4 Things That Could be Damaging your Testosterone Levels
Your hormone balance is a very delicate thing and, for men in particular, having good testosterone levels is essential to overall wellbeing and health. Fortunately, testosterone replacement therapy can be a major help in restoring the normal levels of the manly hormone. You can now even take a free online hormone assessment at Maleexcelhrt.com and learn how hormone replacement therapy can help you.
Having said that, let’s look at the range of things that can affect your testosterone levels and even reduce them to low, potentially health-damaging levels.
Take a look at how this can affect your body, and what you need to avoid, to keep your hormone balance as healthy as possible.
Symptoms of low testosterone in men
Testosterone is often known as the male sex hormone, because it’s responsible for a huge range of traits we all consider to be masculine. Without these, men can feel a range of negative health effects such as:
- Lack of energy
- Increased stress and depression
- Low libido
- Higher risk of illness and disease (obesity, heart disease, diabetes)
- Reduced muscle mass and strength
As you can see, a healthy internal balance is far more important to men than just assertiveness and libido. It can affect you on a much deeper physical and mental level too. Therefore, it’s key to ensure you’re doing everything you can to promote optimal testosterone.
To help you avoid lowering your testosterone levels, we recommend you avoid these hormone harming points.
Hoppy beers
Alcohol in general is a testosterone killer. While, like many things, having a few drinks in moderation every now and then is fine, but regular drinking could lead to lower testosterone levels.
Research has shown that binge drinking in particular is bad for a healthy hormone balance. One study found that testosterone production was supressed for 24-hours after a heavy drinking session [1].
Hoppy beers like IPAs have a particularly damaging effect on testosterone levels, as they contain a phytoestrogen compound called 8-prenylnaringenin [2]. This has been shown to promote estrogen, at the expense of testosterone in men.
It’s so powerful, women who work in hop fields have experienced disturbances to their menstrual cycle.
Flaxseeds
They may be sprinkled onto every Instagram breakfast bowl, but if you’re concerned about your testosterone levels, it pays to be wary of flaxseeds.
While they do come with a range of health benefits and are packed full of nutrients, they are also an estrogenic. This means they also promote higher levels of estrogen, which directly leads to lower testosterone.
Studies show they contain compounds called lignans, which act like estrogen. This allows the female sex hormone to roam free throughout your body, cutting your testosterone levels down [3] .
On top of that it also contains a protein called SHBG, which also has a destructive effect on free-flowing testosterone.
Inactivity
One of the biggest killers of testosterone is lack of activity.
Research has shown on several occasions that, when you take part in exercise, your body responds by releasing more testosterone [4].
In particular, heavy resistance training creates a rise in testosterone, helping you to increase your serum levels of the hormone [5].
Therefore, it’s important to train high intensity weights wherever possible, especially for men over 50 who’s testosterone levels are likely to be in decline.
Trans Fats
Burgers, donuts, cakes and just about any fast food are all crammed full of trans fats.
These industrial-made fats are incredibly bad for your health. They’re well known for jamming up arteries, causing high blood pressure and leading to heart disease [6].
But it turns out, these fats can also be responsible for lowering your testosterone levels. Trans fats are made up of PUFA fats, and consuming an excessive amount of these has been shown to reduce the male hormone [7].
They have also been linked to reducing ‘good’ cholesterol levels, which is key to maintaining hormone levels, as these fats are a key building block of testosterone.
Conclusion
If you think you often tuck into trans fats or are a regular IPA drinker, the truth is, you may be harming your testosterone levels.
By avoiding the four things we’ve listed above, you may have a better chance of balancing out your hormones and even upping the amount of T you have in your system.
If you think you could do with a helping hand, you may also consider a nutritional support from a dietary supplement. A stacked testosterone booster is an excellent way to get more of the proven hormone regulating nutrients into your body.
If you do plan on regaining a healthy internal balance, then the list of the best testosterone boosters at best supplements 2019 is a good place to start. Check out the article here: https://bestsupplements2019.com/best-testosterone-boosters/