10 Testosterone-Killing Foods

It has been found that eating a lot of certain foods might make some people's testosterone levels drop.

A lot of the study is either out of date, used animals (like rats) as subjects, or was based on small clinical trials.

Before making changes to your diet, it's best to talk to a doctor or other health worker, especially if you already have a health problem.

Vegetable oils

Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in large amounts in most food oils. High amounts of polyunsaturated fats are linked to lower testosterone levels, even though they can be a good source of fat.

A study from 2019Trusted Source looked at guys whose testes don't work right, which is called hypogonadism. It was discovered that eating a lot of polyunsaturated fatty acids made the body make less testosterone.

An earlier study from 2000 looked at 69 Japanese guys and found that eating a lot of polyunsaturated fats was linked to much lower testosterone levels.

Trans fatty acids

Trans fats are mostly found in processed foods and are thought to be bad for your health. Most of the time, this is true for industrial trans fats, which are also called fake trans fats.

In a study from 2017, researchers looked at how eating fatty acids affected 209 healthy guys. The researchers found that people who ate a lot of trans fatty acids had lower amounts of testosterone.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said in 2016 that partially hydrogenated oils, which are the main source of trans fats, would no longer be allowed because they don't meet their standards for being "generally recognized as safe."

Trans fatty acids are still found in some processed foods, though.

Sugar

Your testosterone level might drop if you eat a lot of sugar.

A study from 2018The guys they looked at were between the ages of 20 and 39. It was found that people who drank a lot of sugary drinks were more likely to have low testosterone. But most of those people also had bigger bodies, which could have changed their testosterone levels.

A look at the studiesAnother source looked at how a person's food choices can impact those who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Many studies have found a link between high-sugar diets and higher testosterone levels, but more research is needed.

A new review of studies found a link between guys who eat a lot of sugary and high-calorie foods and having lower testosterone levels.

Baked goods

A study from 2018Trusted Source found that guys who ate a lot of baked goods, especially bread and pastries, were more likely to have low testosterone levels.

Low testosterone levels were also linked to eating desserts and dairy items. But, just like with sugar, it's not clear if body fat gets in the way.

Soy

Can soy make testosterone levels drop? There are different kinds of studies on whether soy is healthy or not, and the debate is very heated.

Phytoestrogens are plant-based chemicals that work like estrogen. Soy has a lot of them.

It was done on 35 guys in a study from 2005. It was found that testosterone levels dropped after drinking soy protein for 57 days. However, this study was not very big. Rats were used in another study that found that eating phytoestrogens lowered testosterone levels.

But different studies on soy and testosterone came to different conclusions. An older review from 2009 of 15 studies found that men's testosterone levels did not change when they ate soy.

Even though the study isn't clear, if you have clinically low testosterone levels, it might be best to eat soy in moderation.

Flaxseed

There are a lot of lignans in flaxseed, which may lower testosterone levels.

Lignans link to testosterone and may help the body get rid of it. An earlier case study from 2007 looked at a 31-year-old woman who had PCOS. People who were assigned female at birth have higher-than-normal amounts of testosterone. For four months, she took flaxseed pills (30 grams a day). The study found that flaxseed made her testosterone levels go down.

But the results of a new study showed the opposite. There were 41 women with PCOS who were split into two groups. One group made changes to their lifestyle, and the other group made changes to their lifestyle and took flaxseed pills. Biomarkers got better in the people who used flaxseed, but flaxseed didn't seem to change their testosterone levels.

In a smaller study from 2001, 25 men with prostate cancer who took flaxseed supplements cut down on the amount of fat they ate generally. Their testosterone levels dropped a lot when they took this mix.

To find out for sure if flaxseed can lower testosterone levels, more study needs to be done on it. But adding a small amount of flaxseed to your diet probably won't make a big difference.

Nuts

A substance known as sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) seems to be made more when you eat walnuts and almonds. Hormones like testosterone and others are moved around your body by SHBG. When there is more SHBG in the body, there is less free testosterone.

But most of the research on this subject is done on women. A study from 2011 that looked at women with PCOS found that eating walnuts raised SHBG levels by 12.5% and eating almonds raised SHBG levels by 16%.

It's possible that this is because walnuts are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids and almonds are high in monounsaturated fatty acids.

Drinking alcohol

There are many health risks that come with drinking alcohol.

A 2019 look back According to a reliable source, guys who drink a lot of alcohol have lower levels of testosterone. This could be because drinking could change how much testosterone is made.

An interesting older study from 2002 found that men who were severely drunk had lower testosterone levels and women who were severely drunk had higher testosterone levels.

Spearmint and peppermint

Teas with peppermint and spearmint may lower testosterone levels. An older study from 2010 that looked at 42 women found that drinking spearmint herbal tea twice a day for 30 days dropped testosterone levels by a lot.

In an interesting other study, spearmint oil was put on rats with PCOS every day for 20 days. It made testosterone levels go down. Also, another study found that spearmint dropped the amount of testosterone in rats that had PCOS.

One moreA rat study from 2004According to a reliable source, peppermint tea lowered the amount of testosterone in rats.

The fact that most of these studies are done on rats makes it hard to say for sure if it can affect people or not. More study that involves people will give us new ideas.

Licorice root

Another herb that is often drunk as tea is licorice root. It could make testosterone levels go down.

Licorice root products that may lower testosterone levels include:

Licorice root supplements

Candy and black licorice sweets
Licorice consumption has been shown to considerably lower testosterone levels in both men and women

Lesson Summary

Testosterone levels can be influenced by the consumption of certain foods:

• Vegetable oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids could lead to lower testosterone levels according to a 2019 study.
• Trans fatty acids, mainly found in processed foods, have been linked to lower testosterone levels in research studies.
• Increased sugar intake has been associated with lower testosterone levels based on various studies.
• Baked goods and desserts consumption, along with dairy items, were also linked to lower testosterone levels.
• There is ongoing debate on whether soy consumption can lead to reduced testosterone levels, with varying study results.
• Flaxseed, rich in lignans, may impact testosterone levels, although more study is needed for conclusive results.
• Nuts like walnuts and almonds might increase the production of sex hormone-binding globulin, leading to lower free testosterone levels.
• Alcohol consumption has been associated with lower testosterone levels among men.
• Teas containing peppermint and spearmint may potentially lower testosterone levels according to rodent studies.
• Licorice root products such as supplements and candy have been shown to decrease testosterone levels in both men and women.