Food can have a dramatic effect on testosterone. Soy, for example, can soak up testosterone like a sponge. Soy increases levels of sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), which binds to testosterone and makes it go limp! And if that’s not bad enough, the isoflavones in soy bind strongly to androgen receptors, which not only blocks any testosterone that’s escaped the SHBG chains but can induce estrogen-like effects in the body. In fact, it’s been reported that 100 grams of soy protein is the equivalent of a birth control pill.
Animal proteins and fats, on the other hand, can boost testosterone. In the book The Hormone Solution, author Dr. Thierry Hertoghe discusses the importance of this particular food source to counter deficiencies in any of the sex or adrenal hormones. He states the following: “Those who eat meat, fish, and poultry have 30 to 40 percent more sex hormones than strict vegetarians. In India, in the purely vegetarian cases, women who have trouble getting pregnant are allowed to eat meat as long as necessary to increase their fertility…”
Obviously, animal proteins and fats rule as testosterone foods, but there are some vegetable sources that make the list as well. For example, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale have been shown to decrease estrogen and increase testosterone. And then there’s celery. In the report How To Increase Testosterone, celery is listed as a food that boosts testosterone and should make every man’s grocery list:
When you chew celery, it releases the testosterone triggering hormones androstenone and androstenol.
In fact, these healthy chemicals have a way of sending a message from
your mouth to your nose that directly stimulates the release of
testosterone as you chew on a stalk of celery!
But for maximum effectiveness, I’ve learned a little trick…
If you have a juicer, you can take about 4-6 stalks of celery to create a powerful “testosterone shot”.
Just be sure to use organic celery and inhale deeply right before downing this delicious drink.
Another juicing option comes from the report Natural Testosterone Boosters by Thomas Lane. The recipe involves the following ingredients: 1 beet, 1 pomegranate, 1 bunch of kale, 1 apple, 3 carrots and a pinch of ginger root. According to Lane, “This recipe will have great benefits to a man’s testosterone levels as beets and pomegranates have both been proven to be highly beneficial for increasing a man’s testosterone levels.” The Romans would actually drink beet juice a couple hours before sex – it was their Viagra back in the day!
Bottom Line: To boost testosterone levels from the food you eat, consume plenty of animal proteins and fats as well as cruciferous vegetables on a regular basis, do the occasional “testosterone juice” and stay away from soy.
