Testosterone Supplements, Boosters & the Facts

If you are a man this is one topic that you are sure to be interested in.  If you have ever priced and looked at supplements that claim to increase or boost testosterone levels then you know that they are expensive.  The question is do they work?  If they do not work what does?

Typically most supplements that allege to increase or boost testosterone levels contain a combination of the following ingredients:  Tribulus, Fenugreek (Testofen), horny goat weed, longjack, catuaba, mucuna pruriens, yohimbe, avena sativa and others.

A look at the literature is mixed at best.  Yes there is a study here and there but not suggestive or convincing enough to make this author drop $50 to $80 plus per bottle.  In addition on May 22, 2015 a class-action lawsuit has been filed against companies that market supplements as “testosterone boosters”.  The lawsuit claims Testofen supplements don’t boost testosterone. In addition Testofen has not been shown to increase free testosterone levels, and the existence of four published studies showing that it has no such effect.  The plaintiff’s  lawsuit cites three other studies that found fenugreek extract has no impact on free testosterone levels. One of the studies cited by the plaintiffs found the placebo group experienced a rise in testosterone by an average of 10 nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) over the course of the experiment, while the group who ingested fenugreek suffered a decline in testosterone by an average of 4 ng/ml.

WebMD published an article on boosting low testosterone naturally.  Number one suggestion was to start looking at your daily habits.  Look at what you are eating.  Get plenty of sleep (7-8 hours). Keep a healthy weight and lose those extra pounds. Stay active and go for brisk walks (10 to 20 minutes/day). Try to limit stress in your life as it increases the stress hormone cortisol. Review your medications with your physician to affirm that they are not adding to the problem.

This author feels that a big part of the problem is all of the plant based estrogens that men consume today.  Two of the biggest culprits are soy and flax seed.  Soy was not a part of the human diet until 1979 when the first soy milk was introduced into the grocery store.  Prior to this it was a product that was not considered fit for human consumption.  Both soy (93% is genetically modified and sprayed with the herbicide RoundUp) and flax seed products are high in plant based estrogens (female hormone).  Published studies have shown that the consumption does adversely affect testosterone levels.   A simple search on phyto-estrogens  (plant based estrogens) will help you to learn which foods may be adding to the problem of declining testosterone levels.

The bottom line at this time is that testosterone boosters are expensive and do not appear to deliver the goods.