The 10 best foods to increase testosterone

There’s no limit on how many eggs you can eat per day, ⁷ but in most people 1-2 per day is a good benchmark. Eggs also contain protein for muscle growth – great if you’re experiencing low muscle mass, a side effect of low testosterone.

Use wheat bran sprinkled over your usual cereal as well as in baked goods. You can also use as an addition to savoury dishes such as stew and casserole. We recommend up to 2 tablespoons per day.

Chickpeas contain around 47mg magnesium per 100g, while black beans contain around 70mg magnesium per 100g. Remember, men aged 19 to 64 years need 300mg magnesium a day.¹⁰

The UK study from 2012 was based on pomegranate juice – which is handy as adding a glass of pomegranate juice to your daily diet for two weeks has to be the easiest way to raise those T levels. Pomegranate juice is also thought to help beat impotence, ¹² which in turn may boost libido. Low libido can be an undesirable side effect of low testosterone levels.

Easy to carry with you wherever you are, nuts and seeds are also great for staving off hunger pangs, helping you to avoid picking up an unhealthy choice.

More research is needed, but the link between ginger and testosterone levels is a promising one. Ginger is safe for most people so there’s nothing stopping you adding it to your diet now!

Our verdict? It’s all about balance. Meat is a great source of protein, which will help keep your weight down, minimising your chances of having low testosterone levels in the first place. Red meat is high in testosterone-friendly zinc and vitamin D. You shouldn’t eat too much meat, especially red meat, however. It’s high in saturated fat and eating too much has been linked with bowel cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

The NHS recommends no more than 70g per day.¹⁵ The quality of your meat matters, too. Higher intake of processed red meat – think hotdogs, ham, bacon and pepperoni- is actually known to cause lower sperm count in men. ¹⁶ Always choose unprocessed, lean cuts and don’t eat red meat every day.

The diet included 75% healthy fats, 20% protein and 5% carbohydrates. The participants were all fit and resistance trained three times per week, which could have had an effect on the results. ¹⁷ Other studies confirm that a diet too low in fat can lower testosterone levels. 18 However, a diet that high in unsaturated fat might not be right for everyone, so we suggest speaking to a doctor before proceeding.

Men who eat a diet high in fried, processed foods tend to have lower testosterone levels as a result. One study found that men who ate a fried, processed diet had T levels which were ‘significantly decreased’. ¹⁹ It’s important to know that disruptions to your eating pattern can disrupt testosterone levels. This include excessive calorie restriction, such as with crash dieting, and regularly overeating.

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