How to naturally support testosterone in men
The recent decline in T in men is alarming, how can we support our men?
Good morning emporium!
I wanted to dig into a topic a little bit this week because we know that testosterone levels have been decreasing every single decade by around 10%. What does this mean for men? What does it mean for us? Our kids?
This week we are going to do a deep dive into testosterone-supporting herbs because this is a commonly sought after supplementation in people’s routines. Someone somewhere is looking for an answer to testosterone support right now.
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What does testosterone do for men?
From healthline: “Testosterone is most often associated with sex drive and plays a vital role in sperm production. It also affects bone and muscle mass, the way men store fat in the body, and even red blood cell production. A man’s testosterone levels can also affect his mood.”
Just this simple quote shows that testosterone is probably the most important thing a man can have.
From Urology Times: “Elevated BMI was associated with reduced total testosterone levels (P < .0001), with the mean BMI increasing from 25.83 in 1999-2000, to 27.96 in 2015-2016 (P = 0.0006). Lokeshwar noted that even men with a normal BMI (18.5-24.9) had declining total testosterone levels (P < .05) during the same time frames.”
We have an increase in bodyweight (obesity) and even men with a normal BMI score are feeling the effects in drops in testosterone.
From Harvard Health: “Adolescent boys with too little testosterone may not experience normal masculinization. For example, the genitals may not enlarge, facial and body hair may be scant and the voice may not deepen normally.”
Testosterone is clearly one of the most important things that boys and men can have and we are seeing the effects clear as day in society. Men are more depressed, overweight, less motivated, and may be having declining sperm counts as a result.
What herbs work for men?
Let’s take a look at how to support natural production of testosterone.
Ashwagandha
This herb is great for everyone, but how does this herb support men specifically?
This study found that ashwagandha helped improve sperm count levels and sperm motility. If you are worried about infertility, this may be an herb to consider. This same study found that it may help increase overall testosterone, but it won’t be a cure all for testosterone issues. The takeaway from this study is that “the levels of T, LH, FSH and PRL, good indicators of semen quality, were also reversed in infertile subjects after treatment with the herbal preparation.”
We previously talked about adaptogens on this post and ashwagandha is a great adaptogen to help the body with stress and overall detrimental effects of day in and day out wear and tear on your body. So it would make sense to add an adaptogen like ashwagandha to your routine to overall help a man with his stress levels in order to protect his system so he can better produce testosterone and may help with side effects that come with it such as anxiety and tiredness.
Garlic
Oh yes, an amazing plant. Not only does this herb help everyone when they feel under the weather and support you during things like infections — you can potentially add this to your routine to help testosterone.
Garlic is an alterative and a hypotensive so it helps the body to clear toxic materials from the blood. This is usually to help the lymphatic system and chronic conditions that come with inflammation. Hypotensive will help the cardiac system.
This study was conducted on rats but found that garlic was protective of sperm levels and testosterone during chemotherapy, so we can find the benefits of it being protective to our men’s systems as well.
The best way to use this is to simply add garlic to your food. Chop it up and let it sit for 5 minutes so it can develop the properties we are looking for.
Maca Root
This herb can commonly be found in testosterone boosting supplements.
The most common claims for this are
Improved memory
Improved concentration
Reduced prostate size
Increased muscle mass
Increased strength
It has been traditionally used for fertility treatments in both men and women for many years for those who practice traditional medicine.
If we check out this article the authors of the study tell us that there are very promising things to look at when it comes to testosterone and maca root.
With anecdote, I have personally seen long term use of this herb help men in tremendous ways from better recovery with weight training, to having more sex drive and improved moods. This is a supplement to consider adding into a daily routine.
Horny Goat Weed
You have to give a good laugh at the name, but this herb is usually taken as an aphrodisiac in traditional medicine.
The story of the herb is that a flock got into this herb and the goat herder noticed that there was an increase in sexual activity among the flock.
How this herb works is to help blood flow to extremities and can help men who may have some issues in the bedroom. This is not an herb that would be a testosterone supporting herb, but it can help with things like low libido and performance issues. It’s definitely something to look at.
If you have a heart condition, on medication for antihypertensive and anticoagulation effects, you may want to steer towards something else as this herb may have side effects for you.
Horse Chestnut
Horse Chestnut also seems to support male fertility, in those suffering from varicocele-associated infertility, according to a few studies. This type of infertility is caused by enlarged varicose veins within the scrotum and affects 15 out of 100 men overall and 40 out of 100 men with diagnosed or known infertility.
A 2-month study in over 100 men with varicocele-associated infertility found that taking 30 mg of aescin every 12 hours improved sperm density, sperm motility, and sperm quality.
The actions of horse chestnut are
antioxidant
astringent
bitter tonic
diuretic
febrifuge
venous tonic
This may be something to consider if you are experiencing infertility.
What to use to support symptoms of low (or unfavorable levels) testosterone?
A doctor may not tell you that your testosterone levels are low, but are on a low end. We know that men today have about half of what men had in the early 20th century. Don’t let that freak you out, just do what you can to support where you are now.
So what can we take to help the symptoms like low libido, and function?
Mucuna (Mucuna pruriens) may help with mood boosting (like depression) and libido problems.
Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia) may help with sports performance, increasing sperm motility & concentration, cortisol reduction, stress reduction, and reduce fatigue.
Vitamin D isn’t an herb but it has an honorable mention due to the health benefits.
Catuaba (Erythroxylum vaccinifolium) may be good as an aphrodisiac, help support impotence, nervousness, insomnia, weakness, and nerve pain.
Muira puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides) this is a nervous system tonic and may help with stress & exhaustion (which may be furthering your man’s poor health), libido boosting, aphrodisiac. This herb can be beneficial for sexual function of both men and women as well. An effective way to take this one is via tincture.
Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens) This one is male specific for older men who may be experiencing prostate health issues. This is a leading herb for men to create a healthy reproductive system. It’s actions include anti-inflammatory and aphrodisiac. It has been used for energy issues, impotence, male reproductive health, and sexual function.
There are a lot of ways we can support healthy function in men. This was an article I wanted to write for a while, and we will continue to talk about this topic as our articles continue on.
Before jumping into taking external testosterone for men, it is important to see how you can naturally support your system. If all else fails, please seek a qualified endocrinologist to help you with issues you may still be having. There are a lot of endocrinologists who respect herbal medicine and may be able to help you formulate a specific plan for your situation that include natural medicine and diet change.
Top things men can do to support their testosterone is to simply put yourself in situations that are challenging for you. These are things like participating in heavy weight training, being with other men who are truly masculine, being competitive in sport or game situations, and finding true joy in your life and family.
I want to talk about correcting hormonal paths for men and women because we are seeing a scary decline in healthy individuals, and it is a cause for concern for things like reproduction and function of our children.
Until next time!
We will see you next on our herbal 101 series where we break down one specific herb and how you can use it to build your own home apothecary.
Please let us know what you think of our publication so we can create and cultivate the absolute best content for you. I hope you take notes and build your very own book to be able to keep this information and pass it along as herbalism has become a lost art. I hope to inspire herbal practices by showing you step by step and herb by herb to live an amazing life and feel confident in your knowledge.