{"id":4181,"date":"2022-06-30T13:51:14","date_gmt":"2022-06-30T12:51:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.testofuel.com\/tf\/?p=4181"},"modified":"2022-06-30T13:52:33","modified_gmt":"2022-06-30T12:52:33","slug":"testosterone-killing-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.testofuel.com\/tf\/testosterone-killing-foods\/","title":{"rendered":"Testosterone killing foods"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are a number of testosterone-killing foods.<\/b> <\/span><\/h3>\n

Diet is one of the most effective ways to improve your testosterone. Eating foods that are high in healthy fats, or foods such as cruciferous vegetables that can help to reduce estrogen levels can help you to raise your testosterone production.<\/p>\n

But not all foods are good for testosterone. Some foods can actually harm it. Either by directly affecting testosterone production, by increasing estrogen levels, or by causing excessive body fat accumulation, which can lead to lowered testosterone over time.<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\"Athletic<\/p>\n

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Testosterone-Killing Foods and Why You Should Avoid Them<\/h2>\n

While most of your diet should be centred around foods that can raise your testosterone levels<\/a>, it is also important to identify and avoid foods that may (in large quantities) lower your testosterone levels. It should be noted, that most of the foods on this list are harmless when consumed in moderation.<\/p>\n

Having one or two beers each week is not going to lead to low testosterone. However, drinking five per night could well be an issue. The same goes for liquorice, junk food, and vegetable oils.<\/p>\n

1. Liquorice<\/h2>\n

This sweet, black-coloured food comes from the root of the glycyrrhiza glabra <\/em>plant and contains a chemical called glycyrrhizin.<\/p>\n

Because it’s so sweet (the name literally means ‘sweet root’), glycyrrhizin is used to flavour a range of foods such as candy, tobacco, alcoholic drinks, herbal teas and breath fresheners.\u00a0It’s even used in some medications too. The problem is though that liquorice is a testosterone-killing food and should be avoided.<\/p>\n

Studies have shown that liquorice reduces T levels by as much as 40%<\/strong>, with glycyrrhizin being the culprit [1].<\/p>\n

That’s not a one-off study either. Other research papers [2] have shown that even a small amount of glycyrrhizic acid – a metabolite of glycyrrhizin – can cause a drop in testosterone from 740 ng. dL to 414 ng. dL. That’s not too far from the 240 ng. dL cut off for hypogonadism.<\/p>\n

Finally, another study reported that when a group of volunteers were given 7 g liquorice to eat, T levels were a full 26% lower – even after 7 days [3].<\/p>\n

2. Alcohol<\/h2>\n

This is an unfortunate one because we all like a tipple from time to time.\u00a0An occasional drink probably isn’t going to do you harm; it’s when you hit the bottle on a regular basis that your T levels will take a hit.<\/p>\n

Ethanol<\/em> is the active ingredient in beer, wine and spirits that acts as a nervous system depressant. It slows down your bodily functions which is why you stagger around and slur your words when you’ve had one too many.<\/p>\n

Not only is alcohol nearly as calorific as fat (ethanol gives you 7 kcal per gram) it is also toxic in large amounts. It provides a lot of energy, but no nutrients.\u00a0Studies show that when it comes to testosterone, alcohol can be catastrophic. It is definitely one of the most potent testosterone-killing foods.<\/p>\n

For example, when one research project asked a group of healthy men to consume 1.75 grams of alcohol per kilogram of body weight, testosterone levels reduced for a full 24 hours<\/strong>\u00a0after the drinking ‘binge’ [4].<\/p>\n

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\"Pint<\/p>\n

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3. Soda<\/h2>\n

It’s not that soda or fizzy drinks can directly lower testosterone, but they are one of the biggest causes of weight gain. Drinking sugary drinks can lead to over-consuming calories. By as much as 17% in some studies [5].<\/p>\n

And as you’ll likely know, weight gain is one of the biggest causes of low T<\/a>. <\/strong>It’s also strongly linked with an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease too. Switching to diet versions of your favourite drinks can help to prevent weight gain, and drinking water instead can be even more beneficial.<\/p>\n

4. Junk Food<\/h2>\n

The fast-food industry is thriving.\u00a0It generates over $5 billion in sales each year and accounts for nearly 5% of annual gross domestic product.\u00a0When we’re talking about junk food we’re referring to any food that is high in calories, sugar or saturated fat and has little nutritional value.<\/p>\n

Hamburgers, pizza, hot dogs and fried chicken are all junk.\u00a0Even sweet foods such as milkshakes, churros, cakes and candy are low in nutrients but high in calories. They’re junk too.<\/p>\n

Men with less healthy diets have lower T levels [6].\u00a0One study (using a huge sample of over 8,000 people) found that junk food increases exposure to phthalates<\/strong> – a group of chemicals used to make plastic.\u00a0And it’s these ‘plasticisers’<\/em> that have been seen in clinical trials to reduce T by as much as 30% [7].<\/p>\n

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\"Testosterone<\/h2>\n
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5. Vegetable Oils<\/h2>\n

Lastly, we’ve got vegetable oils – in particular those high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA).\u00a0Higher intakes of these increases your risk of a number of metabolic and inflammatory diseases:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Cardiovascular disease<\/li>\n
  • Diabetes and high cholesterol<\/li>\n
  • Irritable bowel disease<\/li>\n
  • Some types of cancer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Cooking oils such as canola, safflower, olive and soybean have a low smoke point and often used refined ingredients.\u00a0Research shows that vegetable oils contribute to male infertility by reducing testicular tissue function, sperm motility and testosterone levels too [8].<\/p>\n

    \n

    Summary – Testosterone-killing foods to avoid<\/h2>\n

    When it comes to boosting male hormone levels and keeping your body running at optimal levels, it’s all about nutrition.\u00a0These testosterone-killing foods might be okay on an occasion but shouldn’t form part of a regular diet for any man wanting to perform well and lead a healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n

    \n

    References<\/h2>\n
      \n
    1. Sakamoto, K et al.\u00a0Inhibitory effect of glycyrrhetinic acid on testosterone production in rat gonads.\u00a0<\/em>Endocrinol. Japon. 1988, 35 (2), 333-342<\/li>\n
    2. Armanini, D et al.\u00a0Reduction of Serum Testosterone in Men by Licorice.\u00a0<\/em>N Engl J Med. 1999; 341: 1158<\/li>\n
    3. Armanini, D et al.\u00a0Licorice consumption and serum testosterone in healthy man.\u00a0<\/em>Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2003; 111(6): 341-3<\/li>\n
    4. V\u00e4lim\u00e4ki, MJ et al.\u00a0Sex hormones and adrenocortical steroids in men acutely intoxicated with ethanol.\u00a0<\/em>Alcohol. 1984; 1(1): 89-93<\/li>\n
    5. DiMeglio, DP et al.\u00a0Liquid versus solid carbohydrate: effects on food intake and body weight.\u00a0<\/em>Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2000; 24(6): 794-800<\/li>\n
    6. Cardarelli, R et al.\u00a0The Association of Free Testosterone Levels in Men and Lifestyle Factors and Chronic Disease Status: A North Texas Healthy Heart Study.\u00a0<\/em>Journal of primary care & community health. 2014; 5(3)<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
    7. Meeker, JD et al.\u00a0Urinary phthalate metabolites are associated with decreased serum testosterone in men, women, and children from NHANES 2011-2012.\u00a0<\/em>J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014; 99(11): 4346-52<\/li>\n
    8. Yan, L et al.\u00a0Effect of different dietary omega-3\/omega-6 fatty acid ratios on reproduction in male rats.\u00a0<\/em>Lipids in Health and Disease.\u00a0<\/span>2013;\u00a0<\/span>12:33<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      There are a number of testosterone-killing foods. Diet is one of the most effective ways to improve your testosterone. Eating foods that are high in healthy fats, or foods such as cruciferous vegetables that can help to reduce estrogen levels can help you to raise your testosterone production. But not all foods are good for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":4190,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[53],"tags":[211,210,549],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTestosterone killing foods - TestoFuel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When it comes to keeping your hormone levels healthy, it's all about diet and nutrients. But which are the testosterone\u00a0killing foods to avoid? 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