Vitamin C and Testosterone: Can Ascorbic Acid Increase T Levels?
Vitamin C and Testosterone
Continuing with my mini-series of articles on the role that some vitamins have on testosterone levels, it’s now time to take a look at the link between Vitamin C and testosterone and find out how it can benefit us.
Vitamin C also known as Ascorbic Acid is probably one of the vitamins you have heard about the most. One famous scientist (Linus Pauling) went so far as to say it was the cure for almost everything.
While this has obviously not been proven by modern science, the growing body of research advocating Vitamin C’s positive role in a number of bodily functions does not hurt Pauling’s bold claims.
To give you an idea of just how important Vitamin C is to the body, I need to tell you about collagen. Collagen is the dominant protein which is responsible for the health of all types of connective tissue in the body – bone, tendon, cartilage etc.
Without collagen, these structures literally break apart. And for the synthesis of collagen, Vitamin C is essential. And as the body cannot construct its own (while many other species can, curiously), we need Vitamin C in our diet.
Apart from this important function, Vitamin C has been linked to a number of other essential functions of the body, including immune function, healing, and clearing up free radicals through its anti-oxidative effect.
And when taken together with garlic, Vitamin C has also been shown to increase nitric oxide levels and blood flow by a massive 200% which in turn can increase erection strength in men.
While there has been a lot of research into Vitamin C and its effect on human health, it is only recently that its role in sexual health is being explored.
Overall Sexual Health And Vitamin C
A very comprehensive study which focused directly on the effects of Vitamin C supplementation on all of the traits related to sexual health and fertility found that there was indeed a strong positive correlation between the two.
The researchers concluded that taking Vitamin C resulted in a “significant increase in testosterone plasma levels”.
And while this study was conducted on male rats, the similarity between the human endocrine system and that of the rat, suggests these results are to be taken seriously.
Another study, this one done on male rabbits, also concluded a noteworthy increase in semen quality owing to Vitamin C supplementation along with Vitamin E.
Again, even though these results were obtained from animal studies, a pattern exists – Vitamin C seems to play an important part in the mammalian sexual health.
Vitamin C as a Guardian of Fertility and Sperm Quality
There was a study which explored whether Vitamin C could play a part in repair and protection when it came to environmental stressors causing infertility and DNA damage in the sperm.
This particular study dealt with lead exposure and the DNA damage it inflicted. The study concluded that Vitamin C indeed played a part in protecting the testicular Leydig cells against such damage. This, in turn, helps to preserve and protect testosterone levels from oxidative damage.
It leads us to gain more confidence in the series of animal studies which have predicted Vitamin C’s role as a protective agent against stressors like arsenic, alcohol, aluminum, and other stressors.
The general idea of Vitamin C as a guardian of the body and as a healer seems to hold true when it comes to being a protector of all things related to fertility.
Another study on humans, which is important due to the direct relation it studied, concluded that oral supplementation of Vitamin C had the potential to increase semen quality, volume, and the probability of conception in infertile men.
Vitamin C and Stress
We have already talked about how stress plays a part in whacking your T levels. Just remember the following – more stress, more cortisol, less testosterone.
The oxidative stress during exercise also bumps up the levels of cortisol in your blood. That is where this study on post-exercise oxidative stress, cortisol, and Vitamin C paints an important picture.
The researchers studied 12 individuals in a double-blind study who took 3×500 mg of Vitamin C after intense exercise. The researchers concluded that Vitamin C supplementation indeed lowered the post-exercise cortisol build up.
While this result does not directly relate to an increase in T levels, it’s quite an important indirect link as high levels of cortisol and overtraining can wreak havoc on T levels.
Vitamin C and Its Friendly Water Soluble Nature
While this is not related to our main discussion regarding sexual health and Vitamin C, this mention is an important detour owing to Vitamin C’s uniqueness when compared with our other fat-soluble friends Vitamin A and Vitamin D, which we had covered in previous articles.
Being fat-soluble means that the body cannot process them and get rid of an excess of those vitamins as easily as water-soluble compounds can be dealt with.
This is why vitamin C is really a forerunner in the vitamin domain – you cannot OVERDOSE on it. You can definitely experience annoying digestive symptoms due to an excess amount of Vitamin C, but eventually, that excess is processed away by your kidneys in your urine.
Finally, it is important to address the elephant in the room here. While the entire body of research I have shared here develops a pretty clear picture of Vitamin C’s role in overall sexual health, none of these studies establish a direct connection with Vitamin C supplementation and increased testosterone levels in humans.
And for now, that is where the science stands. Even the studies that did aim to study this direct relation, for example, this one, did not find a direct link between Vitamin C and testosterone.
That said, I do believe that the general direction of results is in favor of optimal sexual health when it comes to Vitamin C supplementation.
The Best Way to Take Vitamin C
While supplementation with high-quality multivitamins that contain Vitamin C, or pure Vitamin C tablets are a good way to go, the best way would always be the natural way.
This is because the naturally occurring Vitamin C in fruits and vegetables is more efficiently processed and absorbed by the body.
Some of the best natural sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and berries. Many leafy greens like spinach and kale are great too.
For one of the highest doses of Vitamin C look no further than acerola cherries. The high concentrations of Vitamin C in just one acerola cherry are the equivalent of 65 oranges.
Other honorable mentions include common foods like red peppers, broccoli, grapefruit, strawberries, and cauliflower.
One important thing to mention, though, is the fact that Vitamin C that occurs in veggies and fruits is abundant only in its raw form.
Many methods of cooking, including boiling, can significantly affect the quality and quantity of the Vitamin C present in these foods.
As you can see, if you are already on a well-balanced diet that has fruits and vegetables included, you are good to go. You probably have a healthy level of Vitamin C in your blood and are meeting the RDA daily requirements.
However, if you are going through a lot of mental or physical stress, then a higher amount of Vitamin C (1-5 grams) can help to reduce cortisol levels and protect against oxidative stress. This can also be very beneficial for men who are training hard at the gym.
To achieve these high levels of ascorbic acid I recommend this natural food-based supplement that contains acerola cherries and is 100% natural.
Here is another good supplement that contains Acerola Cherry Powder
And lastly, another option is this pure bulk Vitamin C powder would also be adequate.
Conclusion
While there is not a huge body of scientific literature showing a direct link between Vitamin C and testosterone levels in humans (there sure is in rats, as mentioned earlier), there is definitely enough evidence to suggest it has an important role to play in overall sexual health, repair, protection, stress reduction, and fertility.
Owing to this realization it’s important to keep a check on your daily intake of this important vitamin.
If you are already on a well-balanced diet of fruit and veg, especially in their raw form and you are not under a lot of stress then you are probably all set. If not, supplementation should be the way to go.
