“Would you like testosterone with that?”

Ways to increase testosterone levels through diet.

Ah, testosterone; the hormone that separates the men from the boys.  Actually, testosterone occurs naturally in men and women, but is more prevalent in men (and that chick that works at the 7 Eleven.)  It reveals itself in manly facial hair, superior strength, that deep voice ladies love so much, and the whopping sex drive that’s seemingly insatiable (unless you distract him with nachos and beer.)

But what happens when testosterone levels decrease?  Yes, you’ve suddenly got a male with worse symptoms than the dreaded ‘man flu.’  He’s suddenly lethargic, disinterested, unable to raise Mr. Cocklesworth long enough for a simple hello, and far more serious…is losing body and facial hair, and developing man boobs.

If said man is already to that stage, he needs to get to his physician pronto.  There is help for the limp and the restless. But why not try to prevent low testosterone before it becomes an issue?  Apparently certain foods can naturally raise testosterone levels in human males.  Let’s look at them…

• Cholesterol-not always the bad guy.  Hormones such as testosterone are produced in the cholesterol in your body.  Cholesterol itself is produced naturally in small amounts in the body, but you get the lion’s share from diet.  Too much of a good thing is obviously bad for you, but some is necessary for hormonal balance.  IFitandhealthy.com recommends your man eats cholesterol-rich foods once in a while…and he won’t mind.  Red meats and eggs appeal to the man beast, and raise testosterone levels in the body.
• Carbohydrates-some carbs are converted to fats and other substances in the body needed to produce hormones such as testosterone.  AskMen.com says that raising carbohydrates in men to approximately twice as much as their protein intake will increase testosterone levels.  I don’t think he’ll kill you if you offer a huge baked potato with that steak.
• Fats-ah, now you need to be as careful with these as you would be with cholesterol.  However, some fats are needed for the body to produce balanced levels of hormones including Mr. Testosterone.  Give him a diet rich in some dairy, olive and vegetable oils, nuts and avocados.  In fact, if he’ll eat the little green beastie, avocados are, according to AskMen.com, rich in folic acid and vitamin B6 which will increase testosterone production and turn him into a sex machine.  That goes for you too, ladies. (Avocado sales just increased 50 %!)
• Indoles-‘in-what?’  You heard me right, ‘INDOLES.’  They’re a compound found in certain foods that reduce the release of excess estrogen, which decreases estrogen’s negative effects on testosterone production in both men and women.  (Visualize this; estrogen is Godzilla and she has a stranglehold on King Kong.) Foods that contain Indoles might be harder to make him eat as they’re those strange and foreign things called vegetables.  Cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussel sprouts fit the bill (hide them under the baked potato.)
• Zinc-makes the girl’s wink.  This mineral has many important benefits for the body including improving immunity, wound healing and bone health.  (That’s bone, not boner.)  However, zinc also increases testosterone levels in the body which does help with boners…and sperm production, according to AskMen.com.  Foods high in zinc include oysters, prawns and shrimp, beef, chicken liver, pumpkin seeds and wheat germ.

Add these foods to your man’s steady diet of hamburgers, wings and Bud Light, and they can be secure in their stud-hood…at least until old age requires efforts are increased.  Happy eating!