How To Support Testosterone Levels Naturally
Low testosterone isn’t just a number on a lab result—it’s a silent struggle that affects millions of men and women every day. It creeps in slowly, stealing your energy, dimming your confidence and dulling the spark that once made you feel vibrant and alive. You start to notice the change: you're more tired than usual, your workouts aren't paying off, your mood dips for no reason, and your desire—for life, for intimacy, for vitality—begins to fade.
Testosterone is often labeled as the "male hormone," but its importance stretches far beyond gender. It plays a vital role in muscle mass, mood, libido, bone health and overall vitality. When levels dip, the effects can feel like you're a shadow of your former self.
Common Symptoms of Low Testosterone:
Chronic fatigue and low energy
Decreased sex drive or libido
Mood swings, irritability, or depression
Loss of muscle mass and increased body fat
Difficulty concentrating or memory problems
Poor sleep quality
Reduced endurance or physical performance
The good news? You don’t have to accept this as your new normal.
Optimal Testosterone Levels (As recommended by functional health practitioners vs standard lab testing)
Optimal range of testosterone for men: 600+ (600-900)
Optimal range of testosterone for women: 55+ (up to 100)
Keep in mind there are about 3 kinds of testosterone lab tests out there. Free Testosterone is the testosterone which is readily available for use.
The Natural Way Back: Supporting Testosterone with Key Vitamins
Instead of turning straight to synthetic or hormone treatments, many people are turning to natural, vitamin-based support to help their bodies restore hormonal balance. There are several vitamins to support natural testosterone production but the most vital ones are the following. These vitamins and minerals turn on processes in your body to produce testosterone naturally.
Zinc Picolinate
Zinc is a powerhouse mineral when it comes to testosterone production. It helps regulate enzymes involved in hormone production and is essential for immune function. Low levels of zinc have been directly linked to decreased testosterone. Foods rich in zinc include oysters, red meat, seafood and pumpkin seeds (or pumpkin seed protein powder to easily add to protein shakes).
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium supports over 300 biochemical reactions in the body—including hormone regulation. It improves sleep, reduces inflammation, and enhances exercise performance—all of which are crucial for optimal testosterone levels. You can find magnesium in leafy greens, almonds, pumpkin seeds, avocados, dark chocolate. Magnesium Glycinate (or Bisglycinate) is recommended in supplement form.
Vitamin D3
Often called the "sunshine vitamin," vitamin D3 acts more like a hormone than a vitamin. Studies have shown a strong correlation between low vitamin D levels and low testosterone. Regular sun exposure, fortified foods, or supplements can help raise your levels naturally. It is preferred you get D3 from the sun but it can be found in foods like fatty fish, eggs, liver, cod liver oil, mushrooms.
What’s the key formula?
Zinc: 15 mg per day
Magnesium: Women 320 mg per day; Men 420 mg per day
D3: 800 IU per day
(all via dietary intake or with supplements)
Supporting Testosterone with Lifestyle Changes
STRESS MANAGEMENT! Cortisol is the enemy of testosterone.
How to do this?
Take time for yourself. Meditate or sit in silence for at least 3 minutes a day (morning is best to start your day with a calm mindset and cut cortisol levels). 3 minute of meditation each day is more beneficial than 20 minutes once a week.
Belly Breathing. Add this to your 3 minute morning meditation or sitting in silence. Keep the upper chest still and use your diaphragm/belly to expand the lungs. Breathe through your nose, not your mouth. This is hard at first. This is essential for heart health too.
Do more of what you love. What is a hobby you can lose track of time while doing? Do more of this. Play, rest and creativity are essential.
Recognize & limit the stressors in your life. What causes stress or drains you? Can this be limited in some way? Delegated to someone else? Can you have better outlets for this stress (short or long term)? Mindset, meditation, & talking about the hard things go a long way in managing the burden of stress.
Reduce environmental chemicals. Industrial chemicals, scented candles, scented laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, room sprays and scented plug ins. These cause an imbalance of estrogen which leads to an imbalance of testosterone. These chemicals stay in the body longer than they should and can be harder to clear as we age.
Prioritize sleep. The ideal bedtime is 10:30 at the latest. When we sleep the body repairs itself, the brain neutralizes toxins, removes cancer cells, long term memory gets organized, muscles grow, hormones are made, immune system strengthens, and growth hormone increases which is important for tissue repair. Sleep apnea and mouth breathing lead to decrease in testosterone. Keep the room dark, cool, phones out of the bedroom and don’t eat within 3 hours of bedtime.
Movement. 20 minute walk every morning outdoors. This gets your skin and eyes exposed to natural sunlight before the rays become harmful later in the day. For every 1,000 steps you take daily you reduce risk of death by 15%. Weight lifting 3+ times per week. As tolerated. If doing cardio the same day: weight lift first, then cardio.
Sunlight in the morning. This primes the circadian rhythm for better mood, hormone regulation and sleep that night and reduces cortisol. Too hot or cold out? Use a red light lamp. This creates dopamine for fertility and testosterone release. 2-10 minutes of bright light (sun or infrared) is sufficient within an hour of waking.
Try ice baths or cold showers as often as tolerable. Do not do this the week before a period or the week during. Contrast therapy encourages healthy blood flow and hormone regulation.
Supporting Testosterone Levels with Nutrition Changes
Sex hormones are regulated by diet. Primarily sugar, starch, and processed food.
Cut out sugar. Get rid of refined sugar in your diet (sweeteners, alcohol, white table sugar, powdered sugar). Use granulated cane sugar, honey, or pure maple syrup when needed in moderation. Fruit is fine.
Load up on protein. 30-50 grams of protein per meal is recommended. Prioritize red meat and organ meats. Bonus: both are extremely helpful for a pain free and healthy menstrual cycle for women.
Ditch the seed oils. Canola, sunflower, corn, soybean, vegetable, rapeseed, canola spreadable butter. Replace with olive oil, ghee, or quality irish butter. Seeds oils ruin heart health, cell health, energy and cause chronic inflammation and hormone imbalances.
Cut out processed food. What is processed food? If you cannot recreate the food or snack in your own home with items in your pantry or fridge, then it is created in a lab and unnatural to the body. If you do not recognize or cannot pronounce ingredients on a package with minimal effort, then it is processed. Healthy food has minimal ingredients. Nutrient dense foods are those which provide a high amount of vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial nutrients for relatively few calories. Processed foods are what lead to inflammation, chronic disease, weight gain and are empty calories. Whole foods are natural and nourish your body giving you stable energy and eliminating brain fog. You’ll be amazed at the natural weight loss and hormone balance which can occur by simply cutting processed food and sugar from your diet.
Balancing testosterone is about more than just numbers—it’s about reclaiming how you feel in your skin. If you’ve been feeling “off,” don’t ignore the signs. Sometimes, small, natural changes—like replenishing key vitamins—can reignite the strength, vitality, and clarity you’ve been missing.
Your body knows how to heal. Sometimes, it just needs a little help. Introducing your body to these vitamins and minerals with the addition of exercise and stress reductions will make a large impact on natural testosterone levels.
Do you have questions about specific supplements we recommend? Sign up for our Fullscript portal to get tailored recommendations and special pricing on supplements shipped to your door.
As Always,
Happy Hydrating
