It’s no secret that having high, healthy testosterone levels is crucial for your happiness as a man.
Low testosterone has been linked to depression, low energy, low libido, and worst of all, low levels of success. In fact, studies have shown that there’s a direct correlation between how much test a man has, and how much money he makes.
So clearly, you want the highest testosterone levels possible—your entire life depends on it.
Most people focus on how to boost testosterone levels, which is important, but do you know what’s even MORE important? Avoiding things that are KILLING your testosterone! Just by cutting these foods out of your diet, you can expect to raise your test levels by at least 20%.
Why Testosterone Levels Matter
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Take a look at those pictures above. Those are some recent shots I took of myself, with a shredded six pack at the gym, just to prove that I actually know how to increase test, build muscle, and lose fat.
Do you think I could build muscle like that with low test production? Of course not! A healthy test level is critical to build muscle and look good.
Without high testosterone, you’ll find it damn near impossible to build muscle. Your body will look terrible, and your health will suffer.
In fact, having high test has been linked to dozens of health benefits, from having a higher sex drive, to faster muscle growth, and more.
Some studies even show that healthy T-levels in men can reduce depression and can also help boost mental clarity. Who doesn’t want more of that?
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With that in mind, let’s talk about some of the worst foods you should avoid if you want to have a healthy level of testosterone production.
1. Dairy Foods
“Milk is for babies.” -Arnold Schwarzenegger
Yup, that’s right—cheese, yogurt, milk…it’s all absolutely horrible for you. “But Jon, isn’t milk an American staple food?” Why yes, yes it is. That’s why we’re all fat as fuck over here.
Dairy cows, in our modern agricultural complex, are basically treated like absolute trash. They’re stuck into tiny cages, fed ridiculous amounts of hormones to fatten them up, and given tons of antibiotics, otherwise they’d die from such stressful conditions.
So, logically, when they create milk, what do you think that milk contains? All of those hormones and antibiotics.
Most cows in the United States (and other countries, too) are given what’s called an estrogen implant. It’s a little pill that they inject behind a cow’s ear, and it slowly seeps estrogen into the cow’s system. Estrogen is basically the opposite of testosterone—it makes you emotional, lose muscle mass, and gain fat.
This is why drinking dairy is absolutely terrible if you’re trying to shred fat as fast as possible. If you can get your hands on raw milk, which isn’t pasteurized or homogenized, and comes from grass-fed cows, then this is a lot better.
But even so, I personally avoid dairy at all costs. The only exception is if I’m trying to bulk up and can get my hands on some raw milk.
2. Soy Foods
Soy contains phytoestrogens, which are almost chemically identical to estrogen. They also contain isoflavones that activate your body’s estrogen receptors. So, in other words, soy is a double whammy—it’s one of the worst foods for your testosterone levels out there.
To make matters even worse, it’s in damn near everything that’s processed. This is why I always recommend that men read the damn labels for what you’re eating! Don’t put something into your body if you don’t even know what it is. Or, better yet, just follow a paleo diet so that you’re only getting whole foods.
If the label on your food contains any of the following of the ingredients, it’s got soy in it:
- Hydrolyzed soy protein
- Miso
- Natto
- Autolyzed yeast
- Calcium caseinate
- Carob
- Gelatin
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Glycine max
- Textured vegetable protein
- Vegetable oil
- …and more
Manufacturers are absolutely NOTORIOUS for putting soy into places where it doesn’t belong—like, for example, in beef jerky. Yes, that’s right. Even seemingly non-soy-related items are actually filled with soy. Is it any wonder why most men are weak nowadays?
3. Trans Fats
Ah, trans fats—one of the scientific atrocities of the modern world. I won’t go too in-depth here, but basically trans fats are made by high-heat and high-pressure processing.
These things literally change the physical, molecular makeup of fats to the point where your body doesn’t even know how to fucking digest them. Yes, that’s right. Your body literally has no clue what to do with them. They increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer, and more.
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Trans fats also destroy your testosterone levels. And again, what’s worse, is that they’re in damn near everything:
- Industrial made pastries, donuts, and cake
- Margarine and vegetable oil spreads
- Fast food restaurants: Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell, etc.
- Potato Chips
- Basically anything “junk food”
Trans fats also prevent the synthesis of prostacyclin, which is a compound that keeps your blood flowing. Yes, that’s right—trans fats literally stop your blood from flowing effectively. I couldn’t make this stuff up.
4. Peppermint
Peppermint is one of those seemingly unsuspecting testosterone killers—after all, isn’t it a holistic remedy to stress? Well, yeah, it is, but it also completely obliterates your test levels.
In a study conducted in 2004, researchers found that both peppermint and spearmint lower testosterone levels by a whopping amount:
- 1 cup of peppermint tea reduced total test levels by 23%
- 1 cup of spearmint tea reduced total test levels by 51%
Yup, that’s right. Just 1 cup of spearmint tea can cut your testosterone levels in half. Imagine what would happen if someone drank a cup of spearmint or peppermint tea every single day?
The study doesn’t mention using peppermint for aromatherapy and its affects on the human body, but I suspect that it wouldn’t lower test levels. Just be sure not to drink anything peppermint or spearmint related.
5. Alcohol
Yeah, I know, I know. How are you supposed to go out clubbing and pickup chicks if you can’t drink? Well, that’s where willpower comes in.
Alcohol, despite ads showing bearded men in pickup trucks, actually decreases your testosterone levels. There’s quite a few catches though—it depends on how much, and at what time.
For example, one study showed that when rats were fed a diet where 5% of the calories came from alcohol, testicle size shrunk by 50%. This is the human equivalent of half a drink a day.
Most studies also agree that if you’re an alcoholic, consuming more than 3 drinks per day, you’re going to have very elevated estrogen levels, and suppressed testosterone levels.
What’s surprising though, is this weird Finnish study that completely flies in the face of reason. In this study, participants drank half a glass of vodka immediately after lifting weights, and their test levels increased by 100%.
Was this because Finnish people have a weird alcohol-related gene? Or maybe the test increase came from lifting, and not the alcohol? Or maybe the study was just a fluke. Who knows?
Either way, it’s best if you minimize alcohol consumption if you want to save your testosterone levels—and when you do decide to consume, be sure to stick with red wine, which has the least impact on your testosterone.
Testosterone Boosting Foods
Now that we’ve talked about which foods to avoid, because they cause low test, let’s talk about which foods you should actively add to your diet to boost testosterone.
Here are some great testosterone boosting foods:
- Brazil Nuts
- Garlic
- Steak & Eggs
These three super foods are known for their incredible testosterone boosting effects… in fact, just eating more of these can literally double or even triple your test levels.
Brazil Nuts (Great For Testosterone)
Brazil nuts are a staple of my diet. In fact, I eat at least two Brazil nuts per day. Why? Because they’re great for boosting test production.
In one study, published by the Journal of Urology, researchers found a very strong correlation between Brazil nuts and testosterone levels:
“In response to selenium and N-acetyl-cysteine treatment serum follicle-stimulating hormone decreased but serum testosterone and inhibin B increased. All semen parameters significantly improved with selenium and N-acetyl-cysteine treatment. Administering selenium plus N-acetyl-cysteine resulted in additive beneficial effects. A significant positive correlation existed between the seminal plasma concentrations of selenium and N-acetyl-cysteine, and semen parameters. A strong correlation was observed between the sum of the selenium and N-acetyl-cysteine concentrations, and mean sperm concentration (r = 0.67, p = 0.01), sperm motility (r = 0.64, p = 0.01) and percent normal morphology (r = 0.66, p = 0.01).”
In other words, eating Brazil nuts improves testosterone levels. Don’t take my word for it, though… eat just 2-4 a day and get your bloodwork done.
Garlic (One of the Best Foods Overall)
Garlic is another powerhouse when it comes to testosterone boosting foods. Garlic can increase your sexual prowess, make you more attractive to women, boost your test, and in fact, it can even make your balls bigger.
No, I don’t mean that figuratively—I mean it literally.
Take a look at this study conducted by the Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, at Bingham University, in which researchers linked eating garlic to bigger balls and higher test levels:
“Serum testosterone level was increased in the experimental Groups B and C in comparison with the control group (Figure 4). There was a statistically significant overall increase in testosterone levels in all experimental groups compared with control group (P<0.05)…
An overall increase was shown in the testicular weights in all experimental groups when compared with the control group (Figure 3). Group B animals showed statistically significant testicular weight increase when compared with the control group (P<0.05), likewise Group C animals showed statistically significant testicular weight increase (P<0.05) when compared with the control group animals.
Not bad, huh? So, the bottom line is that if you want bigger balls and more testosterone, eat a shit ton of garlic. It’s by far one of the best test boosting foods on the planet.
Steak and Eggs
It’s no secret that manly men eat a shit ton of steak and eggs… and it’s not a coincidence, either.
In a recent meta-study, researchers pointed out that having more cholesterol in your diet has a strong correlation with testosterone:
“A positive correlation exists between HDL-c and circulating T concentrations, as seen in multiple studies including the San Antonito Heart study [36], the Tromso study [37], the Turku Male Aging study [38], the Rancho Bernardo study [39], MRFIT [40] and a study from Ghent, Belgium [41]. Most of these studies have also demonstrated an inverse relationship between T levels and both plasma triglycerides [32–34,36] and total cholesterol [32,34]. Elevated levels of VLDL are associated with increased risk of atherosclerosis.”
In other words, if you want higher testosterone, eat more cholesterol… and I know of no better way to get cholesterol than from eggs.
Hell, some guys even go on the steak and eggs diet, where you eat nothing but steak and eggs for 30 days straight. I personally went on this diet myself, and felt like my low test levels were cured within a week.
There’s just something about adding steak and eggs to your diet that makes your body feel amazing. Even though most “research (read: funded by big agriculture) says steak and eggs are bad, when you delve into the paleo side of research you’ll find that saturated fats are actually incredibly good for your overall health, wellness, and testosterone levels.
Steak is another great source of cholesterol, and the high level of protein means you’ll recover faster and build more muscle.
Summary: Testosterone Boosting Foods
In summary, eliminating foods that kill testosterone is absolutely critical. I guarantee that you’re consuming most of these foods, if not all of them, on a day-by-day basis without even realizing it. That’s how prominent these foods are in our society.
It’s no wonder our world is filled with soy boys…but hey, there’s not much you can do about others. All you can do is control your own actions and take your health into your own hands. If you liked the article consider upgrading your fitness with my patented program, Body of an Alpha.
Here’s what you’ll get when you buy the Body of an Alpha program today:
- A Workout Routine That Boosts Testosterone
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If you guys have any questions, comments, or general concerns, be sure to leave a remark down below—and, as always, I’ll see you next time.
❓ What Foods Kill Testosterone?
Unfortunately, there's a lot of foods out there that absolutely destroy your testosterone levels. Soy is one of the worst contenders however, so if you can avoid soy, your testosterone levels will be higher than at least 80% of men.
Other foods that are bad for testosterone levels include mint, alcohol, some dairy products, and especially trans fats. Keep everything in moderation, except the soy and trans fats. Try to avoid those two things at all costs to boost your testosterone.
❓ Which Foods Boost Testosterone Levels?
If you want to raise your testosterone levels, try having a few eggs each day. Anything with a high amount of saturated fat will help, so double down on the steak, eggs, coconut oil, and grass fed butter.
You can also consume foods with zinc, such as oysters, to help increase your testosterone levels naturally. Other foods that boost testosterone include garlic, Brazil nuts, almonds, tuna, and sauerkraut.
❓ Does Broccoli Help Boost Testosterone?
Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables do, in fact, help boost your testosterone levels... but not in the way you might think. Cruciferous vegetables work by decreasing estrogen, which indirectly helps the testosterone in your body function better.
So, if you want to increase your testosterone levels, avoid eating foods like soy, alcohol, and trans fats, and actively seek out foods like broccoli, cauliflower, almonds, steak, and eggs.
❓ Is Alcohol Bad For Testosterone Levels?
In short, drinking alcohol has been shown to decrease testosterone levels. One study suggests that alcohol may raise testosterone levels, but this study's results have not been duplicated thus far. If you're trying to raise your testosterone levels, it's best that you don't drink any alcohol at all.
milk+soy+”trans”fats+alcohol+parabens in shampoo= recipe for destroy guys.
Hi Jon, thanks for the article.
Does sugar also affect testosterone?
I’m not sure. Too much sugar is horrible for you overall though, so I wouldn’t be surprised.
As a tip, if you’re going to consume sugar, do it after you workout. Doesn’t get stored as fat that way.
A good article!
One Question here: Do you use milk for protein shakes? Or do you use some substitute?
Good question – if I can get my hands on raw milk, and I’m trying to bulk up, then yes. I used to have 2 scoops of “gourmet pro,” I think it’s off the market now, and 16oz of raw milk every day after training for BJJ. I shot up like 15 pounds, mostly due to the raw milk.
If I’m trying to stay lean, I’ll use like coconut water or something.
Alcohol man that one’s a killer. Once I made the connection between alcohol and low T it made it much easier to pass on it especially beer. I try to stick to straight whiskey when I drink. Never knew about the peppermint that’s crazy.
I wonder how many other things have estrogen in them. Like the cows for instance. Who knows what else has estrogen put in it. Sooner or later it’ll end up in the drinking water. Will have to reevaluate eating my cheese and Greek yogurt.
Oh yeah drinking water is filled with birth control pills, which is basically estrogen. Either get a reverse osmosis filter or get spring water (in glass not plastic)!