12 Testosterone Killers: What Are The Worst T Killers To Avoid?
This article is going to go over 12 testosterone killers that every man should try to avoid if he wants to increase his testosterone levels.
If you are a guy, then there must have been countless times where you have pondered over ways to increase your testosterone levels?
Well, it all depends on your approach. You can either go for the habits that increase testosterone levels or you can avoid the things that lower testosterone levels.
This article is focused on the second approach. You should read this article as it will list the top 12 things that are testosterone killers.
12 Testosterone Killers To Avoid
The top 12 things which lower the testosterone levels have been mentioned below:
1. Soda and Junk Foods
Soda and fast foods both lower testosterone levels. In general, soda doesn’t lower testosterone levels but too much consumption can lower T levels. Soda contains lots of sugar and provides a lot of empty calories to the body.
As an example consider a regular bottle of Coca-Cola which has about 139 calories. High calories and sugar are both testosterone killers. Some studies have also shown that consuming soda can lead to weight gain and heart diseases, diabetes and strokes.
So you should keep a check on how much soda you drink every day.
There are many types of fast foods but two are big time testosterone killers: burgers and hot dogs. They mostly contain low-quality meat, which is processed and filled with chemicals. That’s why they lower testosterone levels.
2. Myco-estrogens
Testosterone lowering xeno-estrogens are present in different cosmetics and plastics; they are also present in many other products. These myco-estrogens lower testosterone levels.
Myco-estrogens are actually the estrogens produced by fungi and mold. The most common myco-estrogen is zearalenone, which is found in oats, barley and wheat.
Another myco-estrogen is fusarium, which is present in a product called Quorn (a meat substitute for vegetarians).
All myco-estrogens are similar in the sense that they lower testosterone levels in the body and produce feminizing effects. You should eat fresh foods to counter the effect of myco-estrogens.
3. Stress
If you stress too much, then your testosterone levels will be lower for sure. The body releases high levels of cortisol in extreme stress. Cortisol neutralizes the effect of testosterone.
Your testosterone levels will be significantly lower if you suffer from chronic stress.
A well-published research was recently conducted in which the researchers concluded, “Males who had high psychological stress had significantly lower testosterone levels than men who had lower levels of stress.”
The easy solution to reducing stress is finding some moments to relax and take it easy every now and then.
You can also look into using the stress lowering herb ashwagandha.
4. Obesity
One of the best ways to increase testosterone levels in the body is to lose weight. A study was conducted at the New England Research Institute (NERI) in which 1822 men were taken as test subjects.
The study showed that the strongest predictor of testosterone levels is the waist circumference.
The NERI researchers also found that men who are obese experience a rapid drop in their testosterone levels as compared to other men.
5. Frequent Ejaculation
Whether you are a bachelor with an addiction or you and your girlfriend are sex addicts, the truth is that frequent ejaculation lowers testosterone levels.
One possible reason behind this is that each time you ejaculate; you lose about 5 mg zinc, which is one of best testosterone boosting nutrients.
Recently, some Chinese researchers found that abstaining from blowing the load for three or four days doesn’t change the testosterone levels. But the testosterone levels suddenly increase on the 7th day.
To read an article on how masturbation influences testosterone click here.
6. Lack of Exercise
The easiest way to boost testosterone levels is through exercise. When you exercise regularly, you tell the body that you need more testosterone and your body responds by supplying you with more testosterone through exercise.
Testosterone, in turn, helps in building muscles and burning fat which is as mentioned is a big testosterone killer.
You should do short bursts of high interval training and weight lifting instead of long-running or low-intensity exercises.
7. Long Distance Running
Continuous long distance running might be good for aerobic fitness but if it’s done to excess it will lower testosterone levels.
This fact was evident in the study done by the researchers at the University of British Columbia in which they stated that long distance excessive running does result in lower testosterone levels.
8. Sunscreens
Sunscreens and other types of UV lip balms contain chemicals which are disastrous for testosterone levels. They lower the testosterone levels in the following two ways:
- They contain xeno-estrogens in them which have been shown to lower testosterone levels.
- They contain a special chemical called oxybenzone which is a big time testosterone killer.
If you are someone who is too conscious about his skin and can’t go out without sunscreen, then you should buy the baby versions because they contain fewer chemicals.
9. Marijuana
Arnold Schwarzenegger would disagree with you but the fact of the matter is that smoking marijuana decreases your manliness.
Research has shown that smoking pot can reduce the sperm in your body. A study was done on monkeys in which the researchers found that when the monkeys were exposed to Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the chemical present in marijuana, their testosterone levels dropped by a massive 65%.
10. Alcohol
It won’t come as much of a surprise to you that alcohol lowers testosterone levels. When alcohol is being absorbed, it produces compounds which stop the release of testosterone.
One or two drinks can create minor dips in testosterone levels but heavy drinking can significantly lower testosterone levels.
Beer is particularly dangerous because it contains estradiol in it which is the most potent form of female estrogen. So you should drink wisely and moderately.
11. Lack of Sleep
The body makes testosterone during sleep. Evidence backs this claim and researchers have found out that testosterone levels peak during the first three hours of sleep.
Lack of sleep disrupts the normal sleep-wake cycle which blocks the testosterone synthesis. So you should get about 8 hours of sleep every day.
Ashwagandha is a great herb for sleep and can also improve the quality and depth of the sleep you get.
12. Aging
Everyone knows that when a person hits thirty, his testosterone levels begin to decrease. That’s why the age factor is the last in this list. A specially designed study was conducted recently in which the researchers concluded that aging lowers both the available and circulating testosterone levels.
There is no fountain of youth. But there are certainly proven supplements (like creatine) which you can take to increase testosterone levels.
Conclusion
Prevention is better than cure. So instead of looking for ways to increase your low T levels, you shouldn’t let your testosterone levels fall in the first place by avoiding these testosterone killers.
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