foods that raise testosterone naturally
Update 12-22-17 I am no longer convinced that raising testosterone for blue and lowering it for pink is in any way effective for swaying but I know some do still believe in it, and this essay may help with that. :)
:superhero: Here's a quick reference to which foods raise testosterone and why! :superhero:
:whip: Foods rich in cholesterol - Cholesterol - Wikipedia Eggs, butter, lard, full-fat dairy, fatty meats, poultry skins...Cholesterol is the building block from which all your hormones are made. Testosterone and estrogen are not really supplied to your body by being eaten themselves; rather, your body manufactures them from the foods you eat. So keeping your body supplied with cholesterol will ensure that it has enough on hand to manufacture testosterone and estrogen.
:whip: Foods rich in saturated fat - Saturated fat - Wikipedia In addition to the foods in the cholesterol group above, ANY foods rich in saturated fat will help boost your supply of testosterone and estrogen, even if it has no cholesterol. There are some plant-based saturated fats like coconut oil, dark chocolate, and palm oil that are high in saturated fat but contain no cholesterol. (only animal products have cholesterol.) Saturated fats from these sources help your body to make its own cholesterol. 30% or more of your calories should come from fat for blue swayers.
:whip: Foods rich in healthy fats - Polyunsaturated fat - Wikipedia Monounsaturated fat - Wikipedia Fish, avocado, nuts, seeds,olive oil, oatmeal, whole wheat, meats, eggs, and full-fat dairy. Interestingly, there are a lot of healthy fats occuring alongside the cholesterol and saturated fats in animal products! This group causes some confusion for people because eating a lot of healthy fat can actually LOWER blood cholesterol levels, but it does so in such a way that your body is still able to produce ample amounts of testosterone and estrogen. Research has shown that men who ate the most healthy fats had the highest levels of testosterone. 30% or more of your calories should come from fat for blue sways BUT be sure that you are getting a higher intake of your fats from animal and saturated fats instead of vegetable and unsaturated fats, because this may sway strongly blue.
:whip: Foods rich in Vitamin D - Full-fat dairy is the best source of Vit. D. Vit. D has been proven (more than most things in swaying!!) to dramatically raise testosterone. If you're scared of taking Vit. D or drinking dairy products because they are traditional pink swaying tactics, simply go outside and sunbathe for an hour a day (really do recommend the supplements though).
:whip: Foods high in protein - Protein is a building block for muscle, and the more muscle you have, the more testosterone your body produces. So if you increase your protein intake, esp. while following an exercise program that builds muscle, you will be "telling" your body that you "need" it to make more testosterone.
:whip: Healthy, nutrient rich carbs - Protein eaten ALONE is not enough to build muscle. Your body needs carbohydrates as well. In fact, a high protein, low carb diet like Atkins actually was shown to LOWER testosterone production in at least one study. If possible, try to focus on carbs that contain some healthy fats in them - whole grain breads, oatmeal (oats contain a chemical that is proven to raise testosterone), and of course lots of colorful fruits and vegetables. Garlic contains a compound in it that has been shown to raise testosterone and makes a great addition to any meal. Remember, protein + carbs = boys, for both blood glucose and for testosterone!!!
:whip: Foods rich in Vit. A - Like Vit. D above, Vit. A is a fat soluble vitamin that has been shown to raise testosterone. DO NOT take large doses of Vit A supplements, Vit. A through diet is what you are after. Vit. A supplements can KILL you or give your baby birth defects. Carrots, tomatoes, any brightly colored orange fruits and veg will have ample amounts of Vitamin A. Meats and dairy foods also have good amounts of Vitamin A present in them.
:think: A few things to be aware of:
Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage (also called cruciferous vegetables) contain a chemical that has been shown to raise testosterone but may do so at the expense of estrogen. We want things that will boost BOTH our testosterone and our estrogen. Eating a cruciferous veggie here and there will not affect you negatively, but there is a supplement based on this chemical called DIM which we may want to stay away from.
Lignans and other phytoestrogens, which are chemicals that may mimic estrogen in such a way that it represses testosterone production and/or competes with the body's natural estrogens, may not be the best way to go to raise T levels. A lot of swayers believe phytoestrogens sway blue and we honestly don't have enough info to know for certain, so I'm just sharing this and then y'all can decide for yourselves what makes the most sense. Flax, soy, sesame seed, and the brans of various cereal products all contain lignans/phytoestrogens.Lignan - Wikipedia http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...icals/lignans/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogens
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocente...micals/soyiso/
Please NOTE we no longer recommend anything beyond dietary intake of flaxseed (2-3 times a week) of flax oil because these things may harm a baby when used during pregnancy. Flax products are NOT SAFE when pregnant and since we do not know how long the effects last I strongly urge everyone to avoid anything more than dietary intake when actively trying to conceive.
Fiber - LARGE amounts of fiber can absorb and sweep fats out of the digestive tract. (This is why pink swayers are taking fiber supps). This doesn't mean you should skip eating fruits and vegetables...fiber in dietary amounts probably does not affect fat absorption very much at all. Don't take fiber supps if you're swaying blue.
:superhero: Quick list of foods that will raise your T levels!! :superhero:
Full-fat dairy (whole milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt)
Poultry (choose fattier varieties like dark meat and skin)
Meat (choose fattier, well-marbled cuts)
Animal-based cooking fats (lard, butter, ghee, bacon grease, schmaltz)
Eggs (eat at least 2 a day and 4-6 a day if you are a vegetarian)
Nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts)
Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower, sesame seeds)
Olive oil and other plant-based oils like nut oils, palm oil, coconut oil
Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, tuna)
Gelatin (in Jello desserts, consomme, aspic, or taken as a supplement)
Orange and dark green fruits and vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, swiss chard, winter squash, apricots, V-8 juice)
Garlic
Oatmeal
