Nuts And Testosterone
Most people are under the impression that nuts are good for you…
Peanuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts… and the list goes on and on. But the questions I’m going to answer today is this: Are nuts good for testosterone? Are there some we should avoid and others we should put in a candy dish and snack on all day long?
Let’s take a look.
Health Benefits of Nuts
Generally speaking, if you have an option between a bag of nuts and a bag of candy—the bag of nuts is going to win every time. That’s a no brainer, right? Studies have shown that you can unlock a bunch of health benefits from eating nuts… Like:
- Reduced oxidative damage (study)
- Improved brain function (study)
- Better cardiovascular health (study)
- Better metabolic health (study)
- Reduces inflammation (study)
Nuts are also high in fiber and rich in amino acids.
So, just one glance at this list will tell you that nuts are healthy for you… But, as a man, you shouldn’t just ask, “What’s healthy for me?” You need to ask, “What’s healthy for my testosterone levels?” Because the truth is, there are plenty of “health” foods out there that men should avoid completely because it causes your testosterone levels to drop faster than an amatuer boxer in the ring with Mike Tyson.
Nuts And Testosterone
I hate to break it to you…
But nuts aren’t as good for your testosterone levels as you’d think looking at all the benefits above.
- According to this 2011 study, almonds and walnuts (favorites for many) have been shown to increase the amount of sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) by 10-20%. SHBG is a glycoprotein that attaches to free testosterone and makes it useless in the body. This would effectively lower androgen bioavailability in the body—which is a fancy way of saying, your total testosterone levels may be at a certain level, but it’s mostly just smoke and mirrors because a good chunk of it isn’t doing anything you need testosterone to do for you.
- Most nuts are high in polyunsaturated fats—which is the worst fat for men because studies have shown that it reduces testosterone levels. Basically, it does this by increasing oxidative damage in the body. When that happens your cortisol levels increase… and whenever cortisol levels go up, testosterone levels plummet.
- In order to create testosterone each night, you need to have healthy HDL cholesterol levels because cholesterol is a baby form of testosterone. However, nuts contain phytosterols. Studies have shown that phytosterols reduce cholesterol levels in men, meaning that you won’t produce as much testosterone as you could if you didn’t eat nuts.
So, No Nuts?
Alright, so with everything we’ve looked at so far, we’ve seen that nuts have relatively healthy benefits for men. Still, there are some drawbacks.
But does that mean that all nuts are out?
Nope! In fact, some nuts will give your testosterone levels a lift. Take a look at the following list for the best of them:
- Macadamia nuts are one of the rare types of nuts that isn’t high in polyunsaturated fats—the kind of fat that reduces testosterone levels. Instead, macadamia nuts are high in monounsaturated fats which boost testosterone levels according to this study.
- Brazil nuts pack a powerful punch because they’re loaded with testosterone-boosting nutrients like zinc, boron, selenium and magnesium. Selenium in particular is a massive testosterone booster—and eating just two Brazil nuts (yep, just two) will help meet your daily selenium requirements for the day.
- In one rat study from The Jordan University of Science & Technology found that Tiger nuts doubled testosterone levels. Now, that may not equally translate in a 2x testosterone boost for you—but it’s likely that you’ll get a decent increase.
When it comes to nuts and testosterone, those are the best 3 on the list. And honestly, you should avoid the others simply because they have higher polyunsaturated fat content… which will take down your T-count.
Now What?
So there you have it, man…
You now know the real deal about nuts and testosterone levels. Some nuts will give you healthier testosterone levels. But most of them will lower your testosterone levels.
So feel free to stock up on Macadamia, Brazil and Tiger nuts and snack on them from time to time. But hey, that’s not all I want to leave you with today…
A couple years ago I wrote a book called The Man Diet where I take you through all the very best testosterone-boosting foods on the planet, foods you should stay away from, what you should eat at certain hours of the day, and so much more.
And I want you to have a FREE copy it. So before you go CLICK THIS LINK and claim your copy of The Man Diet today.
You’ll be glad you did.
Stay manly,
Chad