symptom in the body can be somehow bettered with the use of ginger.

It eases headaches and calms a queasy stomach. It even increases your antioxidant levels, which keeps you healthy and can help decrease your risk of developing cancer.

But back in 2012, researchers found that taking ginger daily helped boost testosterone. In a group of 75 men (which is a small sample) with fertility issues, they raised their testosterone levels 17.7 percent with daily ginger ingestion.

We think that it has something to do with overall sperm health as well, not just testosterone. Fertility isn’t always a testosterone-only issue, and general fertility increased in the participants too.

In this case, you’ll need to take a supplement, not just a hot cup of tea.

3. Leafy Greens

As you get older, you realize your mom was right about more and more things. One of those things you should have listened to her more about? Eating your vegetables!

Specifically your leafy greens. The kind that has a ton of fiber and cleans you out from the inside. We’re talking about spinach, swiss chard and kale – you know that stuff your girlfriend tries to get you to eat.

We think that these greens boost testosterone because of their magnesium levels, which we know is linked to testosterone regulation.

There was a study in 2011, where both inactive and active men took magnesium supplements vs not over four weeks.

Those who were active had a higher increase in testosterone, but both groups saw results.

If you really hate leafy greens (come on, you’re an adult – you can’t still hate spinach), there are other sources. You can get magnesium from nuts and seeds, and healthy whole grain bread.

4. Onions

While they’re not generally romance foods, onions can boost your testosterone. Just try to avoid them the day of any activities, if that’s what you’re trying to boost your T for.

We don’t have any in-human studies with onions, but we’ve seen a boost in testosterone in rats. A study in 2012 tested testosterone levels and immune health in rats for four weeks.

The rats were given fresh onion juice (ew) every day.

We don’t recommend drinking onion juice, but trying to work more sauteed or raw onions into your diet might help.

At the very least, we know that onions are good for your heart and can help keep you skinny.

5. Fish and Fish Oil

You’ve probably heard of Omega-3 fatty acids before, right? They come from fish and fish oil, and they’re great for your brain. And now, it turns out, they’re great for your testosterone levels as well.

We don’t have human studies for this yet either, but we have data from dogs that fish oil (and fish) consumption leads to higher serum testosterone. It also made their sperm health better and made them more active in general.

You can find supplements just about anywhere, even at the grocery store. If you’d rather get them from food, that’s an option too – just eat more fatty fish.

That means things like Atlantic mackerel, herring, salmon, and even sardines.

Eating More Foods That Increase Testosterone in Men

While you can take supplements of most of these things, getting them from real life food is better. Vitamins absorb better when you eat them in their raw form, like when they’re raw/cooked.

Plus, in their combined form, they’re usually coupled with other vitamins that can help them absorb better. We call this bioavailability.

If you can’t add them to your diet, supplements still help – but our point is, nothing beats the real thing.

Learn about eating more foods that increase testosterone in men, and the myths behind casual opinion here.