Eight Ways To Lower Your Testosterone Levels
Disclaimer: This post is completely tongue-in-cheek and is intended to illustrate what NOT to do if you want to keep your T levels high. It is not aimed at people that have a medical need to lower their testosterone.
Today I want to look at eight easy ways to get rid of that pesky hormone known as testosterone.
What Is Testosterone?
I’m sure most of us here know that testosterone is the primary mammalian male sex hormone. While it is a male sex hormone, ladies you have some testosterone coursing through your veins as well, about 1/40th to 1/60th as much as the average male. For that reason, this article is important for you too. I mean, you don’t want to have male sex hormones do you?
For those wondering what role testosterone plays in the body, here are just a few of the irritations brought about by this hormone: enhanced libido, increased energy, increased production of red blood cells and protection against osteoporosis. And who would want all of that stuff? Not me! Read on to learn the ways you can make sure you keep your testosterone levels as low as possible, ensuring a lack of sex drive and low energy levels.
Dietary Factors
Given that I focus predominantly on diet as a means of health around here, I figured diet is a good place to start when we’re looking to decrease our testosterone levels.
It’s Soy Good!
We all know that soy is amazingly good for you. Here’s more good news about the lowly bean: it can help lower your testosterone levels, especially in males. It works in marmosets.
The soy-fed marmosets had comparatively lower testosterone levels and higher numbers of Leydig cells per testis.my emphasis]
These results suggest that in adult males, genistein induces the typical estrogenic effects in doses comparable to those present in soy-based diets, while in neonatal animals, considerably higher doses are required to show estrogen-like activity.[my emphasis]
Total and free testosterone concentrations were inversely correlated with soy product intake after controlling for the covariates, but these correlations were of border line significance (r = -0.25, p = 0.05 and r = -0.25, p = 0.06, respectively).
“The tofu (soy) meal produced a significant increase in the level of sex-hormone-binding globulin.” Habito, R.C., et al. (2001). Postprandial changes in sex hormones after meals of different composition. Metabolism. 50:505-511.
Low Fat Diet = Healthy, Right?
Well, we already know that fat is going to clog up your arteries and bring you to a quick death. Now it looks like it’s going to drive up your testosterone too! So get rid of as much fat from your diet as possible.
We conclude that reduction in dietary fat intake (and increase in fiber) results in 12% consistent lowering of circulating androgen levels without changing the clearance.
Further, make sure the fat you do eat (it’s unfortunate that we can’t avoid all sources of fat, isn’t it?) is polyunsaturated rather than monounsaturated and especially not that deadly saturated fat. Studies have shown that when total fat, monounsaturated fat, and saturated fat intakes increase, so does testosterone.
Avoid Sins Of The Flesh
No, not those sins of the flesh. I’m talking about eating flesh. Studies show that eating animal protein is correlated with increases in testosterone. We can’t have that! So leave the cow, lamb, chicken, and pork for those meat-eating heathens and stick to a meat-free diet. It works for the Seventh Day Adventists:
Plasma levels of testosterone and estradiol-17 beta were significantly lower in the SV [Seventh-Day Adventist vegetarian] than in the omnivores. Additionally, the plasma levels of testosterone and estradiol-17 beta of the combined groups (SV, SNV, and NV) revealed a significant negative relationship with their crude and dietary fiber intakes.[my emphasis]
We already know that soy helps with reducing our testosterone levels, so replace that nasty meat with some good ol’ soy.
Blood concentrations of sex hormones did not differ after the two diets, but the mean testosterone:oestradiol value was 10 % higher (P=0·06) after the meat diet. SHBG was 3 % higher (P= 0·07), whereas the FAI [free androgen index] was 7 % lower (P=0·06), after the tofu diet compared with the meat diet.
Remember Your College Days
Hey, if a little alcohol is good for the body, a lot must be really good, right? Well, here’s some good news…long-term alcohol abuse will lower your testosterone levels. Not only can you cause your liver to store fat (hey, you store it everywhere else, why neglect the liver?), but you can tamper with your sex hormones.
Now see, in the very short-term, one study found that a subset of people (or rather rats) get a small increase in testosterone even when intoxicated. Luckily, for the rest of us, there is up to a 44% decrease in testosterone after five drinks. If you’re an overachiever, go full bore: Chronic alcohol consumption has a detrimental effect on male reproductive hormones and on semen quality. It seems that alcohol has this effect by promoting the conversion of testosterone to estrogen.
Drink up!
Lifestyle Factors
We can’t expect diet to do all of the heavy lifting. It’s important to also incorporate some lifestyle factors in our efforts.
Smoke a Doobie…Or A Cigarette
Hey, while we’re drinking like we’re in college, we might as well incorporate a bit more fun. How about a bit of toke? All it takes is one joint (I have to laugh at the term “marijuana cigarette”) to depress testosterone in the short-term. If illegal drugs aren’t your cup of tea, you can just resort to cigarettes. The toxic effects of cigarettes directly affect the Leydig cells, those responsible for creating testosterone, resulting in decreases in plasma testosterone.
Edit: In the comments, Keenan has pointed out that the information on marijuana may not be correct. It appears the jury is out and there is conflicting data on whether pot has a measurable effect on testosterone levels. Older studies show an effect. Some newer studies show little or no effect. Some newer studies show an effect. I’ll leave it at that. Your decision on what to do with the info.
I’ll Rest When I’m Dead
We all know that fitness is a result of what you do in the gym or on the trail/track. Obviously if a little fitness is good, a lot of fitness is better. And since a little exercise will give you a little fitness, then a lot of exercise will give you a lot of fitness. Who needs to rest? Allowing your body to rest enough between workouts will never let us attain that awesome state of “overtrained”.
Numerous studies have shown that never stopping to rest your body will help to lower your testosterone levels via overtraining:
- “These results indicate that overtraining reduces testosterone levels, which is highly correlated with an increase in levels of cortisol.”
- “The human reproductive system also is adversely affected by overtraining syndrome, with luteinizing hormone (LH) levels decreasing when the athlete is overtrained. In women, LH decrease is associated with decreased percent of body fat and associated decreased levels of estrogen. Overtraining in females is often manifested by amenorrhea. In men, decreased LH results in decreased testosterone and a resultant inability to build muscle mass.” – A Review of Overtraining Syndrome
- “the base LH levels of the marathon runners tended to be higher, and the base levels of free testosterone lower than in untrained controls.” – Influence of 6-week, 6 days per week, training on pituitary function in recreational athletes
Of course “overtraining” is specific to the individual, so you’ll need to just keep working out more and more until you start to feel the effects.
Freak Out About Everything
The body’s response to increased stress is to release cortisol, the stress hormone. Since cortisol is important to biological functions like glucose metabolism, blood pressure regulation, insulin release, immune function, and the inflammatory (healing) response, let’s make sure we have as much of it as possible.
Since increased cortisol (and in fact, all glucocorticoids) brings with it decreased testosterone, we want to make sure that we make a mountain out of every molehill we come across. Someone cut you off in traffic? Curse, rant, rave, flip that $#*!% off. Coworker screw up? Ha! We don’t make mistakes in the office, so let them have it! And if your spouse says something that could possibly be offensive, but probably wasn’t intended to be, make sure you take it the wrong way.
Catch The Late Show…And The Late, Late Show
Bah! Sleep…who needs it? When you’re sleeping, it’s really hard to get anything done. And if you ever want to get ahead at the office, you know you should check your email just one more time before hitting the sack. Good news! While you’re staying up, watching Letterman and Kilborn, responding to a few more vendor emails, and generally burning the candle at both ends, you’re also lowering your testosterone levels.
This study showed that older men experience the same testosterone declines seen in younger men when quality and quantity of sleep decline:
Based on bivariate correlation and multiple linear regression analyses, the amount of nighttime sleep measured by polysomnography independently predicted the morning total and free testosterone levels.
And since most nighttime testosterone is released during the late stages of the non-REM sleep cycle and the early part of the REM stage of sleep, any other steps we can take to screw up our sleep are important. For instance, alcohol will keep you from hitting good REM sleep and cause more Stage 4 sleep. Leaving the TV on is probably also a good idea to make sure there are some flickering lights.
Combining Efforts
Of course, the best bang for your testosterone-lowering buck is going to be to combine several of these behaviors. This will ensure that you reduce your body’s excretion of testosterone as much as possible. And when you’re really trying to cause your body to change, it’s important to hit it from as many angles as possible. We want to beat testosterone into submission so we ensure as little sex drive, muscle mass, and fertility and as much erectile dysfunction as possible. And I suppose if, for some strange reason, you’re not into that kind of stuff, you should probably do the exact opposite of what is on this list.
What other ways do you know of to decrease this pesky sex hormone?
Disclaimer: If you’re too dense to pick up on the dripping sarcasm in this post, my disclaimer is that I can’t think of any reason that one would want to intentionally lower their testosterone levels. This post was intended to illustrate what NOT to do if you want to keep your T levels high.
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Awesome article!!
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Really really useful post something I have always wondered about wrapped into one. Your info on Soy is great as are all the other myth busters at the beginning…. And the sleep must explain why I feel macho after a few nights of solid 8hr sleep!
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Awesome….. pure awesome. I am actually starting a program where we will accept your unwanted testosterone. As you successfully decrease it, why not give it to us!? We will put it to use in an environmentally safe, effective, truly primal manner.
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Scott, I was about to rip u a new one with that title, and never stumble another post of yours. I’m glad I read through the whole thing. I have a collection of a half dozen or so testosterone t-shirts I get all kinds of crazy looks just because of the myths and misinformation about the big t. Thanks.
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This is great, I’ve been looking for a way to get rid of these huge muscles.
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Son of Grok, I’ll start bottling it for you.
Brian, glad you caught the tongue-in-cheek nature of the article.
Stephan, who would want big strong muscles and sex appeal? That’s just ridiculous!
Cheers
Scott
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Won’t be long before the media stumbles across this and next thing you know the entire nation will be trying to lower their T levels. Might warrant a disclaimer for those not discerning enough to pick up on the sarcasm.
That being said – great article!
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Will these methods help keep me from losing my hair? LMAO. Good piece, Scott.
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Good post, Scott but you need to reinvestigate the claim that marijauna lowers testosterone levels. The study you listed was a meta-analysis from the *early 1980’s* when the government was funding any study that would show damaging effects of marijuana. Notice that it’s not even a clinical trial itself, and that no dosages or patient data are given. Furthermore, it references IV d-9-THC administration, making dosage information all the more relevant and its absence all the more suspect. It is unscientific to the extreme and horrendously outdated.
Significant research has been done since then, thoroughly refuting the notion that marijuana lowers testosterone levels (or has any significant health effects) in all but the heaviest of smokers, meaning constant smoking from morning to night for many years. Even those detrimental effects (limited to mild bronchitis due to smoke inhalation – not THC) have been shown to be reversible almost immediately upon cessation of smoking.
In the interest of objectivity, please re-evaluate that point and consider editing accordingly.
Otherwise, a good read as always.
Cheers,
Keenan
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Hey Scott,
Great post–I’m still laughing!
You might consider doing a post on both the phytoestrogen contents of various foods, and on sources of xenoestrogens . . . especially how these can influence the big T.
Related: I happen to see a lot of guys, even ones that aren’t too overweight, sporting a pair (moobs) these days. If readers aren’t sure what moobs are, just do a google image search for Jack Nicholson + moobs, or link: ( http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02_01/nicholsonDM0302_468×436.jpg ). Is there a connection to to dietary and environmental estrogens behind this? My guess is that in many instances there may be.
Cheers,
Calvin Sweeney
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love that sarcasm!
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The Japanese eat a lot of soy, but their libidos seem to be doing just fine.
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You scared me at first, I thought you’d gone bad on me! Once I realized what you were doing, THEN I could laugh.
Kelly
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Bdp,
The Japenese actually eat less soy than I thought they did… and when they do, it is usually prepared very differently than here.
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Dan, added…just in case. You just never know who doesn’t grasp sarcasm.
Keenan, thanks for the info. I’ll look into it and edit the post if I find anything otherwise. Can you point me toward some studies? Not that I have any love of pot, but don’t want to spread misinformation.
Calvin, I’ll consider that post for the future. And given that I know what moobs are, I have no idea why I decided to load that picture. That’s just gross. Glad I haven’t eaten yet today.
bdp, as Son of Grok said, Asians don’t eat as much soy as the soy industry would like you to believe. Studies have put it at about 2 tsp to 2 tbsp per day. Also, as SoG said, it’s typically of the traditionally fermented type (miso, natto, tempeh, and soy sauce) rather than soy milk, soy dogs, and frankenburgers.
Cheers
Scott
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Dr. Block’s study is a popular one done in the early 90’s that disproved the testosterone lowering theory of marijuana: http://md1.csa.com/partners/viewrecord.php?requester=gs&collection=ENV&recid=2631630&q=author%3A%22Block%22+intitle%3A%22Effects+of+chronic+marijuana+use+on+testosterone%2C+…%22+&uid=793168581&setcookie=yes
If anything about marijuana were to lower testosterone, it would probably be the *behavior* of the typical chronic smoker: sedentary lifestyle, junk food diet, etc. The same goes for the correlation between marijuana and depression. I think it’s a combination of already-depressed people who smoke marijuana to relieve their depression and, in others, an excess of sugary, processed foods that – as we all know here – create mood imbalances that can be corrected via proper diet and exercise.
RE: Soy and Libido: I’ve read a few studies suggestion that asian people have less sex than any other culture (though you’d never guess from the population). It may be a cultural difference, but this informal study done by durex is interesting: http://www.swivel.com/graphs/show/15601508. Note that asian countries have the lowest sexual frequency (<100/year). Norway is an exception, but sun exposure has a significant effect on sex hormones as well. I’d love to see a study that correlates sex drive with diet, controlling for other factors.
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Hey again,
This blog is getting some good debate–way to go Scott! I though I’d add a link to another study “Soy Linked to Low Sperm Count”: http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/617728.html?chan=top+news_top+news+index_lifestyle
Although this is slightly tangent to T levels only, I think that there are connections . . .
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Dripping? DRIPPING? That post was absolutely marinated in testosterone fueled snarkiness.
Good for you.
Now, for population control lowering testosterone would be a marvelous idea as not only would we not be having sex and reproducing, we’d be killing each other out of need for stress release.
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Step 1: Follow all of these and tank my test.
Step 2: Go to my doctor and complain that I have “no idea why this is happening.”
Step 3: Get test injections/ test gel to make up the difference, instead of changing my habits.
Made in Big Pharm heaven!
Best,
Skyler
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Haha. Love the sarcastic posts. Especially when it contains so much great information too. Got to ask, where did you get your image from? Is it a real film?
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The most effective way to lower sex hormones is by calorie restriction and having low insulin levels (relative starvation). Overtraining depresses testosterone mostly because of a caloric deficit; this is what is shown in studies of amenorrhetic female athletes (the amenorrhea reverses if the hard training athletes simply eat way more food).
Weight loss follows the same pattern.
Keeping body fat and insulin in a healthy range will optimize a man’s testosterone (body fat and high insulin result in higher estrogen levels in a man, because of how insulin alters SHBG levels so as to bind his testosterone… also insulin stimulates excessive LH production which in a man and in women will cause profound imbalances where there is too much of the opposite hormone).
However, depleting body fat will actually have the opposite effect because like calorie restriction/low insulin low body fat will diminish LH levels.
Ironically the “cut look” of muscle underneath a sheet of skin is probably impossible to achieve without exogenous testosterone supplementation (it is impossible for anabolic hormones to work right when body fat is depleted to a certain point). Even if it were possible, this would result in suppressed testosterone levels because of the absence of body fat.
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(one more thing, when it comes to testosterone higher does not translate into “more manly”… high testosterone is associated with good health, but TOO much testosterone can increase the risk of cancers, negatively impact mood and personality, cause hair loss, infertility, insulin resistance, and it can actually lead to really high estrogen thus female-sex characteristic (like the dreaded moobs and fat deposits in unwanted places). For a good example of “too much testosterone” read about what happens when body builders inject the stuff. Not nice.
High testosterone indicates good health and virility but it does not *cause* these things.
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Keenan, interesting. Edited that section to note the ambiguity of the issue.
Tom, it appears that Testosterone was an Argentinian film. I found it on a simple Google Image search.
Wooo, great discussion. Thanks for adding your thoughts. Too much testosterone is also a potential issue, though probably not one most people have to be concerned about without the use of exogenous aids.
Cheers
Scott
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Hi,
I was just wondering if my IP address was banned, as I am only able to access the blog using an anonymous proxy server? Was this a mistake, or intentional? If intentional I’ll take the hint and shut up, lol…
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Wooo, no way are you banned. If I was going to ban you, I’d ban comments coming from your email address.
Not sure why you’re having trouble…could be an issue with your firewall.
Cheers
Scott
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Hi Scott,
It seems fixed now, yay! Probably was a problem on my end, I just figured it might be ip address related since I was able to visit the site using an anonymous proxy. It was like that for 2 days.
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Hi, Im a girl and find this information usefule as I have peach fuzz chin hair, and think it could be do to excess testosterone levels. looking for a non pharm, low cost way to reduce it. So thank u.
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I know this was meant tongue in cheek, but believe it or not, there are tons of aggressive, dominant women out there who want to lower testosterone levels to conceive an aggressive, dominant daughter – according to the maternal dominance hypothesis, higher testosterone levels = more sons.
Like me, grr, I’ll kick your ass. No wonder I have so many sons. Now I want a little warrior princess to dandle on my knee.
This looks like a bitchin blog, happy to have stumbled onto it.
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This is a fantastic post.
Many of these points are issues I deal with on a daily basis with my clients. From people thinking soy is a “superfood” to young athletes staying up late and drinking too much, not understanding just how much it hurts their progress in the gym.
Thanks again for this post.
Tony Schwartz
Professional Strength Coach
Athletic Muscle Building Program
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Mercola had listed studies showing soy is a problem a few weeks back.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/10/07/the-evidence-against-soy.aspx?source=nl
We discussed this on our gym’s website (CrossFit Vancouver) a few weeks back. In that discussion there was an excellent post that is relevant and adds more info to “Son Grok’s” post about Japanese and soy. As our blog is an open site I am sure the gym member who posted the information will not mind me copying her post here.
“Soybeans contain (among many other bad things) an ANTI-nutrient called Phytic Acid. Soybeans contain the highest level of Phytic Acid out of all the seeds, nuts, grains, etc. In order to neutralize the Phytic Acid, the beans needs to not only be soaked for a long period of time but also fermented. Things like soy milk, soy oil, and virtually all soy products in the standard grocery store do NOT ferment the soy.
Natto, on the otherhand, is a wonderful food. The soybeans have been properly fermented, so the Phytic Acid, protein inhibitors, phytoestrogens and the other bad properties of Soybeans have been neutralized, and your body is able to absorb the nutrients that are in soy.
Soy was NOT traditionally eaten in Asia. Asians knew it had a negative effect on the body. They only started to eat soy when they discovered that Fermentation neutralized the bad effects. And even then, they usually only consumed soy as a condiment. Not as a staple food. Fish is the staple food of the Japanese.
One more point….
I’m sure that a lot of us use Protein Powders & Protein bars. I would suggest looking at the ingredients to see if it’s got Soy Protein Isolate. Lots and lots of Protein Powders & Bars contain Soy.”
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Hey there – I was seriously looking for this info because my husband has advanced prostate cancer and one of the treatments is hormone therapy that reduces testosterone thereby reducing the prostate cancer growth. I did think your sarcasm was fun, but actually good info too. Thanks.
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Hey Scott,
Son of Grok pointed me to this article after he found out that I had a little soy milk the other day…. and I’m glad that he did!! I had no idea that it was proven to lower testosterone. Anyways, great post, as usual!
All the Best,
Andrew R
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I disagree with virtually everything in this article. Are you aware of the studies that link low testosterone levels with increased risk of death?
read this
http://news.hairlosshelp.com/health-news/low-levels-of-testosterone-may-shorten-your-life/
Are you aware that polyunsaturated oils suppress the immune system, and increase the risk of developing cancer?
read this
http://www.second-opinions.co.uk/fats_and_cancer.html
You said “it’s unfortunate that we can’t avoid all sources of fat, isn’t it?”
Do you have even a basic understanding of biology or the body? If you did you would not make such a ridiculous statement. A large percentage of the body is made from fat, including your cell membranes and your brain. Without fat you would DIE!!!
Are you aware that soy can adversely affect male sexual development, and cause breast cancer in women?
read this
http://www.soyonlineservice.co.nz/03summary.htm
I would do a bit more research if i were you, before posting dangerous information like this.
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John, perhaps it would behoove you to actually read the entire article, including the disclaimer at the bottom before commenting. Just a thought…
Cheers
Scott
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John,
The funniest thing about your comment, other than being completely oblivious to the fact that it’s a clever “opposites day-type post”, is that you say the phrase ‘I would do a bit more research if i were you…’ to Scott!! That’s probably the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. You would be hard pressed to find an author of a blog who does MORE research than Scott.
I can’t wait to do my spoof post, I hope you find it… John.
All the Best,
Andrew R
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Wow. And here I thought the article being marinated in sarcasm was so obvious that no-one could take it any other way. Shows you what I get for thinking…
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cool article!it might of just saved me a couple $$$
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Dear Scott,
Good article. I too would be interested in reading what you have to say about the role of psuedoestrogens and the effect that that has on our bodies, things like Bisphenol A and phthalates.
Also, as a homebrewer of gruit ales, I wonder about the specifics of the alcohol/reduced testosterone studies, and whether the subjects were drinking primarily beer with hops. As Stephen Harrod Buhner points out in this article http://www.gruitale.com/art_fall_of_gruit.htm , hops has a high level of plant estrogens, and was arguably introduced into beers specifically as a backlash against perceived excess and licentiousness among ale drinkers because of its propensity toward decreased libido and its sedative properties. I’ve read a bit about this, and generally avoid hopped brews, but I’d love to hear your take if you have any opinions.
Cheers,
Rob
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Rob, very interesting stuff about hops. I had no idea, nor do I know how the alcohol studies were done. Are those recipes on that link a good start to making a gruit ale? I’d like to give it a shot. Looks like I might be moving more towards wine and spirits when I have a drink.
As for the fake estrogens in our environment, I think they are a nuisance and not at all a good thing. I think there are bigger fish to fry in terms of generally keeping a clean diet, getting plenty of sleep, and getting some stress-free leisure time. But I definitely think avoiding environmental toxins is good for homonal balance. One thing I need to do is get rid of the plastic mug that I haul around with me everywhere at work. I don’t think cold beverages are much of a concern in them, but hot beverages seem to be from what I’ve read. The nice thing is that avoiding most of these things is pretty easy…just keep hot foods and beverages out of plastic containers and that’s a good start.
So yeah, basically avoid them if you can, but put your focus more on the other elements, specifically food, sleep, and stress.
Cheers
Scott
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Hi Scott,
Yeah, I’d say GruitAle.com is about the best resource for making a hopless ale, provided you already have a good sense of how to make beer. If not, Charlie Papazian is usually recommended as good introductory author, having written ‘The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.’ I recommend the Sage beer. It’s easy, and unlike the gruit herbs, sage is widely available (and is said to be particularly inebriating in its effects).
I do like wine, but spirits give me a little pause. They’re real tricky to make in a native context, for one (though apple jack can be made from hard cider left in the cold outside, leaving the alcohol unfrozen and more concentrated), and they often give me a headache in fairly short order. I sometimes wonder if that’s my body’s way of saying: ‘You’re working too hard for this booze.’ And the WAPF folks seem to advise against it, though i don’t know their rationale.
As for estrogens in plastics- that seems a reasonable position. We do have lots of bigger fish to fry, most of us, and like the 98% solution you wrote about elsewhere, unless we’re already optimized in other arenas, we should focus on the biggest chunks if we have to prioritize and can’t implement all teh good changes we might like to.
Happy brewing!
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[...] whack when subjected to too much alcohol. Scott over at Modern FOrager did a great article on this over here…. There is up to a 44% decrease in testosterone after five [...]
There are actually times when one would like to lower once testosterone levels.
I am going to have my levels checked in the hope of getting some test subscriped to me, only to have higher then normal levels on a daily bases.
I will cope with the higher levels using a aromatase blocker along side the test.
So this article is spot on for my purposes
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[...] note:Â If you are suffering from too much testosterone, Scott Kustes has some great tips to help you get rid of your pesky sex drive. [...]
And you illustrated it with a gay-themed movie. Interesting choice. It’s actually a decent movie about a New Yorker that follows his Argentinian boyfriend back to Buenos Aires and ends up murdering him after the family tries to have the gay central character (New Yorker) killed. Check it out on http://www.imdb.com.
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Rob, checked out that Gruit Ale website back when you posted it, then forgot to respond. Looks like it could be a good time. I find that beer gives me a headache if I have more than one and tends to screw with my stomach. Bourbon, vodka, or wine have no effects on me like that.
Craig…haha! I’m far from a movie buff….I just found that picture on Google Images and picked it cause of the name. Strange irony.
Cheers
Scott
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If you’re a guy, of course you don’t want to get rid of testosterone, but if you are a girl and your testosterone levels are to high, it causes a serious acne problem….I’m one of those ‘lucky’ girls….Was hoping to learn some healthy natural ways to get the hormone levels in line. The only other medication available that can help is contraceptives and that’s a problem if you are trying to fall pregnant!
Any way, thanks for the laugh!
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I found this through Google search “how to lower testosterone”. Thanks for the slamming sarcasam. But American woman like my wife hate the drive that comes with American dreams. So I’m trying to accomodate her. Do you have any REAL solutions?
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For all the women out there, try taking saw palmetto pills. They are supposed to lower the levels of free testosterone in our bodies. Also check if you have PCOS.
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I heard SOY is bad for you?
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Dude, sorry, can’t help ya there. I really don’t advise doing things to lower testosterone. Look for other outlets for your drive.
Jessica, this is totally tongue-in-cheek. Unfermented soy, which is pretty much everything available in the stores, is not a health food. It’s really quite bad for you. All of these are things I advise NOT doing.
Cheers
Scott
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Ok Morons,
It’s a huge joke that any man would want to lower his testosterone levels, and this whole post is a joke. Ha Ha Ha. I came across this stupidity while researching at my brother-in-law’s request, some natural ways to lower testosterone, because it seems that when a person has prostate cancer, higher levels make it worse. And when a man has to have that cancerous prostate removed, then there is no longer regulation of that hormone. One of the treatment options is to remove the testes. Any of you macho morons out there want to try that one on for size? So, ha ha ha – enjoy your “me-the-man” testosterone, jerks!
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hey man this is GREAT!
I love the article, really good stuff. I have extremely high testosterone levels and sex drive, and because all masculine instincts will get you thrown in prison for decades or life, Im trying to reduce my levels. so yes theres someone out there with exactly that intention!
all the best
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also, having read some comments on here, (and usually Im outraged by what people think) I must add that its really nice to read the discussion between Scott and Rob. Fantastic, this has actually made my day.
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Love the post.
Besides simply overtraining, you might want to add in useless high-rep isolated machine exercises or endless cardio. For those interested in raising T and GH in the gym, I believe it comes down to slow, heavy full body exercises (deadlifts anyone?) with a decent rest in between sets to cause maximum horomone production.
BTW, on a sidenote, for a most excellent and interesting listen, go download the “This American Life” podcast from NPR, the episode regarding Testosterone.
http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=220
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Marijuana does NOT lower testosterone! My God, what is the matter with some of you?
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You nailed it, great post!
Cheers!
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Soy does impact testosterone levels, unless it has been fermented (like in miso soup). Great article!
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This is a great article. Love the tongue in cheek.
I can sure tell that since I’ve added strength training to my fitness routine its made a difference. Based on my experience, I’d say chronic cardio depresses levels as well…
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to be honest. i want to lower my testosterone. i want the lowered sex drive basically, my better half isn’t nearly as into sex as me so i’m often left wanting…
but now i’m thinking my best bet is to try and use my T for something else, like working out.
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I understand this article was intended mainly for men, and it’s also written tongue in cheek, but in reference to your disclaimer at the bottom that asks why anyone would want to lower testosterone levels – there is a condition that affects 10% of women of child-bearing age called PCOS, poly-cystic ovarian syndrome, that can cause – among other problems – very high levels of testosterone produced by over-stimulated ovaries, which can cause major issues for women including irregular cycles, anovulation, and infertility, as well as high blood cholesterol, insulin resistance and other unwanted symptoms. Just sayin’.
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One other way to lower your testosterone level? Drive around in a crappy car. Really!
Check out http://www.examiner.com/x-11005-San-Jose-Sports-Car-Examiner~y2009m7d9-Do-mens-testosterone-levels-change-based-on-the-car-they-are-driving
A 1990 Toyota Camry wagon will lower your T level very nicely. Crazy, eh?
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SOY IS NOT GOOD! SOY IS VERY FAR FROM BEING THAT AMAZINGLY GOOD FOOD YOU STATE.
ACTUALLY VERY FEW OF US KNOW THAT SOY BLOCKS ABSORPTION OF PROTEINS & MINERALS. SOY MAY CAUSE KIDNEY STONES. IT’S LINKED TO AN INCREASED RISK FOR BREAST CANCER & BRAIN DAMAGE AMONG NUMEROUS OTHER DANGERS TO HEALTH.
YOU NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS FOOD. I READ ABOUT IT AT westonaprice.org
FOR A BETTER CHILDHOOD.
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Mike OD Reply:
Iris – the tone of the article was in “sarcasm”….note everything is the opposite of what you SHOULD do.
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http://www.randomcollections.info/images/posters_random_caps_lock.jpg
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Good article but actually there are many infertile women out there who would really need to lower their Testosterone, so I’m going to take your advice literally in that respect.
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I found this article extremely offensive and totally unenlightened. There are millions of women in the world that have too high testosterone levels and are looking for natural ways to lower it. Maybe you should get a little more educated before writing such derogatory articles.
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Zoe, overly sensitive and/or clueless people like you should not be allowed to use the internet.
These guys wrote a great, clever article obviously aimed at men, a very large portion of whom unknowingly lower their testosterone every day with poor health habits. Lowering levels of testosterone affect every man as we age, and the last thing we need to do is accelerate the process. I personally do everything I can to reverse the process, and am thankful for any info pointing me in the right direction.
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Zoe, this article ends with a Disclaimer that you apparently missed. I’ll move it to the top to help future visitors that don’t take the time to read the entire article. Thanks for visiting.
Cheers
Scott
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Ok, one more comment then I’ll try and leave this thread alone:
What Scott espoused in this article was eating whole foods, healthy fats, getting enough sleep, lowering stress, not smoking, and not over drinking alcohol.
For the women above that are so concerned with PCOS, which one of Scott’s recommendations would increase androgens? Does a doctor treating PCOS tell you to smoke, stress, and eat Doritos?
One treatment straight from a government page: (http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/polycystic-ovary-syndrome.cfm)
“Lifestyle modification. Keeping a healthy weight by eating healthy foods and exercising is another way women can help manage PCOS. Many women with PCOS are overweight or obese. Eat fewer processed foods and foods with added sugars and more whole-grain products, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats to help lower blood sugar (glucose) levels, improve the body’s use of insulin, and normalize hormone levels in your body. Even a 10 percent loss in body weight can restore a normal period and make a woman’s cycle more regular.”
Sure, not exactly Paleo in their food recommendations, but very much in line with the article above.
And the other treatments are through medications.
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What purpose do you have to tell people that testosterone is best to lower? when there was an artical in the news yesterday 2009 dec 7th. talks about men’s health they need testosterone or they will die early age. they need testosterone its the most important hormon in our bodies. you can’t seriously think testosterone is bad. HGH is the biggest thing out there and reconstructs the new cells to make men and women young again. seriously get your ad off this your putting out lies man. sorry but the truth hurts
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Sami, Sami, Sami….the only truth you’ve given me is that you didn’t actually read the article, which has not one, but two disclaimers, one before and one after the article, indicating that this entire thing is tongue-in-cheek. Perhaps you should try reading before you start insulting.
Cheers
Scott
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I do, testosterone sucks.I
want no manliness, especially when i’m a sexually inactive teenage girl, and so do women who suffer a myriad of diseases
N.B
Body building websites are always so lame.
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Studies have shown that testosterone level increases in the blood after intercourse. Also it is used as an antidpressant in the elderly.
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Scott-Kustes:
FOR THE FRACKING WIN!!!
Nice article dude, excellent writing.
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Branden, actually some people have really bad acne and they don’t realize that the acne is caused by so much testosterone which makes your skin oily and therefor makes your pores bigger and its easier to breakout. i used to workout and really breakout over my face, now i dont workout and my face is clear.
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I am a guy of 66 with a predisposition for a prostate cancer, gonna see my urologist on Monday. High testosterone level, with all the benefits, like muscles growth, body vitality, sex drive, etc. courses, unfortunately, a speedy growth of prostate cancer sells. The hormone testosterone should be reduced in people (men) with a prostate cancer, and there are even medicines for that. So, too much of a good stuff (testosterone) is not good for you – go and figure it out.
The word is the balance. Some muscle builder, who uses hormones (steroids), subject themselves to a development of different cancers.
The article is written a tong in cheek, but I took it literally, and for a good measure.
Thank you, Scott
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ha unfortunately for me I was too dense to pick up on the sarcasm in the beginning, but then it got ridiculous so I knew, ha I actually got soo mad at one point cuz who wud post such an article, but Im glad I read till the end.
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I am a 9 year old boy who is already gone through almost all of puberty… this is kind of embarrassing for me as my 16 year old brother still has not and I would like to reduce my over-testosterone levles
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