All about testosterone
Testosterone, the best-known male hormone, shapes male characteristics and influences various aspects of a man’s life. From building muscle and boosting your energy levels to affecting your libido and self-confidence, testosterone has a huge impact on you as a man. So it’s very important—and high time to find out what testosterone is and how to keep your testosterone levels up.
What is testosterone?
Testosterone is the male sex hormone and is produced in a man’s testes and adrenal glands. Women also have a small amount of testosterone, produced in the adrenal glands and ovaries. To put it into perspective: men produce around 10 times as much testosterone as women.
The power of testosterone: the key functions of the male hormone
Testosterone has many important functions and is (partly) responsible for, among other things:
- Sperm production
- Increased muscle and bone mass
- Body hair
- Fertility
- Libido
- Fat burning
Testosterone deficiency: recognise the signs of an imbalance
Testosterone production can decrease for various reasons. One is simply age-related: from around the age of 30, testosterone production starts to decline. However, an unhealthy, unbalanced diet, too little physical activity, and underlying medical conditions can also reduce testosterone production. This doesn’t necessarily lead to a deficiency straight away, but if you naturally produce less testosterone, there is a greater chance of developing a testosterone deficiency. In men, low testosterone can lead to erectile problems, low libido, hair loss, increased body fat, and reduced muscle mass. In other words: many of testosterone’s functions no longer perform as well.
Boost your testosterone: what you can do
Want to give your testosterone a boost? Here are our tips:
1. Limit stress.
Too much stress, or stress too often, can cause you to produce excessive cortisol (the stress hormone). A cortisol level that’s too high blocks testosterone production. Reduce stress by exercising, making time to relax, and getting outdoors. What counts as relaxation differs for everyone—from reading to DIY projects or gaming.
2. A healthy lifestyle.
Perhaps obvious, but no less important for that. A varied diet, enough exercise, sufficient sleep, and limiting alcohol are all important for keeping testosterone levels up.
3. Eat enough selenium, zinc and vitamin B.
Both selenium and zinc are beneficial for male fertility and sperm quality. Zinc also contributes to normal hormonal balance and helps maintain normal testosterone levels in the blood. Vitamin B—specifically vitamin B6—regulates hormone activity. Vitamin B5 contributes to normal steroid hormone metabolism, which includes testosterone.
Zinc can be found in foods such as oysters, red meat, pumpkin seeds and cashew nuts. Selenium is found in Brazil nuts, seafood, wholegrains and sunflower seeds. Vitamin B5 can be obtained from foods such as eggs, avocados, mushrooms and broccoli. Finally, vitamin B6 occurs in foods such as chicken, fish, potatoes and bananas.
