News flash: some studies have shown that men who eat soy products on the regular could see a drastic drop in their testosterone levels. It gets worse: when it comes to testosterone killing foods, soy is only the tip of the iceberg.
Curious about which testosterone foods to avoid? We got you. Discover 15 foods that lower testosterone!
What Does Testosterone Have to Do With Weight Loss?
If you’re a man with a weight problem, then you may want to re-think how your testosterone levels are doing. But here’s the kicker: once you throw in the whole age factor, anyone over 30 years old will notice that it’s much more difficult to shed pounds than before.
To be quite honest with you, this battle of the bulge is usually tied to a person’s decrease in testosterone levels. What lowers testosterone? There are tons of reasons why testosterone levels drop, including the very foods that you eat.
For those who think that testosterone is just another “thermogenic,” you’d be dead wrong. In case you’re scratching your head, thermogenics are super helpful for burning unwanted fats and increasing your body’s core temperature. The result: even when you’re sleeping, your body will burn fat all night long.
Another perk about testosterone is that it’s key for building leaner muscles as well. Plus, lean muscles are essential for getting rid of extra body fat. Not only that, but having a healthy muscle to fat ratio is the secret to weight loss.
Now that we’ve got that covered, it’s time to find out about more hidden testosterone killers. You know the feeling: when your stress levels rise after a long commute in traffic or a jam-packed day at work. What you may not know is that stress is a real threat to your testosterone production process.
Although scientists haven’t proven that testosterone therapy can lower stress levels, some studies have proved that stress halts the production of testosterone. Of course, this has to do with cortisol’s impact on testosterone.
That’s not all.
Even environmental estrogens such as phthalates, BPA, and preservatives can negatively impact your testosterone levels. Not to mention the hormones in low-quality meat are a testosterone killer too!
1. Low-Carb Meals
Guess what? You might be shocked to find out the low-carb meals are literally at the top of our “foods that kill testosterone” list. As we talked about earlier, having a balanced and clean diet is essential for boosting testosterone levels the natural way.
To do this, you’ve got to make sure that you get a ton of top-notch carbs as well as nutritious fats to make your testosterone levels soar. Warning: binging on low-carb meals is surprisingly detrimental to your levels of testosterone. Why is that?
Because these kinds of meals let the stress hormone cortisol wreak havoc on your body, which is an instant testosterone killer.
2. Flaxseed
For those who are just getting started on the testosterone diet, be sure to avoid adding flaxseed to your meals. How do we know this? In spite of the fact that flaxseed is recommended by doctors to manage heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes, it’s not exactly the cure-all that you’d think.
Due to its mega high levels of omega-3 fats, flaxseeds can significantly decrease healthy testosterone levels in males. As a matter of fact, eating too many flaxseeds can end up impacting your sexual health as well. And nobody wants that.
3. Licorice
Licorice fans beware – those sugary, syrupy licorice sticks and extracts that you love might be killing your testosterone count. Even though there have been a bunch of studies to show how useful licorice is, you might want to steer clear of it since it can lead to some serious hormone imbalances.
Don’t know how to substitute your licorice addiction?
Have no fear, we’ve got your back. For a sweet treat that won’t threaten your testosterone production, try subbing out licorice with anything with an anise flavoring. We promise you won’t regret it!
4. Diet Soda
Everyone knows that diet soda isn’t the healthiest thing in the world, but it can’t be that bad compared to regular soda, right? If you’ve recently made the switch from regular soda to diet soda, congratulations. You’ve just substantially cut your risk of becoming obese.
But unfortunately, diet soda is on the list of things that decrease your testosterone levels. Yes, you read that right. Keeping this in mind, ditching diet soda should be your first priority, particularly since they use toxic-tasting aspartame for sweetening purposes.
And get this: any product that contains aspartame can reduce your production of testosterone and decrease your overall health as well. You’ve been warned.
5. Trans Fats
Admit it. You already know that trans fats are basically disastrous for your general health. And yes, that includes your favorite staples such as:
- Burgers
- Potatoes chips
- Cakes
- Cookies
- Muffins
- Fried chicken
But wait – there’s more. In addition, you should beware of any foods that claim to have partially hydrated vegetable oils too. With such sky-high trans fat levels, it’s no wonder why so nutritionists despise fast and processed foods.
6. Alcohol
We get it: drinking alcohol is just another way to relax after a big day at the office. However, it’s not the best medicine for keeping your testosterone levels healthy. Surprisingly, drinking alcoholic beverages can reduce your production of testosterone significantly.
On the bright side, the impact that alcohol has on your testosterone production has to do with the number of drinks you decide to have. For example, having a couple of beers every night is considered moderate while an entire nightly six-pack might be overdoing it.
7. Soya Beans
Here’s the thing: soya beans are one of the biggest testosterone killing foods on the market. Let us explain. First things first, similar to other foods that lower your testosterone levels, soya beans have a lot of isoflavones that can slow down your androgen receptors.
Why is this so important? We’re glad that you asked. Because when your androgen receptors are thrown off, it triggers the estrogen receptors to kick in.
Plus, soya beans are known to negatively impact thyroid hormone production as well, which can cause a downward spiral for a man’s health.
8. Low-Grade Meat
Have you ever heard the myth that low-grade meat is really bad for you? Well, it turns out that there’s actually some truth to it. To be quite honest with you, the average vegetarian male has higher testosterone levels than men who eat animal protein.
In a nutshell, eating meats that are processed can have a negative impact on your testosterone production. How do we know this? Because pre-processed meats are practically stuffed with added hormones, preservatives and antibiotics.
Additionally, this makes your testosterone levels drop like crazy. If you’re looking for a solution, we’ve done all the hard work for you. Just buy meat that hasn’t been processed and you should be good to go.
9. Fruit With Edible Skin
Okay, we get it. You’re probably thinking: how on earth could fruit with edible skin be bad for your testosterone levels? Here’s the breakdown.
If you live in America, then chances are that the edible skin produce that’s available at your local market has enormous amounts of pesticides in it. While that might not sound so scary, you should know that these pesticides can often act like estrogen in a male’s body.
Want to know which fruits you should skip? All you have to do is avoid the following produce products at your next shopping trip:
- Cherries
- Peaches
- Strawberries
Since these fruits are likely to contain hazardous pesticides, the best thing that you can do for yourself is just say no!
10. Beets
How can beets possibly be on the list of foods that kill testosterone? Although everyone knows that eating beets pre-workout can enhance your muscle performance, it can do a ton of damage to your testosterone levels.
That’s because consuming beets is vital for maintaining estrogen production, which naturally lowers the production of testosterone. You can thank us later.
11. Microwave Popcorn
Are you someone who’s obsessed with heating up microwave popcorn on home movie nights? Despite its buttery taste and fluffy consistency, this delicious microwave treat will zap your testosterone levels like no other.
For those who are unaware, microwave popcorn contains a harmful chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid in the lining of the bag. Obviously, this isn’t great for your testosterone levels, causing other health problems later on down the road.
12. Marijuana Edibles
We get it: marijuana edibles have already been legalized in many regions across the United States. As a natural food additive, marijuana edibles are relaxing and tempting to eat on special occasions.
However, you’ll be shocked to find out that it can cause a drastic drop in your testosterone levels for one full day after consumer them. What a bummer!
13. Mints
Let’s face it. There’s nothing better than popping in spearmint or peppermint candies for breath control on the go, especially if you’re drinking coffee. But here’s the catch: over the last few decades, research has proved that flavored mints are the ultimate testosterone killer.
Why? It’s clear: since mint candies suppress the production of testosterone in your body, they also decrease your testosterone levels instantly.
14. Sugar
We can all agree that there’s sugar in almost anything you buy at the grocery store. So, just because it’s not shoveled into your tea every day doesn’t mean that you’re not getting any sugar in your daily diet.
That being said, sugar consumption lets insulin flow freely through your body. To make a long story short, more sugar means increased levels of insulin. And for those of you who don’t know, insulin is the number enemy of testosterone.
Why avoid adding refined white sugars in your diet? The answer is simple: your body absorbs refined sugars ultra fast, which can make your glucose reach astronomical levels. This can lead to a rapidly dangerous rise in insulin.
15. Chocolate
To add insult to injury, chocolate is the final food to avoid on the testosterone killing grocery list. Although it’s commonly believed that dark chocolate is a mood booster, science has now shown that chocolate can lower testosterone levels dramatically.
However, scientists have only conducted these experiments on the dark chocolate variety. But research still shows that dark chocolate can reduce testosterone production overall.
Avoid These 15 Foods That Lower Testosterone
Are you having a hard time keeping your testosterone levels normal? If you are a male that is over the age of 30, you’re not really alone. We can’t emphasize this enough: avoiding these 15 foods that lower testosterone is the key to long-term health for men.
Amazingly enough, everything that you put inside of your body has an impact on your health, including your testosterone levels. From low-carb meals and flaxseed to licorice and diet soda, our handy guide has everything you need to get your testosterone levels back on track.
Not only that, but it’s also helpful to avoid eating things like trans fat, soya beans, and low-grade meat in order to keep your testosterone count healthy. Better yet, banning foods such as fruits with edible skin, beets, and microwave popcorn will be a no-brainer once you find out about its side effects.
Want to get the testosterone boost that you deserve? Consider this: if all else fails, you can always give testosterone replacement therapy a shot.
Need some help in the testosterone department? Do yourself a favor and give us a call today!
