God created men to be strong and virile.
Testosterone is the anabolic male hormone that separates men from women. It is what gives men their male characteristics, including their virility and strength. Specifically, testosterone gives men their male identities by stimulating the development of male sexual characteristics and sex organs.
In addition to being important to sexual and reproductive development, testosterone also drives muscle growth and strength while performing other functions such as:
• Maintaining reproductive tissues
• Stimulating sperm production
• Stimulating and maintaining sexual function
• Supporting bone strength
Testosterone is primarily produced in the testes, which are located in the scrotum. But before the testes begin producing testosterone, our brain sends a signal to the pituitary gland—the primary regulator of testosterone production—which then sends a signal to the testes, telling them to produce testosterone.
A small percentage of testosterone is made in the adrenal glands on top of our kidneys. But the lion’s share — 95% of it — is produced in the testicles. Nonetheless, as men age, their testosterone production gradually declines from year to year.
But it’s not just aging that robs men of their testosterone—it is also changing societal norms where men are encouraged to repress our masculinity and even embrace our feminine side.
Likewise, the modern environment is toxic to men. Everyday, our bodies and spirits are under constant assault from testosterone-robbing enemies that slowly hammer away at our masculinity by inhibiting our God-given ability to naturally produce testosterone.
I’m here today to show you how to fight back and take charge of your masculinity by teaching you about the seven most common testosterone killers we encounter every day of our lives.
Millions of men suffer from low testosterone simply because of the fact that they forgot to be careful during their day-to-day life. Either through poor information or disregard of personal safety, they exposed themselves to a variety of testosterone depleting elements and scenarios.
Men need to be aware of the fact that there are all kinds of harmful chemicals and compounds capable of inhibiting testosterone production. Substances found in foods, drinks, and supplements can all decrease a man’s testosterone. Additionally, many activities and daily events can also prevent testosterone from being produced.
The testosterone killers below are things we encounter nearly every day. And despite the fact that there is little doubt that these seven things can reduce male testosterone production, you rarely—if ever—read about their danger to men.
It’s time for you to arm yourself. You need to take charge of your testosterone production and be the man God meant for you to be. Here are the seven most common testosterone killers men encounter on a daily basis:
Testosterone Killer #1: Processed Foods
Most men eat with very little concern as to what is in their food. They want a big portion of something tasty and satisfying and that’s all that matters. While there is nothing wrong with enjoying a good meal, it is important to understand a little about how nutrition affects testosterone production. Eating everything under the sun can lead to some serious issues that can lower testosterone levels. There are a lot of different types of food that can be harmful to men, but eating processed foods is one of the most powerful testosterone killers assaulting our bodies.
Technological and industrial advancements in the food industry over the last couple hundred years have drastically altered the human lifestyle. Each man is no longer required to tend his own garden and go out hunting every day to put food on the table for his family and himself.
Today, to satisfy our hunger we head on down to the grocery store, pop into the local drive-through, pick up the phone or get online to place a to-go order, or dine in at our favorite restaurant.
The development of preservatives and advanced food processing techniques are two of the primary developments that make the mass distribution of food products possible.
On the plus side, modern food processing means that food doesn’t spoil as quickly as it used to in the past. Because of this, foods can travel long distances, giving us access to a greater variety of foods than was ever before possible. Lower costs and convenient access to food are two other points that belong on the ‘positive’ side of food processing.
These are things that most of us take for granted. We’ve grown up with these conveniences and don’t even give them a second thought. If you care about your health you need to think twice about eating processed foods.
The addition of chemicals and preservatives is the first key reason that we should avoid processed foods. Coloring agents and artificial flavors are added to processed foods to make them more visually appealing to consumers and to make them taste better. Preservatives inhibit the growth of food-spoiling microbes and give the foods a longer shelf life. But they also directly inhibit the ability of our testes to produce testosterone.
Another problem is that we don’t really know the other health effects of long-term exposure to these chemicals, even in small or trace amounts.
However, evidence is beginning to mount showing that excessive exposure to processed foods does have negative effects on living organisms.
For example, researchers at the annual Society for Neuroscience meeting in San Diego, California, reported that rats and mice raised on diets consisting solely of processed foods showed drastically lower testosterone levels, struggled to find their way around a maze, and took longer to remember solutions to problems they had already solved.
Another reason to stay away from processed foods is that salt and refined sugars are two of the most common ingredients added to them. Because the manufacturing process strips away most of the natural good taste of whole foods, manufacturers add salt to make them more appealing to our taste buds.
However, they don’t just add a ‘little’ salt to make the food taste better—they really pack it in. Any person regularly eating a diet high in processed foods is ingesting far more salt than the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance says is necessary. Excessive sodium consumption has been linked to lower testosterone production along with a number of dangerous health conditions including hypertension and heart disease.
Refined sugars have absolutely no nutritional value and are loaded with empty calories that don’t satisfy hunger, causing us to eat more. We also know that eating processed foods with high concentrations of refined sugars slashes testosterone production and raises the body’s glycemic response—a key indicator of blood sugar levels.
In a university study, six healthy volunteers ingested 50 gram carbohydrate portions of three unprocessed foods (boiled rice, sweet corn and potato) and six processed foods (corn flakes, corn chips, instant potato, potato crisps, instant rice and rice cakes). The results showed that the processed foods produced a higher glycemic index than the unprocessed foods [1]. And when glycemic levels are high, the body is producing less testosterone and more fat.
The solution: eat whole, fresh, unprocessed foods including meats, poultry, fish, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Avoid low-fat foods because they generally replace the fat with salt and sugar to make them flavorful.
Testosterone Killer #2: Lack of Sleep
Not getting enough sleep is the second most powerful testosterone killer—and it’s one we bring upon ourselves. In our fight to reclaim our masculinity, many of us men try to fit more and more into our already busy daily lives. To pack more into our day and accomplish more great things, we cut back on sleep. But in doing so, we harm ourselves and drain our bodies of testosterone.
Sleep time is when the body gets most of its work done—including metabolic functions that drive the testes to produce testosterone. While we’re busy snoozing, our bodies are hard at work recovering from the day’s activities and doing other important stuff like pumping out testosterone and building muscle. Cut back on sleep and you’ll soon feel less energetic, see reduced muscle mass and generally be less strong. A lack of sleep is also directly tied to a lower sex drive.
The solution: A lot of people like to talk about quick fixes, often known as “life hacks,” that can change a situation and bring numerous benefits. But the truth is, there is no quick-fix solution for a lack of sleep. One of the simplest life hacks for men who want to stabilize their testosterone production is to get a good night’s sleep. A good night’s rest is one of the easiest and most all-around healthy things you can do to improve your physical and mental well-being.
Testosterone Killer #3: A Sedentary Lifestyle
Sitting around is a massive testosterone inhibitor. The male body has a very hard time producing more testosterone if it is constantly inactive. Just like muscles grow weaker and smaller when they’re not used, the male metabolic system sends out fewer signals to produce testosterone when the body is idle.
It starts out gradually at first and as we become increasingly sedentary, the testes produce less and less testosterone. Consequently, muscles become smaller and weaker, we become less energetic and more lethargic. In short, we become less masculine and less virile.
The solution: Remember that God helps those who help themselves. If you want to start boosting your body’s testosterone production, quit sitting around and get active! Lift heavy weights, do compound exercises, run, do cross-fit or whatever you like—just push yourself.
Testosterone Killer #4: Alcoholic Beverages & Sodas
Another one of the biggest testosterone killers is often considered to be “a man’s drink.” Alcohol actually reduces testosterone while increasing estrogen levels. Having a glass of wine or bottle of beer on occasion doesn’t hurt testosterone production, but frequent drinking will definitely have harmful effects and lower your testosterone levels.
Alcohol is depressant. It changes the male metabolic system. In small, infrequent quantities, it does not harm and in fact, can actually be good for you. But excessive consumption of alcohol has been linked to lower testosterone levels and all of its masculinity-robbing side effects.
But it’s not just alcoholic beverages that kill testosterone production—it’s sodas and sugary drinks too. Sodas and sugary drinks contain high levels of processed sugars, which we already know hurt testosterone production. Sodas and sugary drinks also contain a host of additives, chemicals and artificial ingredients— all of which reduce the male’s ability to produce testosterone.
The solution: Avoid alcohol when possible and limiting consumption is a good idea. You should also avoid sodas—especially diet sodas—and sugary drinks. Instead, drink plain water. It’s healthy and drinking plenty of water can boost testosterone production.
But be careful and try to avoid drinking water from BPA-laden plastic bottles. Plastic water bottles containing BPA can secrete xenoestrogens into their contents. These raise estrogen levels and lower testosterone. Try to drink out of a glass or use a metal water bottle whenever possible. Doing so can limit estrogen exposure and help maintain a healthy level of testosterone.
Testosterone Killer #5: Most Testosterone Boosting Supplements
Supplement companies have been conning men for decades. They used to show a glossy picture of a bodybuilder surrounded by attractive women in the magazines. Today they simply pay an influencer to portray the perfect life and advertise themselves as a magic cure-all for male health issues.
In reality many of these compounds are actually dangerous for men. A lot of male health supplements are ineffective, poorly researched and manufactured with little, if any, quality control. They can lower testosterone, cause heart complications, and create all kinds of other unpleasant issues.
The solution: It is best to look into what supplements you take before buying them. Don’t buy into the hype and recognize that most supplement companies are only interested in making money off your quest to find a quick fix. Do your homework, actually read the information on supplement bottles, not just the advertisements.
You want to support your natural testosterone levels, not replace them. When you take synthetic testosterone or pro-hormones your body shuts down its natural production making you reliant on the supplement or drug. Once you stop taking them your testosterone levels will be lower than when you started. Not good.
I recommend a product called Critical T that supports your natural testosterone levels with herbs that both boost your testosterone and blocks estrogen (the female sex hormone) from getting too high.
Testosterone Killer #6: Added hormones
There is a huge debate raging in the United States right now. It involves food additives that are unsafe to men and women alike. Farmers and huge agricultural corporations have been caught adding hormones to their animals. By doing so they can increase profitability.
However, this has caused a lot of health issues for consumers—especially men. Men who weren’t expecting to be exposed to hormones from foods like beef and chicken have found themselves negatively impacted. In particular, hormones added to meats and poultries can inhibit testosterone production while encouraging the production of estrogen, which is the female hormone. Elevated levels of estrogen in men cause them to take on more feminine characteristics.
In fact, when estrogen levels in men are higher than they should be, it can bring about a whole slew of unwanted and potentially dangerous side effects.
Enlarged breasts are one of the first and most noticeable side effects to appear in men when estrogen levels are elevated.
This is known as gynecomastia and a few other names in the gym too. Other side effects include loss of muscle tone, a decrease in body hair, shrinking testes, depression, fatigue, lower energy levels, poor memory, low stress tolerance, an increase in fat around the mid-section (belly fat) and erectile dysfunction. Elevated estrogen levels really do cause men to look--and somewhat act--more like women and less like men.
High estrogen levels in men can double the risk of stroke and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and heart attacks. Some research has also linked high estrogen levels to enlargement of the prostate and Prostate Cancer. When the rise in estrogen levels is accompanied by a decline in testosterone levels--which is typically the case--these risks are even greater.
The solution: Try and buy organic, hormone-free meat and poultries. Doing so can lower the risk of accidentally ingesting added hormones.
Testosterone Killer #7: Chemicals
When men think of chemicals they usually envision a toxic waste dump filled with neon-green slime. In reality chemicals are everywhere and most people don’t even realize it.
There are all kinds of chemical substances all around us—in the air, water, and as we already know, in the foods we eat. Some of them are unavoidable. Men who live in a city or suburb can be at risk from estrogens and other chemicals that have leeched into the water supply. This happens due to industrial waste, or when medications and substances like birth control end up in the water supply.
Chemicals are also found in the foods we eat and products we use everyday— including soaps, shampoos and face creams. Chemicals add color, improve texture, make things smell better, or last longer. And while on the surface these chemicals appear to have great societal benefit, the reality is that many of these chemicals are harming the male body, causing damage and reducing our ability to produce testosterone.
Non-organic fruits, vegetables and dairy products also often contain chemicals and pesticides, all of which are testosterone killers.
The solution: Avoid chemicals as much as possible. Learn about the quality of your local water supply. You may want to invest in a good water filter. Also, look at the products you use every day such as shampoos, soaps, lotions and creams. Check for chemical ingredients. Look them up online and find out about their potential side effects. As much as possible, substitute chemical-laden care products with ones that are natural. Lastly, buy organic fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy, poultry and fish.
So there you have it—seven of the most common everyday things that inhibit testosterone production in men. Armed with this knowledge you can now take action and take back your God-given right to be a strong, virile man.
Ripped Grandpa’s Secret To Send T-Levels Soaring Overnight
References:
[1] Brand JC, Nicholson PL, Thorburn AW, Truswell AS. Food processing and the glycemic index. Am J Clin Nutr 1985;42:1192–6.