Next to genetics, testosterone levels of young adults are influencing penis growth, as well as hair growth, testicular growth, a deeper voice and an increase in muscle mass until this process called puberty is finishedat about 20, sometimes earlier. Nevertheless, the male sexual hormone testosterone that’s produced by the testicles plays a significant role afterwards, too, influencing virility, stamina and vitality.

While more testosterone doesn’t mean you are more of a man, keeping healthy levels can prevent quite a few diseases as well as low fertility, obesity, depression and low libido. Since testosterone levels slowly but steadily start to decline at about the age of 30, the question how to preserve hormone levels becomes more important the older you become.

Again, it’s not about pushing your testosterone levels as high as possible and especially synthetic testosterone, commonly known as anabolic steroids or testosterone replacement therapy, is dangerous. Why? Because excess testosterone is converted to estrogen, the female sexual hormone that has bad effects on the male body: Acne, swelling of the prostate, shrinking of the testicles and decreased own testosterone production, a rapid drop in sperm quality, changes in blood count.

What are the advantages of natural testosterone optimization?

If you increase testosterone levels naturally, the testicles produce more testosterone themselves, but never too much. As soon as a healthy level is reached, the body stops any excess production, protecting itself in a very clever and effective way. While increasing testosterone level naturally requires more time, it is a lot safer than any artificial replacement.

Which are the smart ways to increase testosterone?

A very healthy booster is vitamin D. While it is toxic in very high doses, a significant percentage of the overall population, about 70%, have a deficiency which is defined as a serum level of less than 30 ng/ml. The reason is surprising: Modern society spends more and more time indoors and vitamin D is produced by the body if the skin is exposed to sunlight. Especially in the darker autumn and winter season, it’s very likely to develop a temporary deficiency. Responsible supplementation helps keeping vitamin D at the recommended levels, also important to prevent osteoporosis.

Exercise, weight lifting and sports in general keep you fit and your heart healthy and also trigger natural testosterone production. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or using the bike instead of the car helps a lot, especially if you have an office job.

Avoid stress which results in increased cortisol levels, as well as not enough sleep. Cortisol is the natural enemy of testosterone, the higher cortisol rises, the lower testosterone drops. Show me a successful guy who works 80 hours a week and I show you a guy suffering from very low testosterone levels, so slow down if possible.

Eat healthy, any diet or overeating negatively influences testosterone levels, this is also true for popular diets like low carb or the avoidance of fat. Healthy doesn’t mean to eat as much protein as you can and skip fat or carbs, it means a good balance. Avoid alcohol and make sure to eat food containing enough zinc like milk, milk products like cheese as well as fish.

Make sure to avoid any supplements explicitly advertised as testosterone boosters, most of them contain a mixture of herb extracts like tribulus terrestris, fenugreek, maca root or ashwagandha with insufficient scientific proof of effectiveness. These boosters are often sold at high prices and many of them are rip-off products that won’t help you increase your testosterone levels, but just make your wallet shrink.