ProductsClaiming to Cure Low T: Are These Real?
We’re often asked about what exercises, foods, or supplements raise testosterone levels—products that could cure Low T and skirt the need for Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). It might sound logical that if you’re suffering from low mood, fatigue, and/or diminished sex drive, improving your overall fitness and general health might be a viable solution, and if your testosterone is just barely below the borderline for your body and you’re experiencing mild symptoms, you could see some small gains.
However, if you suffer from clinical Low T with more moderate to severe symptoms, simply getting into better shape, eating better, or finding the right product that claims to cure Low T isn’t going to balance your hormones.
But, what about Vitamin D?
What about DHEA?
What about OTC Testosterone Boosters?
Many people think, surely, there must be a product that could cure Low without needing a full-on medical intervention…
But there isn’t.
(These links will assist you if you’d like information specific to diet or exercise.)
Vitamin D and Your Testosterone Levels
Some research supports a significant relationship between adequate levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream and total testosterone levels, which means it’s possible that sufficient vitamin D could reduce the risk of developing hypogonadism (the medical term for Low T). The unfortunate fact is the research also showed that increases in total testosterone and free testosterone plateaued once vitamin D levels were optimized. These increases would be woefully insufficient to overcome chronic, clinically low testosterone.
Overall, research into vitamin D as a treatment for low testosterone is inconclusive, which comes as no surprise. No food or vitamin supplement, including vitamin D, acts as a silver bullet that will return clinically low testosterone levels to normal.
That will be the repeating theme as we move through the list of products below that are rumored to cure Low T.
Don’t Pin Your Hopes on DHEA to Cure Low T
DHEA is short for dehydroepiandrosterone, a steroid hormone that’s naturally produced in men’s adrenal glands and liver. DHEA is a precursor, which means it helps in the production of other hormones including testosterone and estrogen. Therefore, supplementing the amount of your naturally produced hormone would theoretically provide your body with the ingredients to produce more testosterone and increase your usable level—a line of thinking that makes sense at first glance.
Unfortunately, simple doesn’t describe your body’s endocrine system, which is infinitely complicated. Further, there’s no reliable scientific proof that increasing DHEA results in any significant boost in bioavailable testosterone.
Rather than putting DHEA into your system and hoping that your body somehow will figure out what hormones to produce from this raw material, why not address directly the actual issue of insufficient testosterone with your medical provider?
Testosterone Boosters: Steer Clear!
Testosterone boosters are dietary supplements, so the safety regulation and fact-checking of any marketing claims are always suspect. The oversight of these products is nothing like the highly regulated medications that legitimate hormone replacement providers prescribe.
Research conducted at the University of Southern California analyzed the ingredients of the first 50 testosterone boosters that appeared in a Google search on the topic, and the primary ingredients found were:
- Zinc
- Vitamin B6
- Fenugreek extract
While not harmful ingredients in and of themselves, The amounts included in many of the products were well beyond recommended daily limits. Frankly, these products could contain just about anything, and it’s entirely possible these products don’t contain any of the ingredients they claim to.
Therefore, from a medical standpoint, these testosterone boosters are more risky than they could possibly be helpful.
No Product Cures Low T, But Life-Changing Treatment Is Available
If you’re experiencing fatigue, low libido, poor bone and muscle development, and other symptoms common to Low T, why not attack the issue with a treatment protocol that is research backed and medically sound, instead of looking for a potion to cure Low T?
Consult your medical provider, and not the latest marketing promises. A simple blood test to check your hormone levels is often all it takes to identify the source of your symptoms. A treatment protocol can then be tailored to your specific circumstances to relieve the symptoms that are damaging your quality of life.
Testosterone Centers of Texas (TCT) offers a free consult to help you understand the root causes of your symptoms and develop a treatment plan that should relieve your symptoms and lead to a significant improvement in your quality of life.
