Testosterone is a hormone that plays a significant role in reproduction, sexual health, red blood cell production, growth, and maintenance of a healthy body; whether you know it as the “male” sex hormone or as that hormone that helps your muscle mass, it is undeniable that it plays an important part in your body’s correct functioning for both women and overall men’s health.
The complexity of testosterone and its role in our metabolism is often associated with converting it to a certain type of estrogen, so let us break it down for you. In our bodies, we produce “total testosterone,” some of which is not attached to any form of SHBG, which is the sex hormone binding globulin known as “free testosterone.”
A small amount of this circulating “free” testosterone is converted into estrogen, meaning that as our body ages, it produces less and less testosterone, which, if converted to estrogen too significantly, can create an imbalance between the two in our metabolisms; this is known as androgen deficiency or testosterone deficiency.
There are several symptoms when it comes to low testosterone levels that we will analyze, as well as several solutions like natural testosterone boosters, one of them being the subject of this article.
When our T levels are low, can natural herbs actually help?
The short answer is: Yes! Several herbs can work as natural testosterone boosters and be great for other areas of your body and metabolism. It might be redundant, but foods, herbs, vitamins, and anything we absorb as humans will affect our bodies in some way, and herbs are no exception.
We will examine some of low testosterone’s most important symptoms and discuss how herbs and herbal supplements can help your T levels naturally.
Signs of low testosterone levels
When there is a noticeable change in our testosterone levels, we might experience one or more subtle symptoms. In contrast, it is important to notice that with age, testosterone levels will naturally decrease if you are experiencing chronic symptoms. Your day-to-day life is affected. You can also contact medical experts and be advised on the best testosterone therapy (also known as testosterone replacement therapy) available for you.
So let’s begin our journey: how do we notice if our testosterone levels are lower than normal?
Sexual health symptoms
This might be an obvious first choice, but testosterone levels directly affect your reproductive health. Therefore a particularly low testosterone level can result in decreased sexual drive, erectile dysfunction, and a general reduction in sexual performance.
Mood symptoms
People with low testosterone levels will experience shifts in their temper, such as depressed moods and increased stress levels; this is because one of the main causes of low testosterone levels is stress, as it has been shown through research that stress hormones, in particular your cortisol levels, have precedently decreased testosterone levels.
Changes in your appearance
One of the most common and quickest symptoms of low testosterone is the reduction in muscle mass in our body. If we suffer from low T levels, the body will naturally experience a decrease in muscle growth and mass, bone weakness, and an increase in body fat percentage.
Consequentially, one of the most common natural testosterone boosters is a more balanced and healthy diet, as well as exercising to control your muscle mass and body fat.
Natural remedies
There are several ways to improve and boost testosterone naturally, some of which we already mentioned, such as a more healthy and balanced diet, exercise, a regular sleep cycle, and good management of stress levels. However, you should feel free to have a little help from mother nature.
There are several vitamins, like vitamin d, D3, and B3, several minerals, such as zinc and magnesium, and especially some amazing herbs, plants, and their extract that can become natural ways to raise testosterone levels significantly, so let’s cut to the chase and showcase the stars of today:
Herbs that boost testosterone levels
Ashwagandha extract
Ashwagandha, or Indian ginseng, is known as a helper since its properties are said to boost testosterone levels; the herb is used in traditional Indian medicine, and it functions perfectly as an antioxidant, meaning it helps reduce stress and increases what is called the luteinizing hormone, which is what helps your reproductive system work properly as it should.
Research has shown that ashwagandha consumers have increased sperm count and increased sperm motility, which directly links to testosterone levels.
In men, the luteinizing hormone contributes to the production of testosterone. It’s also worthy of notice that chronic stress, as we mentioned, can cause a high level of cortisol and therefore reduces the possibility of increasing testosterone levels, so a dosage of ashwagandha, which will help with your stress and with your sexual hormone balance, is fairly considered a testosterone booster.
Ashwagandha supplementation
Before you ask, it is quite hard to naturally absorb Indian ginseng through foods. Still, suppose you really want to do something for that sexual drive of yours and try to treat erectile dysfunction naturally. In that case, there are several supplements that you can take that are prevalently made of natural ingredients and can also be recommended by medical professionals. Generally speaking, it’s the backbone of many testosterone booster supplements and even greens powders and brain supplements due to its tangential benefits. It’s been shown to improve sleep and lower cortisol levels. As a result, it’s the backbone of many supplements designed to lower stress and improve sleep.
Fenugreek extract
Fenugreek has been researched due to the potential it has shown when there’s the need to increase testosterone levels. Studies have shown that fenugreek extract can contribute to testosterone production due to its furostanol saponins. It’s harder to spell it than to explain it.
Furostanol saponin is a tropical herb used in alternative medicine to help libido, sperm count, and sexual impotence, so you do the maths.
Fenugreek supplements
Many people use fenugreek supplements to increase their testosterone levels, so it is fair to say that supplementation of this herb is fairly easy to find and provides a high number of benefits for your body.
Pine bark extract
As you have probably already guessed, pine bark extract derives from pine trees. It is often used in alternative or non-traditional medicine to improve cardiovascular health and blood circulation and to treat erectile dysfunction. However, we must mention that the effects of pine bark extract have been only classified as relevant when the herb is assimilated with other nutrients, such as vitamins or L-arginine and L-arginine aspartate.
L-arginine is an amino acid known to have effects on the production of proteins in our bodies necessary for the creation of hormones, such as testosterone, so to be clearer, a dosage of L-Arginine and pine bark extract can help testosterone production more than what pine bark can do by itself.
Pine bark supplementation
It is absolutely possible and easy to obtain pine bark supplements and L-Arginine supplements that can not only help with testosterone production but can also lower cholesterol, improve your blood flow and monitor your cardiovascular health. Not a bad deal, right?
Tongkat Ali
Studies have shown that Tongkat Ali (also known as Malaysian ginseng) may help increase testosterone levels naturally. It is used in traditional medicine in several Asian countries to treat several infections or sexual health-related issues.
Tongkat Ali is also used to help female and male infertility. It stimulates sexual arousal and can improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction,
Tongkat Ali supplementation
The supplementation of this herb is common when it comes to known testosterone-boosting supplements. Why is Malaysian ginseng said to have such an effect on testosterone levels you ask? One of the main reasons is that it contains high amounts of quassinoids. These compounds help boost the release of the luteinizing hormone (LH), which in turn helps the body produce more testosterone.
Maca root
Maca root is a natural herb that has been part of the Peruvian diet for centuries, which is why it adopts the name Peruvian ginseng. Peruvian ginseng is used to improve muscle mass growth. It is used as an energy and mood booster and, lastly, to increase your testosterone level. While a couple of studies suggest it can have some impact on this, it is far better at dealing with symptomatic issues such as ED and not so good at actually boosting testosterone levels.
It has a high number of certain proteins and nutrients that improve muscle growth and regulate the endocrine system, which is directly related to having positive effects on testosterone levels.
Horny goat weed
Yes, you read it correctly. Horny goat weed is a herb with numerous medicinal properties that can benefit the production of testosterone in the human body through its chemical compound, which includes Icariin, which plays a fundamental role in the production of testosterone. Horny goat weed is particularly important due to the effect it has on men’s health when it comes to sexual functions. You probably saw this coming from the name.
Horny goat weed supplements
The supplementation of horny goat weed is possible and easy to obtain. You will notice a change in your sexual endurance and a decrease in erectile dysfunction.
While its properties to tackle ED is pretty clear, the relationship between this wonder herb and testosterone is still undergoing research.
Saw Palmetto
Some studies have shown that saw palmetto might be able to directly boost levels of testosterone. However, its popularity is due to its role in helping to preserve existing testosterone levels so that you don’t lose too much testosterone that you already produce regularly.
Garlic
Surprisingly, garlic has been shown to have a link with the productivity of your adrenal glands and your Leydig cells, which are the primary source of testosterone in males; in other words, it can help improve your sexual health as well as your overall physical health.
There is probably no need for a paragraph on garlic supplements, is there?
Conclusion
To end our voyage into the world of herbal supplements and testosterone-boosting plants, we can strongly affirm that many herbs can help increase your testosterone. From the easiest herbs to find over the counter to Malaysian ginseng, mother nature is once again proving that our bodies are made to be looked after.
Keep in mind that if your symptoms vary from severe to chronic, it might be worth it to check with a health professional. Still, otherwise, herbal and generally natural remedies to increase your T levels have been more than welcomed to use by the scientific community and can be very helpful.
Featured Image by sunil kargwal from Pixabay
