Having a good diet is tremendously important for us. Simply changing your diet can resolve underlying health conditions, resolve mental issues and overall improve your quality of life. When you know what food can help with what, you can really take control of your health by simply eating well.
Garlic, although a bit on the smelly side, is a very tasty and healthy food. Recently, there has been a lot of chatter about it being able to boost testosterone. Let’s see if there is any merit to these rumors.
Studies that outline the connection between testosterone and garlic
Garlic impacts testosterone levels actively. This effect is due to its rich chemical contents. Garlic contains several chemicals that contribute to increased testosterone production, including:
Along with boosting testosterone levels, there are other benefits that these chemicals bring. They reduce cortisol and boost energy — cortisol is known to cause fat-building, and gaining pounds negatively impacts testosterone production. It also disrupts testosterone production directly by disrupting the function of the adrenal gland.
A study published in the Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology in 2018 showed that garlic also has an impact on testicular function — specifically on spermatogenesis. It owes this to its antioxidative effects.
Another study by Md Masud Rana et al. from 2021 performed on mice showed that it boosted testosterone levels significantly. In another study by Turk J Urol et al. from 2020, researchers show a connection between sex hormones, fertility, and antioxidants.
As you can see, the body of work covering the effects of garlic on testosterone and other hormones is really rich. We also have indicators that antioxidants, which garlic definitely is, contribute to testosterone health and the overall health of the male reproductive system. It also has many other benefits, which counteract the symptoms of low testosterone, giving you more energy and boosting your libido.
It might sound a bit silly, but garlic is an aphrodisiac and a very effective one at that. It owes this effect to its high allicin content, which allows it to impact tiny blood vessels, which in turn may boost sexual performance and enjoyment. A study by Neelesh Kumar Maurya from 2022 covers the effects of allicin as it covers foods that can positively impact our libido.
To get this effect, you can eat the garlic as is, or you can take it as a supplement — it will have the same impact on your body. We don’t recommend you use it for this when thermally processed, as heat may convert some of the beneficial substances into something else, so the effect won’t be as strong.
All in all, garlic consumption can be a major contributor to fighting testosterone deficiency and can alleviate some of the symptoms that come with it.
Finding the right daily dosage
The recommended ingestion of garlic on a daily basis is between one and two cloves for adults — less for kids, but kids shouldn’t really worry about testosterone deficiency unless there is an underlying condition, which garlic can’t help with.
When we’re talking about supplementation, the optimal recommended dose is around 3,600 mg of aged garlic extract to keep it effective. Make sure you buy quality supplementation brands, though, as not all supplements are of the same quality, so the effects may vary.
If you take more than what is recommended here, you may experience some side effects. Garlic breath goes without saying, as the plant is pretty pungent. Overloading garlic may also lead to mild issues like digestive discomfort and heartburn. If we are talking about serious side effects, there are not very many of those, and they are not very common.
Increased risks of bleeding are a symptom that is commonly mentioned, so we’d recommend not eating garlic if you are going to have surgery in the near future and if you are using blood thinners too.
Make sure your garlic is fresh since if it is peeled it will only last for a while. If you hold an entire bulb in your fridge, it may last as long as three to six months.
Garlic’s interaction with protein
We’d like to discuss one lesser-known property of garlic that can be very helpful to people trying to combat testosterone deficiency with exercise. This is doubly true for people who got their deficiency due to a sedentary life and extra weight.
The effects of garlic can be significantly enhanced by combining it with foods high in amino acids. This includes fats, carbs, and lean meat. If you are looking for a healthy target for protein consumption when growing muscles, the American College of Sports Medicine suggests ingesting between 1.2 to 1.7 g of protein per kg to build a gram of muscle fiber.
An overview of health benefits gained through eating garlic
Let’s go through the wide range of known health benefits of garlic. Some of these can actually passively help with testosterone levels too.
Blood pressure reduction
As far as serious illnesses go, heart attacks and strokes are the most common health concerns around the world. Modern sedentary lifestyles and poor dieting contribute to this the most as they cause high cholesterol and increased blood pressure.
If you have issues with hypertension and increased blood pressure, garlic can help you get things under some degree of control. If you are not a fan of garlic, you can also take a supplement but make sure it is the equivalent of four cloves to get the desired effect.
Antibiotic effects
If you are seeking a confirmed antibiotic that is 100% natural, then garlic is the best choice. The primary ingredient that gives garlic its antibiotic effects is Allicin. The substance is known to help combat various bacteria, including Salmonella, but also fungi, viral infections, and protozoa elements.
This antibiotic effect combos well with any prescribed medicine, helping you resolve the issue faster and with less medication.
Cholesterol levels reduction
Not all cholesterol is bad — LDL cholesterol is the bad sort, and HDL is the good sort. The problem arises when LDL overtakes the other kind, as it can have serious repercussions for our health.
There are two great things about garlic and cholesterol. First, with regular consumption, it is able to reduce bad cholesterol by as much as 15%. Second, it does not impact the levels of good cholesterol, meaning there is no negative side-effect.
Boosts the immune system
In the old days, strings of garlic cloves were hung around children’s necks to help them fight the cold. We later figured out through scientific research that garlic is amazing at fighting colds and flues of various kinds. It also reduces coughing and fevers, which are common symptoms of a cold. Doctors recommend eating two chopped garlic cloves a day to get the best effects.
Body detoxification
Our bodies tend to accumulate a lot of bad substances over the course of our lives. These toxins can come from pesticides in food, radiation from random sources, cleaners, personal hygiene products, and so on.
While a lot of these are not harmful in small amounts, when they reach a certain amount, they can cause problems for our bodies.
Garlic helps remove these harmful substances from our body by promoting the production of glutathione through the activation of liver enzymes. It also provides components for detoxification, most notably sulfur compounds and selenium.
Antioxidant effects
Last but definitely not least, the antioxidative effects of garlic are great at preventing oxidative damage, which is very present if you are exercising. Furthermore, oxidative damage contributes to nasty cognitive diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia. This doesn’t mean that if you eat garlic, you are going to be immune to these diseases, but it does mean that it can help you avoid them.
Conclusion
Garlic really is amazing. It can help with so many things in our life, but it can’t do so on its own. The testosterone-boosting part will work fat better if you combine it with exercise and a good diet. We also recommend you eat your garlic raw as the effects are strongest in that form. Keep in mind that garlic gives you a big boost in circulation, and its effects are felt, especially in terms of libido-boosting.
If you are finding that garlic is not enough of a boost, maybe consider getting a specialized testosterone booster. They are supplements that are made from natural ingredients (some of them contain garlic extract) specifically designed to help the body produce more testosterone by either blocking testosterone conversion or giving the body everything it needs to create more.