Natural Ways to Boost Testosterone Levels

Low libido, lack of zest, erectile dysfunction, decline in muscle mass and strength, decline in mental aggressiveness, even mood disorders can be signs and symptoms of “male menopause,” otherwise known as andropause.

Like women, men have a change in life, a noticeable decline or cessation of hormonal activity, often leading to both symptoms as well as opening up risk factors for disease.

Our testosterone is at its highest when we are twenty. Once a man hits their 30's, their testosterone levels, their testosterone levels drop 1% each year, thus year after year, there can be a precipitous drop.

As I have been rolling out The Apollo Way, Optimal Wellness and Peak Performance for Men, as well as speaking and consulting more on the topic of mens health and andropause, the question comes up...how can I naturally boost my testosterone levels?

This is a great question, because there are alternatives and complements other than testosterone replenishment, especially if someone is borderline low, and these alternatives and complements can have numerous other health benefits as well.

• Reducing caloric content. Now, obviously we don't want someone to consume less than is needed to optimally support their metabolism, we do live in a super size me society, and excessive caloric intake is often the norm, not the exception.
• Lose weight
• Increase protein. And, keep in mind that too much protein can be a bad thing, although what research shows is those eating excessive carbohydrate and insulin stimulating foods, can do well for many areas of their health by replacing those carbohydrates with healthy proteins.
• Supplements- zinc, arginine, leucine, glutamine, tribulus.
• Weight bearing and Explosive types of exercise, such as weight, sprinting and box jumps- enhance both testosterone and human growth hormone production.

We should also be aware that certain states of disease, lifestyle habits and medication therapy can decrease testosterone production-  depression, hypothyroidism, chronic alcohol consumption, along with medications such as statins, corticosteroids, cimetidine, spironolactone, digoxin, opioids, and some antidepressants.

To test is best- as some people might not be highly symptomatic of low testosterone, or admit to it, while they are, opening the door for risk factors  including diabetes, chronic obstructive lung disease, inflammatory arthritis, renal disease, HIV related diseases, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and hemochromatosis.