The Basics
You should always do your homework.
When looking for a testosterone booster you should always research into it’s ingredients, as a lot has changed over the years.
Former standard ingredients in testosterone boosters like Deer Antler Velvet and Tribulus Terrestris have become outdated – and have been proven in clinical trials to be ineffective.
Testosterone booster ingredients nowadays have three main duties:
Testosterone Production: These are the main nutrients that react with the brain and thyroid to produce new testosterone in the body. These are usually components that are rare to come across in the human diet that the body can’t get enough of on it’s own. With these being supplied the body can continue to produce testosterone at it’s natural maximum levels.
Freeing Testosterone: 60% of the testosterone in the body is unusable. It is bound by Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) that strips testosterone of all of it’s anabolic potency rendering it useless. These nutrients in testosterone boosters do one of two things, they either start diminishing the production of SHBG, or they take the place of the testosterone and inhibit the SHBG themselves. Either way this leads to a rapid increase in free testosterone and a lot more accessible male hormone to boost those T levels.
Suppressing Estrogen: Estrogen can also be a problem. Aromatase are an enzyme in the body which produces estrogen and converts testosterone into the female hormone. Certain nutrients in these boosters stop this happening. Nutrients like Vitamin B6 decrease the aromatase activity – making them produce estrogen at a much slower rate, while flavonoids like Luteolin inhibit these aromatase enzymes and slow the process that way. This saves more testosterone from converted in the body and allows T levels to rise.
Testosterone Producers
D-Aspartic Acid
This amino acid is vital for testosterone production. By working with the central region of the brain D-AA provokes a hormone release, like the luteinzing hormone (an important part to the regulation of testes), growth hormones and follicle-stimulating hormones. There has been studies that have shown D-AA can also help build up the testes, removing rate-limits on Testosterone synthesis, this leads to a boost in T levels. It is a must have in testosterone boosters.
In this study DAA was seen to raise the release of testosterone and Luteinzing hormones in both humans and rats.
While in this study, infertile male men took 2.66g of DAA daily for 90 days. It was seen to increase serum testosterone by 30-60% and seminal counts by 60-100%. It also helped 26% conceive a child.
Oyster Extract
Arguable one of the top testosterone boosters of the natural world. Not only does Oyster Extract include 10x the amount of zinc in beef steak (Read why Zinc’s important below!) but it also contains 59 different trace elements that the body needs such as vitamins, taurine, amino acids, omega 3 and 6 fish oils with some copper and manganese in there which greatly helps zinc. This all comes in a natural and balance formed, which is harder to come by when taking zinc on it’s own. In this study from the Journal of Exercise Physiology below, Oyster Extract was also seen to help liver function, raise IQ, produce strength gains and heightens protection against illnesses.
In this study Oyster Extract was used as a supplement on zinc-deficient subjects. It served as a good source of zinc and worked in the same ways, which benefits testosterone levels.
Vitamin D3
Have you ever noticed your beard growing faster in Summer than in Winter? That’s the increased Vitamin D3 from the extra sunlight, stimulating your production of testosterone – and this vitamin is key to our survival. It is one of the only 24 nutrients we need to stay alive. Any testosterone booster worth it’s salt should have a good source of vitamin D3. There is so much to gain from it’s T boosting properties.
This study involved men taking 3332 IU of Vitamin D3 over the course of a year. It greatly increased testosterone levels. Free testosterone and bioactivity also increased.
Zinc
It’s not often that we get our daily supply of zinc, as we don’t produce it naturally, but it is imperative to our testosterone levels. Zinc is a necessary component to the brain’s process of releasing luteinizing hormones, essentially the key to production of testosterone down below. Once zinc levels are restored to full capacity, levels can increase and equilibrium can return. It has been seen in studies to play a vital part in the modulation and increase of serum testosterone levels in the average man.
In this study, wrestlers took 3mg/kg zinc sulphate for 4 weeks during a course of exhaustive training. Compared to the placebo group, the zinc subjects had maintained their testosterone, whereas the others T levels had fallen due to the physical stress.
This study shows that men with low testosterone, and even infertility benefit greatly from using zinc.
Panax Ginseng
Another natural Testosterone Booster that has been making massive changes for Low T sufferers. It all starts with Ginseng’s ability to boost Nitric Oxcide in men. Why does that matter? Because Nitric Oxcide controls blood flow, which helps with erectile dysfunction. On top of that, Ginseng decreases glucose levels, aiding with the reduction of insulin and contains steroidal saponins which increase testosterone levels, DHT, luteinizing hormone, and androgens in men.
This incredible study, shows men who greatly increased their erection strength and penetration rate over a 12 week period just by using Panax Ginseng.
Whereas this study shows that ginseng lowers blood glucose, which decreases insulin levels – boosting testosterone.
Vitamin K2
A vitamin found in meat that is vital to the body and testosterone levels. Vitamin K2 is especially important to testosterone as it helps maintain plasma and testes own levels of testosterone. It also supports the primary testosterone producer Vitamin D3 as K2 prevents any calcification that might occur in the arteries or in any other soft tissues.
This study shows that supplementing Vitamin K2 can reduce the decline of testosterone when they start to fall.
Free Testosterone Promoters
Boron
A mineral that’s only found in Earth’s soil. It’s hard for our diets to come across this ingredient naturally, which is why it makes such a big difference. Boron has been seen to be a big booster in testosterone levels, as well as a strong decrease in the sex hormone binding globulin, which gives us a lot more free testosterone.
In this amazing study, read how boron helped these men raise their testosterone levels by 29% and decrease their estrogen levels by 39% in the period of a week.
Fenugreek
This is the good stuff, Fenugreek is the ultimate natural libido enhancer. To get to the science this traditional Indian medicine is a 4-hydroxyisoleucine compound – this is its dominant quality which regulates the metabolism of blood sugars. This affects insulin, which regulates testosterone and the sex hormone binding globulin. With lower insulin levels, testosterone production can increase, as well as sex drive. Other qualities Fenugreek aid this process such as its trigonelline, galactomannan, and trigoneosides compounds which also benefit blood sugars.
In this study, Fenugreek (under the brand name Testofen) was seen to dramatically boost libido and help with testosterone levels.
This is more a study on the effect of SHBG is affected by insulin in the body, strengthening why Fengureek is so important.
Magnesium
Magnesium is the ultimate secret weapon to most testosterone boosters. On average 60% of the testosterone in a man is bound to the sex hormone binding globulin (or SHBG). When testosterone is in this state it unusable directly, magnesium changes this problem. Lowering the globulin count, magnesium unbinds the testosterone and raises the overall testosterone levels in the individual.
This study shows magnesium raises free testosterone in sedentary males through daily supplementation.
Estrogen Suppressors (Aromatase Inhibitors)
Luteolin
A dietary flavonoid, that has been seen to inhibit estrogen. After analysis from Chinese scientists when compared to over 1,431 different compounds, Luteolin was seen to be the strongest inhibitor for aromatase, which is the body’s main production center of estrogen. Another glowing benefit of this compound is that it is androgen-stimulating for the production of more testosterone.
This study shows that Luteolin is an effective aromatase inhibitor that can greatly reduce estrogen levels in the body.
Vitamin B6
This a key enabler to the testosterone production process, and it starts by working the body’s C2 pathway in the metabolic system. That’s a bit technical but the main thing to takeaway from that is that this particular pathway controls the metabolic rate of the body’s estrogen. Vitamin B6 is a great help here as it decreases the gene activity in the estrogen once it is bound to a receptor. Essentially it’s all dressed up and nowhere to go – suppressed for our benefit.
This study shows significant rises in testosterone levels when supplementing B6 in subjects that have a deficiency in the vitamin.
Unfortunately I don’t have a link to the source for the C2 and metabolic system – however the information can be found in:
Am J Clin Nutr. 2013 Feb;97(2):390-402. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.112.033951. Epub 2012 Dec 26.
Systematic review with dose-response meta-analyses with vitamin B
Conclusion
Well there you have it, those are so far the most potent, and effective ingredients that you can find in a testosterone booster. Some that didn’t make this list may good, great, or even completely terrible. If you’re unsure it’s always best to do your research and make sure you know full well what you’re in for.
-Click Here to See Our Top Natural Testosterone Boosters-
-And see which products have the most of these ingredients!-