Dr. Berg Table of Contents
Steak and eggs: a classic dish with a surprising benefit – boosting your testosterone! Discover the surprising link between this delicious meal and increased hormone production, plus other testosterone-boosting strategies you can easily implement today.
Steak and Eggs For Testosterone
- Testosterone levels aren’t solely determined by age: Contrary to popular belief, declining testosterone with age isn’t an absolute rule.
- You can influence your testosterone levels: Certain foods and healthy habits can boost testosterone, while others can destroy it. Prioritizing the avoidance of harmful habits is more important than simply adding beneficial ones.
To Increase Testosterone:
- Eat “Steak and Eggs”:
- Other beneficial foods: Oysters, asparagus, dark chocolate, truffles, saffron.
- Focus on: Regular exercise, quality sleep, and stress reduction.
To Prevent Testosterone Decline:
- Avoid sugar and refined carbs: These lead to insulin resistance, which disrupts testosterone production.
- Limit alcohol, especially beer: It accelerates the conversion of testosterone to estrogen.
- Steer clear of processed foods: Particularly those containing MSG (monosodium glutamate).
- Minimize soy and soy products: They promote estrogen production.
- Say no to microwave popcorn: It contains a chemical called PFAS, known to have negative hormonal effects.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Obesity increases the enzyme aromatase, which converts testosterone to estrogen.
- Avoid diet sodas: They contain aspartame, thought to interfere with brain chemicals linked to testosterone.
- Ditch the plastic water bottles: They contain BPA (bisphenol A), an endocrine disruptor.
Important Note: This information is derived from the article and shouldn’t replace professional medical advice for accurate diagnosis and personalized recommendations.
So let’s dive into the details…
Testosterone
Today, we’re gonna talk about testosterone. And one of the things I wanna mention is that steak and eggs is a great way to enhance testosterone. Now, before I tell you why.
Does Age Affect Testosterone?
I wanna mention this concept of testosterone decreasing with age. There’s some new research that states that that’s actually not a fact. Low testosterone is usually caused by something else, but age is not a significant factor.
- Myth: Testosterone decreases with age.
- Fact: Low testosterone is not primarily caused by age.
Now this is some good news because if you understand both sides, what will destroy testosterone and what will enhance it, you can be in good shape because you can actually control your own testosterone. So don’t buy into the whole thing while you’re getting old and there’s really nothing you can do.
- You have control: Understanding factors influencing testosterone levels allows you to manage them effectively.
How to Increase Testosterone
So let’s just dive right in. So why steak and eggs? How can that possibly increase your testosterone?
Steak and Eggs for Testosterone
Well, number 1, red meat is loaded with zinc, and zinc is probably the number one trace mineral that will enhance your testosterone.
In fact, those people who have a zinc deficiency get this condition called hypogonadism, and that is just a zinc deficiency.
- Zinc: A crucial mineral for testosterone production.
- Red meat: A top source of zinc.
- Hypogonadism: A condition linked to zinc deficiency.
So you’d wanna consume food high in zinc. And guess what? Red meat is at the top of the list.
Now what about eggs? Well, the egg yolk, specifically the cholesterol in the egg yolk, as well as the cholesterol in the fatty steak are precursors for making testosterone. Testosterone is a sex hormone, and it comes from, you guessed it, cholesterol.
So anything that lowers cholesterol will lower testosterone. And the other key nutrient to increase, enhance testosterone is vitamin D. And egg yolks have vitamin D.
- Cholesterol: A building block for testosterone.
- Egg yolks: Contain cholesterol and vitamin D, both beneficial for testosterone.
- Lowering cholesterol can impact testosterone levels.
Now if you’re gonna do steak and eggs, there’s a couple things you need to know.
How to Optimize Your Steak and Eggs for Testosterone:
- Choose fattier cuts: Opt for fattier steaks or hamburger instead of lean options.
- Include the yolk: Consume the whole egg, both yolk and whites.
- Make it lunch: Move this meal to lunchtime instead of breakfast.
You don’t want it for breakfast because eating a breakfast and a lunch and a dinner adds too many meals during a given day. That’s gonna increase insulin.
And that leads to the other reason why steak and eggs is a really good meal for testosterone. Steak and eggs is low carb. And, of course, I’m recommending not to add the toast or the fries or the cup potatoes or the orange juice. You want a low carb meal.
- Low-carb focus: Minimize insulin spikes by choosing low-carb options.
- Avoid high-carb sides: Skip the toast, fries, potatoes, and sugary drinks.
Insulin resistance lowers testosterone. Now it is true that insulin can enhance testosterone, but what happens when you start to increase insulin over a period of time, insulin becomes dysfunctional.
It’s called insulin resistance. So it doesn’t work anymore. So it lowers your testosterone.
- Insulin resistance: Prolonged high insulin levels can lead to dysfunction and lower testosterone.
Now I’m gonna continue on with the things that will enhance testosterone, but I just wanna let you know, if we compare those things that destroy testosterone to those things that enhance testosterone, the destroy list is way more important to focus on because those are the things that suppress testosterone.
- Prioritize: Focus on eliminating testosterone-destroying factors first.
And if you have something suppressing testosterone, I don’t care how many things you add to try to enhance testosterone. It’s not going to work. So let’s first go through the enhanced list, and then we’ll flip over to the destroy list.
More Ways to Enhance Testosterone
Alright.
- Exercise. Exercise will definitely increase testosterone. Plus, it’ll increase other hormones too. Growth hormone, IGF, glucagon. These are all fat burning hormones.
- Zinc. I already mentioned that with red meat, but oysters are even higher than red meat. Just 3 ounces of oysters will give you about 300% of what your requirements are for zinc. Zinc is in organ meats. It’s in red meat, any type of red meat, and it’s also in nuts, especially pistachios.
- Asparagus. Now what’s in asparagus that can increase your testosterone? Well, it’s been known to not only increase testosterone, but it can increase sperm count.
So it’s really good for fertility. Asparagus is also good for the kidney and having a healthy kidney is essential for having healthy testosterone. And the same goes with the liver as well.
And asparagus is loaded with vitamin E and vitamin E is considered a fertility vitamin. It can not only enhance testosterone, but it can also increase other sex hormones as well. - Dopamine-boosting foods: There’s a neurotransmitter called dopamine that gives you a pleasure sensation that has the capacity to influence and trigger testosterone.
So testosterone can increase dopamine and dopamine can increase testosterone. And one really good way to increase dopamine is through dark chocolate.
Of course, the low carb dark chocolate. Just make sure if you’re gonna consume chocolate, have it in the beginning part of the day, maybe at your lunch, not at night because it can interfere with your sleep. - Truffles. Okay? Truffles have naturally occurring testosterone. So we can add that to the list.
- Saffron. Saffron is probably one of the most expensive spices, but it’s considered an aphrodisiac. It increases testosterone and libido.
What Causes Low Testosterone?
Alright. Now that we have that data, let’s talk about what can destroy testosterone. This list is way, way more important to focus on.
Foods and Habits that Destroy Testosterone
- Sugar and Refined Carbs: You guessed it, sugar and refined carbohydrates will greatly suppress testosterone probably more than anything else. Why?
Because it develops into insulin resistance. So what does that mean? It means that you need to be on a low carb ketogenic plan if you wanna increase your testosterone.
If you’re consuming a lot of carbs, yet you’re taking all these supplements to try to boost your testosterone and you’re exercising, you’re wasting your time. - Statins: Statins inhibit cholesterol, the precursor that is required to make testosterone and other hormones. And I’m not telling you to get off your statins.
I’m just giving you the data so you can bring that up with your doctor. - Alcohol, Especially Beer: 2.5, which is actually not listed here, but that would be alcohol, especially beer, will really shut down your testosterone and cause you to create more estrogen.
In fact, estrogen comes from testosterone. So the beer and alcohol will accelerate the process. I’m sorry to have to break that to you. - Stress: Cortisol, that’s a stress hormone. That will shut down testosterone very fast as well. There are a million things you can do to counter stress.
I will put those links down below if if you haven’t seen my videos already. And one of the things to counter stress would be exercise, long walks. And if you combine long walks with, high intense interval training, I think you’ll be in good shape as far as exercise goes. - Poor Sleep: This is another killer of testosterone and libido. If you’re not sleeping, if you have sleep apnea, it’s gonna really mess up your hormones.
- MSG: MSG, monosodium glutamate, also known as modified food starch. You should start reading ingredients and start avoiding it.
Did you realize that the MSG in canned soup is so high that it’s equivalent to 10 bags of Doritos. MSG is that chemical that makes food taste way better than it is, and it’s loaded in all the fast foods and all the processed foods. So definitely need to avoid that. - Soy and Soy Derivatives: Next one is soy. And soy derivatives, like soy protein isolates, soy protein powder.
I mean, if you look at some of the ingredients, you you’d be shocked to find out how much soy is already in your diet. Salad dressings, protein bars, diet shakes, you name it.
Soy will enhance estrogen and not even estrogen that you really want. In fact, in women, it can enhance the plant based weaker estrogen and then block their own estrogen from getting in the receptor.
And so they end up with this, estrogen deficiency, which creates a whole series of issues. So even though we’re increasing estrogen, we’re actually decreasing their own estrogen. - Microwave Popcorn: Microwave popcorn. There’s a certain chemical in the bag, it’s called PFAS, that is an endocrine disruptor.
An endocrine disruptor is anything in the environment that mimics estrogen and destroys your endocrine system. And there’s a lot of things out there. This is one of them, just avoid it. And of course, popcorn is not on the list anyway. - Being Overweight: Being fat will increase your testosterone. When you have more fat, you have more of this enzyme called aromatase.
And what’s what aromatase does is it converts your testosterone into estrogen at a mad rate. So the more fat you have in your body, the more estrogen you’re gonna have, the less testosterone you’re gonna have.
But the good news is if you’re on a low carb diet, you can lose all that fat. - Aspartame: All right. Next one on the list is aspartame in diet sodas. This interferes with brain chemicals that then can lower testosterone.
You see, testosterone is really controlled by something in your brain. And so, a lot of people are focused on the testicles, the adrenals that make testosterone, but really it’s a reflection of the hypothalamus and pituitary.
That’s like the master glands that are controlling all your testosterone. So anything going on with your brain, let’s say you have Alzheimer’s or let’s say you’re getting dementia or any type of neurodegeneration is going to affect testosterone.
So this is another really good benefit of going on a low carb diet. You generate ketones that help the brain. Well, you also help the pituitary and the hypothalamus, which directly help the hormones that it controls. And testosterone is at the top of the list. - Plastic Water Bottles: Alright. And the last one on the list is the water bottles that are made out of plastic.
There’s certain things in that plastic, specifically BPA, which act as an endocrine disruptor and can increase your estrogen. So either get a filter or use glass bottles like this right here.
Anyway, I wanted to give you some additional information that goes beyond just steak and eggs to increase your testosterone.
Summary
New research shows age may not be a significant factor in a decrease in testosterone. If you understand what can enhance or destroy testosterone, then you can actually be more in control of your testosterone.
Keep in mind that it’s more important to focus on trying to avoid things that destroy testosterone and then do what you can to enhance testosterone.
Things that enhance testosterone:
- Steak and eggs (for lunch)
- Exercise
- Zinc
- Asparagus
- Dopamine
- Truffles
- Saffron
Things that destroy testosterone:
• Sugar and refined carbs (insulin resistance)
• Statins
• Alcohol
• Stress (cortisol)
• Poor sleep
• MSG
• Soy
• Microwave popcorn (PFAS)
• Being fat
• Aspartame
• Plastic water bottles (BPA)
FAQ
Is steak and eggs good for testosterone?
Steak and eggs can be beneficial for testosterone production, as they contain nutrients that support healthy testosterone levels. Steak is a good source of protein, zinc, and vitamin B6, which are important for testosterone synthesis. Eggs, particularly the yolks, are rich in cholesterol, which is a precursor for testosterone production. However, it’s important to consume steak and eggs in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Are eggs bad for testosterone?
Eggs are not bad for testosterone levels and can actually support healthy testosterone production. The yolks are rich in cholesterol, which is a precursor for testosterone synthesis. However, it’s important to consume eggs in moderation as part of a balanced diet, as excessive consumption of any food can lead to health issues.
Which meat raises testosterone the most?
While different meats can contribute to healthy testosterone levels, there is no definitive evidence that one type of meat raises testosterone more than others. Meat in general is a good source of protein, which is essential for muscle growth and repair. Additionally, some meats like beef and lamb are rich in zinc, a mineral that plays a crucial role in testosterone production. However, it’s important to consume meat as part of a balanced diet and to choose lean cuts to maintain overall health.
Is steak bad for testosterone?
Steak is not bad for testosterone levels and can actually support healthy testosterone production. Steak is a good source of protein, zinc, and vitamin B6, which are important for testosterone synthesis. However, it’s important to consume steak in moderation as part of a balanced diet, as excessive consumption of any food can lead to health issues. Additionally, choosing lean cuts of steak can help maintain a healthy weight and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Eggs for brain health
Eggs are a nutritious food that can support brain health. The yolks are rich in choline, a nutrient that is essential for brain development and function. Choline plays a role in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is important for memory, mood, and cognitive function. Additionally, eggs contain other nutrients like vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial for brain health.
Egg yolk good for brain
Egg yolks are particularly beneficial for brain health due to their high content of choline. Choline is a nutrient that is essential for brain development and function. It plays a role in the production of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter that is important for memory, mood, and cognitive function. Additionally, egg yolks contain other nutrients like vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids that are beneficial for brain health.
