When it comes to defining manliness, there’s one thing that consistently comes to the forefront—testosterone. It’s the primary male androgen that is the cornerstone of all things man.

It supports muscle growth and strength, body fat levels, bone health, libido, and sperm production. Without sufficient levels of testosterone, processes that are critical to male health can be impaired.

But the thing with testosterone is that levels naturally start to decline as men age, which means that by the time you’re into your 40s, 50s, and 60s, levels aren’t what they used to be, which means you may start to see things like reduced fertility, sexual dysfunction, decreased muscle formation, poor bone mineralization, disturbances of fat metabolism, and cognitive dysfunction.

Low testosterone is also associated with several adverse health outcomes, including diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and decreased libido 1, 2. Men with low testosterone also have increased mortality; compared to men with normal testosterone levels, low testosterone roughly doubles mortality risk 3.

If that’s not bad enough, even men in their 20s and 30s are starting to see low testosterone, which means that natural testosterone boosters can be a blessing in disguise for a lot of men.

And while we hear about turmeric in relation to inflammation, is there a link between turmeric and testosterone, and can it help boost levels? We’re sorting through the science to figure out the link.

What Is Turmeric And What Does It Do?

Turmeric is like gold in the wellness space, quite literally. Termed by some as golden paste, turmeric, more formally known as Curcuma longa, is a rhizome native to India that’s been used extensively in Eastern medicine practices for its powerful health-promoting properties.

As part of the ginger family, it offers several similar benefits and has been shown through countless studies to exhibit antioxidant, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anticarcinogenic, thrombus suppressive, hypoglycemic, and antiarthritic properties 4.

And in folk medicine, turmeric has also been used to reduce blood pressure, and as a tonic and blood purifier.

Studies suggest that turmeric and curcumin exhibit such powerful effects on nearly every system in the body due to its ability to interact with and influence cells that play a major regulatory role in the body.

This includes transcription factors, growth factors and protein kinases, inflammatory cytokines, enzymes, adhesion molecules, apoptosis-related proteins, and more 5.

But while turmeric and its bioactive compounds exhibit powerful health-promoting activity, can it influence levels of testosterone?

Can Turmeric Benefit Testosterone Levels?

While turmeric isn’t going to directly enhance the body’s ability to synthesize testosterone like other vitamins and minerals, it exhibits more of an indirect role in optimizing the body’s production of testosterone. It does this by:

1. Improving Cholesterol Levels

While most people tell you that too much cholesterol is bad for you, cholesterol is one of the building blocks of testosterone, and insufficient levels can spell trouble for your manhood.

Research suggests that curcumin affects both synthesis and catabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, and thus may lower plasma triglycerides and cholesterol concentrations by mitigating the expressions of specific lipogenic genes 6.

As such, by balancing out cholesterol levels, turmeric may indirectly bolster stronger and more effective synthesis of testosterone.

2. Activating Vitamin D Receptors

Testosterone and vitamin D have an intricate relationship. It is one of the most important vitamins in the body targeting hundreds of genes and tissues, with the male reproductive tract being one.

One study looked at the effects of vitamin D supplementation in 200 men with low testosterone and found that daily vitamin D3 supplementation for one year resulted in significant increases in total testosterone levels, bioactive testosterone, and free testosterone levels 7.

But where turmeric comes into the picture is with vitamin D absorption. Studies find that turmeric activates vitamin D receptors (VDR) to enhance absorption, along with positively impacting other genes that affect testosterone levels, like CYP3A4 8.

3. Improving Function Of Leydig Cells

Because sperm are so sensitive to free radicals, high levels of oxidative stress and inflammation could be a significant impedance to reproductive function and a contributor to male infertility; leydig cells of the testes are predominantly responsible for the biosynthesis and secretion of testosterone, which is essential for the initiation and maintenance of spermatogenesis 9.

Research suggests that low serum concentration of testosterone may result from oxidative damage to the testes, which adversely affects spermatogenesis and can lead to Sertoli cells dysfunction.

However, treatment with a combination of ginger and turmeric resulted in an increase in testosterone hormone, which may, in part, be due to their potent antioxidant properties and androgenic activities 9.

But it is important to keep in mind that the study suggests that these effects may be largely due to the properties of ginger rather than turmeric.

4. Increasing Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin resistance is a big risk factor for cardiovascular disease, but it’s also linked to levels of testosterone.

Given that low testosterone can be a predicator for the development of type 2 diabetes in men and aging is generally associated with decreased insulin sensitivity and a decrease in testosterone, studies suggest that testosterone levels may play an important role in modulating insulin sensitivity and mitochondrial function in men 10.

Research shows that normal insulin levels are required for proper Leydig cell function, and that high insulin levels—like those seen in obesity and type 2 diabetes—may negatively influence steroidogenesis in Leydig cells, and thus testosterone production 11, 12.

Should You Take Turmeric To Boost Testosterone?

Turmeric likely isn’t going to be the gold at the end of the rainbow for boosting testosterone. While it does mitigate inflammation, support proper glucose and insulin function, and support VDR activation, which can indirectly support men’s reproductive health, the majority of research on the link between turmeric and testosterone is speculative.

However, if you want a guaranteed way to boost testosterone levels and reclaim your manhood, there’s a better solution.

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In just three capsules daily, you’re getting:

  • 50mcg Vitamin D
  • 50mcg Vitamin K1 + K2
  • 50mg Magnesium
  • 30mcg Zinc
  • 600mcg D-Aspartic Acid Calcium Chelate
  • 6mg NutriGenesis Boron
  • 600mg KSM-66 Ashwagandha Extract
  • 300mg Macuna Pruriens
  • 60mg Luteolin

It’s an ultraclean design across the board that’s easy to absorb, gentle on the stomach, and safe to take every day. If you want max test boost, this guy is it.

References

  1. TG Travison, AB Araujo,V Kupelian, O’Donnell AB , McKinlay JB 2007 The relative contributions of aging, health, and lifestyle factors to serum testosterone decline in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 92:549–555
  2. Matsumoto AM. Andropause: clinical implications of the decline in serum testosterone levels with aging in men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2002;57(2):M76-M99. doi:10.1093/gerona/57.2.m76
  3. Shores MM, Matsumoto AM, Sloan KL, Kivlahan DR. Low serum testosterone and mortality in male veterans. Arch Intern Med. 2006;166(15):1660-1665. doi:10.1001/archinte.166.15.1660
  4. AJ Akinyemi, IA Adedara, GR Thome, et al. Dietary supplementation of ginger and turmeric improves reproductive function in hypertensive male rats. Toxicol Rep. 2015;2:1357-1366.
  5. H Zhou, CS Beevers, S Huang. The targets of curcumin. Curr Drug Targets. 2011;12(3):332-347.
  6. S Qin, L Huang, J Gong, et al. Efficacy and safety of turmeric and curcumin in lowering blood lipid levels in patients with cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr J. 2017;16(1):68.
  7. S Pilz, S Frisch, H Koertke, et al. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men. Horm Metab Res. 2011;43(3):223-225.
  8. L Bartik, GK Whitfield, M Kaczmarska, et al. Curcumin: a novel nutritionally derived ligand of the vitamin D receptor with implications for colon cancer chemoprevention.J Nutr Biochem. 2010;21(12):1153-1161.
  9. AJ Akinyemi, IA Adedara, GR Thome, et al. Dietary supplementation of ginger and turmeric improves reproductive function in hypertensive male rats. Toxicol Rep. 2015;2:1357-1366.
  10. N Pitteloud, VK Mootha, AA Dwyer, et al. Relationship between testosterone levels, insulin sensitivity, and mitochondrial function in men.Diabetes Care. 2005;28(7):1636-1642.
  11. EL Schoeller, G Albanna, AI Frolova, KH Moley. Insulin rescues impaired spermatogenesis via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in Akita diabetic mice and restores male fertility. 2012;61(7):1869-1878.
  12. SW Ahn, GT Gang, YD Kim, et al. Insulin directly regulates steroidogenesis via induction of the orphan nuclear receptor DAX-1 in testicular Leydig cells. J Biol Chem. 2013;288(22):15937-15946.