Titus Perry
08/31/2024
Zinc deficiency is perhaps the biggest nutritional mistake a man can make when it comes to optimizing testosterone and general health and well-being.
The mineral is crucial to the immune system, skin health, muscle development (independent of testosterone), eyesight, metabolic health, blood glucose management, reducing systemic inflammation, wound healing, blood clotting, sperm quality/quantity, is a potent antioxidant, and more.
The RDI for zinc is 11mg/day for men and 8mg/day for women. Even a marginal deficiency in this nutrient can result in a stark decrease in testosterone over the course of several months and minor decreases can be seen even as soon as 7 days' time.
It is worth noting that zinc supplementation only works to boost testosterone in the presence of a zinc deficiency. In the case of adequate zinc intake from the diet, further addition of zinc through supplementation will not boost testosterone any further.
It is also worth noting that if an individual is amp to take zinc supplements, using copper is also necessary especially when zinc is used long-term. This is because zinc and copper compete for absorption and too much of one can result in deficiency of the other. A zinc to copper ratio of 10:1 is generally considered to be ideal, though it can range from 8:1 to 12:1.
Severe zinc deficiency when corrected can more than double testosterone in hypogonadal men. This one nutrient play's that great of a role in testosterone production and it's not totally understood yet exactly how it does so. Though it's hypothesized that part of the reason is that it interacts with Leydig cells in the testes working as an antioxidant and also plays a role in converting testosterone into the more potent androgen Dihydrotestosterone. It has also been shown to boost free (bioavailable) testosterone as well suggesting that it is able to lower or deactivate SHBG in the blood.
Your best and richest whole food sources of zinc will come from shellfish, oysters, red meat, organ meat, pumpkin seeds, and eggs. Avoid foods high in oxalates and phytates as these inhibit zinc absorption (as well as other nutrients).
Comments