Testosterone is a sex hormone found in humans, as well as in other animals. The testicles primarily make testosterone in men. Women’s ovaries also make testosterone but in much smaller amounts.
The synthesis of testosterone starts significantly during puberty and begins to immerse after the age of 30 years.
Testosterone is linked with sex drive and plays a vital role in sperm production. This hormone affects bone and muscle mass of the men, the way men store fat in the body, and even red blood cell production. Testosterone levels can also affect one’s mood.
Many men detected with testosterone deficiency, then losing weight one can help to increase testosterone levels. But if we talk about diets—specifically a low-fat diet is connected with a small but significant reduction in testosterone, said in a study published in “The Journal of Urology”. It is an official Journal of the American Urological Association (AUA).
According to the report by Jake Fantus, MD, of the Section of Urology, Department of Surgery, University of Chicago Medicine and colleagues from the Department of Urology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and the Department of Surgery, NorthShore University Health System, it was found that men who stayed on a fat restrictive diet had lower serum testosterone than men on a nonrestrictive diet.
❍ Best Diet for Testosterone Levels
All participants were analyzed on diet and serum testosterone levels. Dr. Fantus and colleagues studied more than 3,100 men from a nationwide health study (the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, or NHANES).
After the two-day diet history, 14.6 percent of men met the criteria for a low-fat diet, as defined by the American Heart Association (AHA). A Mediterranean diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains but low in animal protein and dairy products was followed by 24.4 percent of men. A very small percentage of men met the criteria for the AHA low-carbohydrate diet, so this group was not taken into consideration for the analysis.
After the analysis, the average serum testosterone level was 435.5 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter). Serum testosterone was found to be lower in men with the two restrictive diets: average 411 ng/dL for those on a low-fat diet and 413 ng/dL for those on the Mediterranean diet.
Then the researchers had adjusted for other factors that can affect testosterone, including age, body mass index, physical activity, and medical conditions. After adjustment, the low-fat diet was significantly associated with reduced serum testosterone, although the Mediterranean did not affect.
Overall, 26.8 percent of men had testosterone levels less than 300 ng/dL. In spite of the difference in average testosterone levels, the proportion of men with low testosterone was similar across all diet groups.
Low testosterone is highly prevalent in the United States, as approximately 500,000 men were diagnosed with testosterone deficiency each year. The deficiency of Testosterone could lead to many problems, like decreased energy and libido, along with physiological alterations, increased body fat and reduced bone mineral density.
Treatment for low testosterone often included lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and weight loss in addition to medications. But the effects of diet on testosterone levels are still not very clear.
A new study says that testosterone is a steroid hormone derived from cholesterol; changes in fat intake could alter testosterone levels. This is how diet affects serum testosterone and provides the evidence that a low-fat diet is associated with lower testosterone levels, compared to an unrestricted diet.
So, what could be the best diet for testosterone levels in men with testosterone deficiency still remain unanswered. In overweight or obese men, the low-fat diet provides the health benefits and found to be a very small reduction in serum testosterone. Men who are not overweight, and taking a normal fat diet showed a positive approach in their increase in serum testosterone. It was said by Dr. Fantus and co-authors, still more studies are needed to be done to prove their findings, and to make sure the mechanism by which restrictive diets reduce testosterone.
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