Getting Your RDA Of Magnesium Is One Of The Best Ways To Increase Testosterone Naturally
We will be exploring why magnesium aids testosterone production. The amount of magnesium you require daily and what some the best sources of magnesium are.
Magnesium And Testosterone Production
As you will see below one of the processes in the body magnesium aids with is the formation of proteins. This aids with your testosterone levels as when there is a lack of protein in the body it releases SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). This binds to testosterone making it unavailable for use. When the body has sufficient magnesium stores this process doesn’t happen meaning testosterone is free to be used by the body.
There was a study conducted involving 30 males aged from 18 to 22 who were considered a mixture of sedentary and active. After them taking a regular dose of 10mg of magnesium over the course of four weeks, testosterone levels were shown to increase “significantly”. It also showed that those participants who worked out on a regular basis saw the highest boost in testosterone production while taking magnesium.
This doesn’t’ surprise me, as HIIT and resistance training are shown to be highly effective ways to increase testosterone naturally. So that combined with magnesium supplementation should lead to a greater rise in T levels. Magnesium also helps you get to sleep & manage the bodies stress levels. Getting a decent nights sleep & keeping the stress hormone cortisol low are two of the most effective ways to increase testosterone as well!
Why Else Magnesium Is Important & How It Benefits the Body
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral found in the human body. It’s required for over 600 reactions in the both the body and brain. Some more vital ones are:
- Maintaining Genes – Magnesium aids with creation & repair of DNA & RNA.
- Creation Of Energy – Helps with the process that converts food to energy
- Regulation Of The Nervous System – Aids with the regulation of the neurotransmitters that send messages to & from the brain & nervous system.
- Formation Of Proteins – Aids with the creation of new proteins from amino acids.
Magnesium is also thought to boost exercise performance, aid with sleep, help fight type 2 diabetes, lower blood pressure, fight depression, reduce inflammation, help prevent migraines and reduce insulin resistance. Pretty much all of these have a direct impact on testosterone production (especially sleep & inflammation) & your T production is better, when these are healthier.
How Much Magnesium Do You Need?
It is a lack of magnesium in the body that is a cause of testosterone production dipping. So if you are low on Magnesium (which most people in Western society are) increasing your intake to recommended levels will be a natural testosterone booster but “overdosing” won’t increase your T levels any further. So following on from the above, Let’s take a look at what the recommended daily intakes are for Magnesium:
Adult Male 400 – 420mg per day
Adult Female 310 – 320mg per day
For males, when you pass the age of 30 you want to look at increasing your intake to the higher end of the recommended bracket. For pregnant women (18+), you want to look at increasing your levels to 350mg – 360mg per day.
How To Know If You’re Low On Magnesium
There are blood tests that measure magnesium levels. You may be able to get this via your doctor; but it’s not always possible & the process can be quite lengthy. There are several companies out there that offer private blood tests for vitamins, minerals, hormone levels etc. I personally use Medichecks (UK Based) & recommend them to those of you who live in the UK, if you are US based I would recommend Discounted Labs
You Can Find Out More About The Blood Tests That Medichecks UK Offer Here
Good Sources Of Magnesium That Aid Testosterone Production
A couple of things to note are that you ideally want to opt for organic produce wherever possible. They have a better nutritional profile and the pesticides used on non organic produce lower testosterone and can cause a number of other health issues. You can find out more on this in the article below.
Things That Lower Testosterone – What To Avoid article
There are some sources of magnesium which have been left out of this list. This includes food groups like lentils/ legumes, beans, soy based foods & grains. This is due to other parts of their nutritional profile leading to lowered testosterone production or not being great for nutrition as a whole. The different foods sources listed here won’t lower T & have nutritional profiles that further help increase testosterone production & wider health. So Let’s now look at some of the best sources of magnesium.
Spinach
One cup of spinach is provides approximately 160mg of magnesium, so a decent chunk of your RDA. Spinach like most dark & leafy green vegetables has a great nutritional profile. It is also a good source of Zinc, Vitamin C, K, B, & iron. You will likely notice Spinach in most of my articles surrounding foods that boost testosterone production. Eating spinach alone is one of the great ways to increase testosterone naturally. Other leafy and green vegetables like Swiss chard, cauliflower, broccoli are also a good source of magnesium.
Avocado
Avocados provide approximately 60mg of magnesium per fruit. Avocado are also a great source of monounsaturated fats, B vitamins and Vitamin K1. All of these aid testosterone production, avocado is something else I recommend adding to your diet for increased testosterone production is your aim.
Cacao Nibs
100 grams of organic cacao nibs provides between approximately 500mg of magnesium. Making the average serving of approximately 35 grams providing about 170mg of magnesium. Cacao is also a good source of Zinc and are a nutritional powerhouse. I advise to eat raw cacao as supposed to chocolate, as with chocolate you get the sugar, soy etc. Which will negate the positive nutritional benefit of Cacao.
Pumpkins Seeds
1 ounce of pumpkin Seeds provides about 150mg of magnesium, on top of that they are a super food as far as testosterone production goes. This is due to them also being a good source of zinc, saturated fats and monounsaturated fats. A couple of warnings I would give about pumpkin seeds is they are very high in calories, so watch volumes/ calorie consumption & high in omega 6, so if you are looking to ower omega 6 consumption, I’d advise avoiding them.
Oysters
Six ounces of oysters provide approximately 100mg of magnesium. They are also an excellent source of zinc and good source of vitamin B12.
Fish: Mackerel/ Pollock/ Tuna
All of these fish are a pretty good source of magnesium, they all provide approximately 97mg to every 110g. Oily fish like mackerel are also a great source of omega 3 which lowers inflammation for further increased testosterone production.
Parsley
100 grams of parsley will provide you with approximately 50mg of magnesium. While I don’t expect you to go adding 100g to every meal, you can add a fair bit of parsley as seasoning as the flavor is very mild. That is part the reason parsley made this list, the other part is that parsley also contains a flavanoid called apigenin.This enables better conversion of cholesterol to free testosterone and apigenin has anti tumor activity.
Chicken Breast
Your average size chicken breast (150 grams) provides approximately 45mg of magnesium. Other poultry like duck & turkey are also a reasonable source albeit providing slightly less than chicken. The same goes for other commonly eaten meats like Pork, Beef & lamb. There are multiple foods that are efficient testosterone boosters due to their nutrition profile, you can see my wider recommended list in the below article.
48 Foods That Boost Testosterone Production
Supplements
I always recommend trying to get your daily nutrients through your diet, however this won’t always be possible & in reality with magnesium, this is especially difficult to do so that is when supplementation becomes useful! Magnesium is one of the few minerals I 100% recommend that you supplement on top of your dietary intake. For the best part, I would advise avoiding supplement complexes, you can check out some of the magnesium brands I recommend below.
Check Out The Magnesium Testosterone Boosting Supplements I Recommend Here
Final Thoughts & Future Articles
Hopefully you can see how getting enough magnesium is needed for your broader health & one of the best ways to increase testosterone naturally. There are multiple vitamins and minerals that boost testosterone production. I’ve published multiple articles looking at these vitamins & minerals & and the different ways to increase testosterone by getting them in your diet. You can check out these articles below.
Ways To Increase Testosterone Naturally With Vitamins & Minerals
Please share this article with anyone you think may find it useful. If you have any questions regarding magnesium and testosterone or experience, I’d love to hear from you, just drop me a comment! You can also follow me my on my Twitter & social media sites where I will be sharing more tips and info on ways to increase testosterone naturally,
