One of the most important requirements for a vegan bodybuilder is having healthy testosterone levels in the body.
According to research, most men start to show a drop in testosterone levels once they reach the age of 30. Eventually, low testosterone levels can cause various health problems, such as an increase in body fat, erectile dysfunction, and a decline in muscle mass and muscle growth.
As such, you must be wondering if any vegan diet options can help in improving the testosterone levels in the body. Fortunately, there are a couple of vegan options that can help you to boost your testosterone levels. You can also try other remedies, such as exercising and lifting heavy weights to boost your testosterone levels.
Nevertheless, you must understand that these remedies and a vegan diet will only work if your body is compatible with them. Hence, you will need to experiment with different options to understand what’s the right remedy for your body.
That’s why we are here to tell you everything you need to know about the best vegan foods that can boost your testosterone levels naturally.
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What Are The Signs Of Low Testosterone Levels?
If you are suffering from a deficiency in testosterone levels, you might have the following health problems:
1. Low Semen Production
Testosterone plays an important role in producing semen in the body; therefore, a sudden decline in testosterone levels can cause an immediate decline in the semen level during ejaculation.
2. Decline In Sex Drive
Along with a fall in semen volume, low testosterone can cause a decline in your sex drive or libido. After all, there’s a reason testosterone is known as the “main male sex hormone” in males!
3. Higher Body Fat Percentage
Another side effect of low testosterone levels is a rapid increase in body fat. In fact, there are instances when males start to develop gynecomastia, which can cause them to develop breast tissues. Some professionals also claim that the problem usually occurs when there is an imbalance between testosterone and oestrogen levels.
4. Erectile Dysfunction
Although testosterone doesn’t cause an erection, it does stimulate the receptors in the nervous system, which causes the brain to produce nitric oxide molecules in the body. This chemical reaction is responsible for causing an erection in the male body.
Hence, having a low testosterone level will lead to less nitric oxide production, which can then cause erectile dysfunction.
5. Hair Loss
Under normal circumstances, men start to bald when they grow old, which is a natural phenomenon. However, men can bald if they lack testosterone at any age, which causes the body to produce less hair than usual.
6. Decline In Muscle Mass
Most professional bodybuilders focus on increasing the testosterone level in their body since it plays an important role in increasing muscle mass. Hence, a sudden decline in testosterone can cause your body to lose its muscle mass, which will make you look skinny.
7. Reduction Of The Bone Mass
Similar to the previous symptom, a reduction in testosterone levels can cause your bones to become weak as they lose mass and density. Hence, your body becomes weak, and your bones can also become prone to injuries.
8. Change In Your Mood
According to a recent research, men tend to have mood swings if they experience a fall in their testosterone levels. This can cause men to lose focus, feel depressed, and become more irritable.
9. Feeling Tired More Often
Low testosterone levels can cause your body to feel more tired than usual. Hence, you may well find your daily tasks to be more challenging than usual.
9 Best Vegan Foods That Boost Your Testosterone Production
1. Cruciferous Vegetables
Without a doubt, cruciferous vegetables are one of the most important vegan foods you must add to your diet. Some of the best ones include cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower since they contain indole carbinol. In addition, these vegetables help to balance the amount of testosterone and estrogen levels in the body.
Besides this, it is an excellent source of minerals and vitamins. So, the next time you feel your food lacks sufficient nutrients, just buy some cabbage or broccoli!
2. Garlic
Garlic is one of the best ways to reduce the amount of cortisol present in your body. In fact, it is rich in allicin, which helps your body produce more testosterone.
3. Ginger
Ginger is well known for increasing testosterone production as well as enhancing the amount of sex hormone levels present in the body. Therefore, eating ginger regularly can improve your sexual drive and performnace.
4. Spinach
If you are looking for a good source of magnesium, then spinach would be an excellent choice. In addition, it can reduce the amount of SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) levels in the body. This protein is responsible for binding the free testosterone present in the body, which makes them inactive. Hence, you can increase the overall testosterone levels by reducing SHBG in your body with spinach.
5. Chia Seeds
One of the most natural ways to boost testosterone levels in the body is by having chia seeds as a part of your main diet. They are rich in fatty acids and amino acids, which help to boost the testosterone level in the body. Besides, they are rich in magnesium, zinc, potassium, omega-3 fats, and iron.
You can also consume chia seeds to regulate your blood sugar levels, metabolism, and blood pressure, which makes them an all-rounder healthy vegan food option.
6. Avocado
Avocado is one of the best sources to add vitamin B6 and healthy fats to your vegan diet. Moreover, it can reduce the levels of cortisol while boosting testosterone production.
7. Maca
Maca is well known as a libido-boosting food since it helps normalize the level of hormones in the body. It can also boost your energy levels and help you to feel more energetic throughout the day. So, you can get more work done without feeling tired.
8. Coconut
Coconut is a good source of healthy saturated fats, which play an important role in balancing testosterone levels.
9. Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are one of the best plant-based foods that contain zinc, which helps boost testosterone levels in the body. Apart from this, you can find tryptophan and amino acids as two of their main components. These components work together to enhance the body’s ability to produce more testosterone.
You can also find healthy fats, protein, and iron within these seeds.
Other Methods To Increase healthy Testosterone Levels
Apart from maintaining a healthy plant-based diet, you can try other methods to increase the testosterone levels in your body. In fact, most of these methods are cost-effective and easy as long as you follow the steps carefully. But the overall efficacy of these methods may differ from one person to another.
1. Getting A Good Amount Of Sleep
Sleep is one of the best ways your body can restore its energy and regain new cells. It also helps relieve stress and soothe the mind whenever you are stressed. Apart from this, sleep plays a crucial role in regulating the testosterone levels in the body.
One particular study has found that males who sleep for just four hours per night have a deficiency of testosterone in their body, which causes them to feel depressed, irritated, and fatigued.
However, this can be avoided if you sleep at least seven to ten hours a day. You can also take short power naps whenever possible, as it may help the body produce more testosterone.
2. Limit Your Estrogen Levels
Too much estrogen in the body can lower testosterone levels significantly, and this can cause you to have weaker muscles and bones. Moreover, some men experience an increase in hairfall, even during the early stages of adulthood.
BPA and parabens are estrogen-like compounds that cause a spike in the estrogen levels. They are mostly found in plastic utensils and food packaging, so you should avoid them completely.
Besides, certain food such as oysters and soya are rich in estrogen; hence, you should avoid adding them to your diet.
3. Lighting Weights And Exercising
Exercising is one of the best ways to increase testosterone since it helps improve muscle and bone mass. Professional bodybuilders prefer to work out regularly, as it helps to boost testosterone levels and balance the blood flow within the body.
On that note, you can try resistance training or HIIT since these are two of the most effective ways of improving healthy testosterone production. You can also consult a professional bodybuilder and ask which exercise would be ideal for your body.
4. Maintaining A Balanced Diet
In the earlier section, we have mentioned a few vegan food options that can help you boost the testosterone production in your body. However, a well-balanced diet can work wonders since your body requires all the necessary carbohydrates, proteins, and good fats to perform optimally.
Proteins are well-known for maintaining testosterone levels, while carbs play an important role in optimizing the testosterone in the body. Besides this, you should avoid overeating or dieting constantly since it lowers testosterone.
5. Try To Avoid Stress
Having excess stress can trigger the brain to produce cortisol in your body. This chemical compound is responsible for lowering testosterone and triggering several other medical problems.
For instance, stress can cause you to overeat, as you’re likely to use it as a defense mechanism to tackle mood swings. In some cases, people gain weight and become fat, which further causes the testosterone to decline.
That’s why we highly recommend keeping your mind busy with productive work or doing something relaxing. You can also visit a specialist if you feel too stressed or frustrated.
6. Increase Vitamin D Intake
Vitamins are essential in maintaining the amount of testosterone in the body; hence increasing their intake is one of the most natural remedies available to regulate the t-hormone. You can increase the amount of vitamin D by exposing yourself to sunlight regularly. But you should make sure to apply sunscreen while taking a sunbath since it can cause severe skin burns.
Nowadays, people prefer to sunbathe under UV lamps, as they don’t burn the skin and they get all the essential vitamins. You can also use supplements or food rich in vitamin D, such as egg yolks, liver, oily fish, and many more. In case you prefer a vegan diet, you can rely on mushrooms to supplement the vitamin D deficiency.
7. Taking Supplements
There are times when your body lacks sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals required to maintain a healthy testosterone level. But you can regulate these levels by taking supplements that are rich in minerals and vitamins. These are easily available on the market, and some are extremely affordable.
For instance, zinc supplements are an excellent choice if you are an athlete. In addition, you can use supplements for Vitamin C, E, and A.
Final Words
As mentioned earlier, low testosterone levels can cause several issues in your body; however, you can avoid them by consuming a healthy diet that is rich in healthy saturated fats and vitamins.
Moreover, you can enhance your testosterone levels naturally by following a few remedies. For example, you should allow your body to rest properly so that it can restore the testosterone levels on its own. For this, we strongly recommend following a regular sleep schedule with less screen time at night.
Of course, you can take supplements to boost your body’s testosterone levels naturally. But we do recommend consulting a doctor first, especially if you have any other medical condition. And always ensure that you aren’t allergic to any ingredients in the supplement.
Stay healthy and see you next time!