5 things that destroy Testosterone and Erections. 

Introduction

Imagine waking up one day to find your libido vanished, your mornings devoid of the familiar rise, and your strength waning in the gym. This is precisely what happened to me a few years ago—a rapid decline that left me alarmed and puzzled, wondering what could have caused such a sudden change.

The culprit? A seemingly innocent dietary choice – the keto diet. Intrigued by its popularity and promises, I decided to give it a try, unaware of the havoc it would wreak on my libido and masculine vigor.

But amidst the frustration, a glimmer of hope emerges. A simple reintroduction of fruit into my diet sparks a remarkable transformation. Within hours, my libido surges back to life, leaving me astonished by the power of carbohydrates.

Driven by curiosity and a desire to understand what happened, I delved into research. What I uncovered was a revelation that nobody had shared with me before.

Carbohydrates, it turns out, are essential for the conversion of crucial thyroid hormones vital for testosterone production. They also play a pivotal role in insulin release, regulating STAR protein, a key player in testosterone synthesis.

Moreover, carbohydrates aid in reducing cortisol levels, offering a much-needed reprieve from the relentless stress of modern life.

Yet, the ketogenic diet, with its carbohydrate restriction, disrupts these fundamental biological processes, bringing male libido to a screeching halt. 

Feeling compelled to explore further, my background as a health-obsessed engineer (with OCD) and access to cutting-edge scientific literature led me to delve deeper into these topics than most people ever could.

And so, I wrote this blog post uncovering five insidious threats to testosterone levels and masculine vigor. I hope you will find it valuable.

Food 1: Flaxseed

While often considered a health food, recent consumer labs reports revealed that many brands sourced from different areas of the world have high levels of cadmium ¹, a well-known heavy metal and endocrine disruptor ².

Flaxseed consumption at a dose of 30g/day reduced both total and free androgen index in men by 15% and 19% respectively. However, the study was in combination with a 20% fat diet (with no mention of what their diet was beforehand) and lacked a control group ³. Estrogen was not tested, which is perhaps the most alarming concern in the case of flax.

For example, Flax was shown to increase estrogen by 21% in rodents. 

Source- ⁴

A substantial amount of lignans and lignan precursors have been shown to increase estrogen, potentially by occupying and activating estrogen receptors. They also stimulate the liver to increase SHBG ⁵, which binds to our testosterone, decreasing our free testosterone.

Another consideration with flaxseed lignans and flavonoids is their metabolism, which is highly dependent on the microbiome, requiring sufficient lactobacillus strains to break them down into beneficial compounds ⁶. Flax also contains cyanogenic glucosides. These can metabolize into cyanide, a toxic compound that can cause endocrine disruption, including reduced testicular weight and testosterone ⁷. 

2. SOY

While there may be some data that shows soy or isoflavones does not have a negative effect on male hormones, there are a plethora of studies that show it does. For example, 

1. -soy foods and soy isoflavones is associated with lower sperm concentration ⁸.

2. -soya supplements reduce serum testosterone ⁹.

3. Soy protein powder decreases serum testosterone levels in healthy men and acts as an ER-beta agonist ¹⁰.

Case studies also highlight concerns. 

• A 60-year-old man developed gynecomastia, erectile dysfunction, and decreased libido after ingesting 3 quarts of soy milk daily. His estrogen was 4x above the range, but all these symptoms reversed after stopping the soy ¹¹.

• A 19-year-old man on a vegan diet high in soy who experienced a sudden onset of loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. Blood levels of free and total testosterone were initially decreased, but they normalized within 1 year after discontinuation of the vegan diet ¹².

3. Fast Food

100% of the 41 samples tested at fast food chains across America tested positive in heavy metals including lead, mercury and cadmium, ¹³ all of which can disrupt endocrine function. ¹⁴ ¹⁵ ¹⁶.

100% of samples tested at fast food chains were positive for glyphosate, a well known endocrine disruptor ¹⁷ and 76% had other pesticides ¹⁸. 

Fast food often uses inexpensive seed oils for cooking. 67% of the French fries tested at fast-food restaurants were found to have been fried in corn oil. ¹⁹.

Corn oil, even at 1 tbsp per day, has been shown to decrease testosterone levels in men.

Oils which have the highest RATIO of the omega 6 fatty acid, linoleic acid, such as seed oils, can lead to insulin resistance and obesity through their ability to esterify to 2AG and AEA ²⁰ ²¹.

The production process of these seed oils also uses chemicals and high temperatures that not only oxidize the oil but may also result in trace amounts of these chemicals lingering in the oils ²².

A randomized controlled trial and meta-analysis found that replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (like what are found in seed oils) are found to increase coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease ²³, which def is not good for erectile health.

Due to my engineering background, I have a keen eye for detail, which has led to me discovering studies showing opposite outcomes, such as ones by the American Heart Association, were brought into existence by seed oil companies ²⁴. Stanford studies are also questionable due to the scientists having a history of being paid off by the sugar industry ²⁵ and the president of Stanford was recently forced to resign due to falsifications of literature ²⁶.

4. Processed foods & sugars

Processed foods are typically high in added sugars, which have been associated with adverse metabolic effects. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to insulin resistance, obesity, and inflammation ²⁷, all of which can negatively impact hormone production and regulation ²⁸. Diets high in added sugars were associated with a higher risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, both of which are linked to decreased testosterone levels ²⁹.

5. A keto DIET

While keto has become increasingly popular, it is an example of an extreme diet with many downsides. Not only has keto been shown to reduce performance by forcing the body to run on ketones, which is a slower source of energy than glucose, but it has also been shown to:

1. Carbohydrate null diets reduce the conversion of T4 into T3, which can be prevented with the addition of carbs ³⁰ which increase thyroid activity ³¹. The thyroid hormones are crucial for testosterone and free testosterone especially ³². Thyroid hormones have also been on the decline, so this concern is warranted ³³.

2. Insulin has been shown to increase the expression of STAR protein, thus increasing steroidogenesis. Additionally, it has been associated with a decrease in SHBG, thus increasing free testosterone. A ketogenic diet will impair this ³⁴.

3. Carbohydrates are important for reducing CRH and cortisol response to stress including exercise induced stress ³⁵. Therefore, KETO could lead to higher cortisol.

Conclusion

In conclusion, avoiding the above foods and restrictive diets can help ensure you are not compromising your hormonal health.

Unleash your vigor and conquer your limits,

-Brenden Henry