When I first realized the nature of my situation, and set out to increase my testosterone levels I wanted to do so naturally. And by naturally, I mean that I did not want to use a testosterone patch or gel to boost my levels. I wanted to promote testosterone production in my body by using as few prescriptions as possible. For me, and this goes back to my problems with anti-depressants, I try to limit the number of drugs that I put in my body because I have found that they are almost always come with severe side effects.

For instance, to this day, I still take some anti-depressants, and hence have low testosterone levels. The reason that I take the anti-depressants still is that I have had a very difficult time withdrawing from them. The particular medication that my doctor put me on, has a very profound discontinuation syndrome. The average person has a hard time weening off this medication once they are put on it. I have had a devil of a time and, therefore, have been unable to completing taper off it. I am in the process of a long (year long) taper to finally, get off these medications. When I do my testosterone might return to normal, but for now I need to take supplements to stimulate testosterone in my body to allow me to function properly. It is also possible that I have naturally low testosterone levels. It has been impossible to determine this since I have been unable to completely get off of the meds.

Anyway, I had to therefore set out to increase testosterone naturally. I was able to do this with the help of a doctor who put me on a prescribed regimen of supplements which have boosted my testosterone. Of course, they have also boosted my effectiveness. I have lost weight and gained muscle mass. In fact, I am in some of the best shape of my life now that I realize how important exercise can be to increasing the body’s testosterone levels. Additionally, my sexual functioning is vastly improved and, most importantly, my energy and focus have returned.

Obviously, I have experienced a lot of benefits since I set out to increase my testosterone. So much in fact that I started this site Increase Testosterone Levels to share what I have learned and what has worked for me. I have already detailed foods that increase testosterone so I’d next like to point out what dietary supplements I have been taking and how they have helped to increase my testosterone without drugs or medications.

Now for the disclaimer. I am not a doctor or health care provider. I do not give medical advice. What I can do is share with you what I do to boost testosterone levels. I simply tell you what I am taking and the results that I have experienced. If you choose to follow in my footsteps please know I take no liability for any adverse effects that you may experience.

Okay. Well what do I do? I take a number of dietary supplements that cause increased testosterone production in the body. Here are the supplements that I take, which you can purchase at Amazon.com. I buy mine at Amazon from companies that were recommended to me for their quality by my doctor. I get them quickly and the price is reasonable, but you can buy yours anywhere.

Here’s what I take:

ZMA – Before bed
Lecithen – In the morning
DHEA – After breakfast and again after lunch
DMEA – Once a day

Using this regimen I have been able to increase my testosterone without having to resort to prescription hormones. So, naturally, I am quite pleased. If you have any questions about anything, please use the comments below.

In my case, when I first starting experiencing low testosterone symptoms there wasn’t a whole lot I was doing right nutritionally. I was living on a diet of junk food and I wasn’t exercising regularly. I was in my early twenties and had a devil may care attitude about taking care of myself. I thought, that regardless of my diet and exercise that I should feel great the majority of the time. Basically, I was a victim of naivete.

Still my poor diet didn’t cause my low testosterone syndrome. That was caused both by genetics and by side effects of a heavy dose of anti-depressant medications that I had been prescribed. Eventually, I ended up seeing an oncologist who specialized in nutrition. This guy was a pro’s pro and he identified that I was suffering from low testosterone almost immediately. After some blood work had been performed that confirmed his suspicions I was started on a dose of supplements that would increase testosterone levels in my body naturally.

Additionally, I was given some information to peruse that talked about the importance of diet and exercise in maintaining healthy testosterone levels in men. He told me that poor diet and lack of exercise can exacerbate many of the problems that I was having. Having realized that nature of my problem, I was eager to implement the diet suggestions that he made and I started to do additional research as well. I read lots of articles and websites about foods that increase testosterone and I altered my diet, using myself as a guinea pig. Eventually, I learned that the foods that I eat really played a factor in how I felt.

Looking back, I don’t want to say that all of my problems were caused by low testosterone. However, I know that I feel a lot better than I did then. And I give most of that credit to the fact that my testosterone levels have been brought back to where they should be.

Anyway, back to the subject of foods that increase testosterone, here’s what I’ve learned on that topic. First, the good news is that many of the best testosterone boosting foods are foods that men tend to like to eat. Also, they are natural, non-processed foods so they tend to be healthier for your body and metabolism as well.

Most of the foods that increase testosterone levels in the body have a healthy dose of zinc in them. Basically, if you have low testosterone levels zinc is critical. At it’s most basic level, zinc regulates serum testosterone in the body. A lack of zinc will affect the pituitary gland by inhibiting it from releasing pro-luteinizing and pro-follicle hormones. These are essential to stimulate testosterone creation in the body.

In addition, zinc will inhibits an enzyme in the body (aromatase) that transforms testosterone in the body into extra estrogen which can have many detrimental side effects. Men need to maintain a ratio of testosterone to estrogen of more than 10:1 (with 50:1 being ideal) and excess estrogen will obviously disrupt the ideal balance causing an elevated risk of obesity and heart disease.

Zinc also is believed to promote good sexual functioning as well. Studies have shown that zinc supplements can enhance sexual performance while also causing a rise in sperm counts, which can be useful if you are trying produce offspring. Therefore, you can clearly see how we want to maximize our zinc intake (within reasonable levels).

Among foods high in zinc, meats and seafood tend to be especially high and therefore especially effective. Red meat due to the presence of zinc and other nutrients does a good job of stimulating testosterone production. But, one of the zinc-containing high-fliers are oysters. Oysters are great because they pack a lot of pro-testosterone goodness into a relatively small package. Unfortunately, oysters are also difficult to come by in certain parts of the country, or they can be quite expensive. And, some people, just can’t stomach oysters for whatever reason. I admit that they do have some very distinctive qualities. And, for some, they just aren’t appealing.

More convenient to purchase foods include roast beef, pork chops, lamb chops wild game and ribs. All are considered excellent foods for those who are seeking to increase their testosterone. Chicken meat, poultry, is another excellent food to promote testosterone production. Chicken, like red meat, is high in our favorite nutrient and, because of it’s leanness and low fat, is more ideal for a staple food than is red meat.

I have found, for myself, that lean hamburger meat and chicken breast and chicken wings are the foods that I find myself eating most often to boost testosterone. While, I recognize the value of oysters, they are awfully inconvenient for me. I do share them here because they can be an excellent source of zinc for those who have regular access to them.

Non-meat foods that increase testosterone include beans and nuts – I particularly enjoy pistachios. Dairy products also include a healthy amount of zinc and can help promote an increase in testosterone levels. Particularly effective are low fat milk, cottage cheese and yogurt.

I’ve found that since I made some subtle dietary changes, that I have felt better and been higher functioning. However, I consider the supplements that I take to increase testosterone to be even more important than my diet in this regard. From my experience, diet plays a role and you want to load up on foods that increase testosterone production, however you are likely going to want to supplement your diet with some nutrients as well.