A recent investigative study from Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences in Guangzhou, China determined that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages (or, SSB’s) could be connected with lower testosterone levels in men between the ages of 20 and 39 in the U.S.
Low testosterone levels contribute to:
- Impotence
- Low sex drive
- Fatigue
- Hair loss
- Decreased bone and muscle mass
- Weight gain
- Increased rates of depression, irritability and other negative mood changes.
The 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey followed 545 men in that age range and what they found was that the men who consumed more SSB’s had a much higher chance of exhibiting lower testosterone levels, up to a 2.3-times higher amount than those who consumed fewer sugary beverages.
Commercial soda pop beverages may as well be termed ‘liquid sugar.’
So, if you’re struggling with low testosterone levels, what can you do? Here are a few tips:
- Vitamin D. The sunshine vitamin, also available in supplement form and foods such as eggs, mushrooms and many varieties of seafood.
- Natural herbal supplements like Fenugreek and Tribulus, which many study participants have cited as upping their energy levels and sex drives.
- Ginger, the common household spice has been found to more than double testosterone levels in lab rat test subjects.
- DHEA, or Dehydroepiandrosterone, a naturally-occurring circulating steroid which can help boost muscle mass and even fight the effects of aging.
- Zinc, which not only helps increase testosterone naturally, but also helps defend against common colds and enhance immunity.