If you are looking to control your hormonal balance, be that raising your testosterone or reducing estrogen your daily diet is a good place to start. We put together a basic list of foods to take or avoid depending on your requirements.
If you are taking a testosterone booster, it is wise to avoid consuming foods that may counter your intended goal; you wouldn't want to spend time and money on a good testosterone boosting supplement, only to hamper its effectiveness with a diet of alcohol and soy products.
Foods That Increase Testosterone
Zinc
Zinc is a mild testosterone booster, but it will only raise testosterone levels if you are already low in zinc. Foods high levels of zinc include:
- Oysters
- Punkin Seeds
- Chicken Liver / Beef liver
- Watermelon
Garlic (Diallyl disulfide)
Garlic naturally contains small amounts of Diallyl disulfide. Diallyl disulfide stimulates helps the pituitary gland to produce Luteinizing Hormone (LH) wich acts upon the Leydig cells found in the male testicles increasing testosterone.
Cauliflower (3,3'-Diindolylmethane)
Vegetables from the Cruciferous family (cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli) contain 3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM) this compound is known to remove excess estrogen from the body, helping to increase free testosterone.
Foods That Lower Testosterone
Mint Family
Peppermint and many other herbs from the mint family including spearmint and various other hybrids are known for having testosterone reducing effects.
Licorice
Glycyrrhizic acid contained in licorice has shown to significantly decrease total testosterone levels after just seven grams of daily consumption for four days.
Soy Products
In numerous studies, Soy has proven to have an adverse impact on testosterone levels. A recent trial published in the Society for Endocrinology showed that men who consume soy on a regular basis would often show increases in estrogen and a decrease in testosterone.
Alcohol
High alcohol consumption can cause oxidative damage to the testicular Leydig cells and various other tissues, this leads to a local reduction of testosterone production.
Foods That Lower Estrogen
Cauliflower (3,3'-Diindolylmethane)
Vegetables from the Cruciferous family (cauliflower, cabbage, and broccoli) contain 3,3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM) this compound is known to remove excess estrogen from the body.