If you’re a man, you know how important it is to keep your T levels high, not just for a better sex drive but also to feel good, strong, and confident about yourself. However, there are foods that are killing your testosterone levels.
Maintaining healthy testosterone levels is also important for building muscle mass, losing weight, and gaining strength.
While many factors influence testosterone levels, a healthy diet can help you prevent it from dropping too low.
8 Foods That Are Killing Your Testosterone Levels ( Based on Science )
1. Soy foods
Eating soy-based products like edamame, tofu, and soy milk has been linked to lower testosterone levels.
This study done on 12 participants shows that drinking soy isolate protein for 28 days decreases serum testosterone levels in healthy men.
Soy foods contain phytoestrogens, a plant-based substance that mimics the effect of estrogen in the body & potentially reduces testosterone. (2)
Estrogen, also known as the female hormone, is the main reason behind the lower testosterone in men. Testosterone declines when you have high levels of estrogen in your body.
However, this is still not sure if soy foods are killing testosterone levels because of limited research. For instance, this one study found that soy foods have no effect on T levels in men.
2. Vegetable Oils
Regularly consuming vegetable oils such as canola, soybean, and corn oil may decrease testosterone as they contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fats.
These fatty acids are usually known as a healthy source of dietary fat, but several studies suggest they may decrease testosterone levels.
One study in 69 men found that consuming polyunsaturated fats frequently reduces testosterone levels significantly.
Another study on 30 male rats shows that canola oil has a higher impact on serum LH and testosterone levels.
However, there is not enough research available on how these oils affect testosterone levels.
3. Certain nuts
While nuts are a great source of healthy fats, fiber, and minerals like folic acid, selenium, and magnesium, they might impact testosterone levels.
Studies suggest that certain types of nuts may increase your levels of SHBG (hormone binding globulin), which carries testosterone and other hormones throughout your body.
High levels of SHBG can lead to a decrease in the free testosterone in the body. (3)
Despite these studies, we need more research to determine how certain nuts impacts testosterone levels.
4. Processed foods
Eating processed foods often is not only responsible for killing testosterone levels but also leads to gain weight.
Processed foods contain trans fats – an unhealthy type of fat – that have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, heart attack, and inflammation. (4)
A study in 209 men shows that testosterone levels drop 15% in those who consumed the highest amount of trans fats than those with the lowest intake.
Additionally, they also see a decrease in testicular volume and sperm count, which may reduce testicular function. (5)
5. Alcohol
Enjoying a glass of alcohol on an occasion may not be much of the problem.
But studies suggest that excessive consumption of alcohol could cause testosterone levels to plummet, especially in males.
A study in 19 healthy male adults found that consuming 30-40 grams of alcohol per day for three weeks decrease testosterone levels in men by 6.8%
6. Diet sodas
Diet sodas are very popular, especially among people trying to lose weight by reducing their sugar or calorie intake.
Diet sodas contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and many others that are associated with low T levels. (6)
This study in 259 women shows that the women who drank more than a cup of soda per day had higher estrogen levels.
7. Licorice root
Licorice root is a herb present in candies, beverages, and tobacco products to sweeten them.
It’s also a natural remedy in holistic medicine and helps to treat chronic pain & persistent cough. (7)
But in recent years, several studies have found that it may influence hormone levels and leads to Low T levels.
A study in 25 men who consumed 7 grams of licorice root daily shows a drop of 36% in T levels after just one week.
8. Baked foods
A single muffin, doughnut, or pastry isn’t going to make your T levels plummet.
But consuming these foods more often can cause a problem for testosterone.
One 2018 study found that men who consumed high amounts of pastries and donuts had low testosterone levels.
Additionally, these type of foods also causes you to store visceral fat – fat that hangs around your belly. It also raises insulin levels leads to fat gain.
And that weight gain can suppress your total testosterone levels.
The Bottom Line –
Consuming these foods sometimes might not cause much impact but regular intake can cause your testosterone levels to fall down.
Eating a well-balanced diet is the most effective way to maintain healthy testosterone levels.
If you have Low T levels, replacing these foods with healthy food alternatives can keep your levels in check.
