Could Low-Fat Diets Be Linked to Low-Testosterone?

By Taylor Ford

Low-fat diets have been linked to decreased testosterone levels in men, according to a meta-analysis published in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.¹

Essentially, low-fat diets can decrease the production of testicular testosterone levels. Not to mention that men are already fighting an uphill battle as they age: total testosterone levels decline at 1.6% a year and bioavailable levels at 2-3% per year.² Like any challenge, you can lean in or give up. Here is a quick guide on testosterone levels and how to fight back as you age:

WHAT IS FREE VS TOTAL TESTOSTERONE?

Let's start with the basics. You will hear those degrading commercials on late night TV saying your testosterone is down or you need more Free T, but what is the difference?

Free: in the blood and bioavailable. It is not bound to a protein. It’s easily used by the body.
Total: the total level of testosterone, both bound and unbound.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS OF LOW TESTOSTERONE?

Getting old is a weird feeling. It's difficult to attribute the changes we feel to either activities (or lack there of) and simply just getting older. As we said earlier, men are going to feel the signs of low testosterone eventually. It's not a matter of if, but when. Here's a helpful list of some of the symptoms:

Fatigue
Mood changes
Decreased memory
Increased body fat
Decreased libido
Lower semen volume
Erectile dysfunction

FOODS THAT KILL TESTOSTERONE

There are even specific foods that lower your testosterone levels:

Foods That Kill Testosterone

Soy-Based Foods
Processed & Frozen Foods
Nuts
Flax & Flax Seeds
Alcohol
Vegetable Oils
Mints

FOODS THAT BOOST TESTOSTERONE

Now let's take a look at the foods that help support testosterone levels:

Foods That Boost Testosterone

Tuna, Salmon, & Sardines
Egg Yolk
Fortified Cereal & Milk
Shellfish
Beans
Beef
Potatoes
Avocados

HOW TO INCREASE FREE TESTOSTERONE LEVELS?

So we talked about free testosterone being helpful, now let's discuss some simple ways to increase them:

How To Increase Free Testosterone Levels?

Manage stress levels
Watch your BMI
Potentially vitamin D
Squats! True story.

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¹Whittaker, J., & Wu, K. (2021). Low-fat diets and testosterone in men: Systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies. The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology, 210, 105878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2021.105878

²Feldman, H. A., Longcope, C., Derby, C. A., Johannes, C. B., Araujo, A. B., Coviello, A. D., Bremner, W. J., & McKinlay, J. B. (2002). Age trends in the level of serum testosterone and other hormones in middle-aged men: longitudinal results from the Massachusetts male aging study. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 87(2), 589–598. https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem.87.2.8201