Can Zinc Boost Testosterone? (Expert Research)

If you are concerned about low testosterone levels, you might be surprised by hearing that just fixing your zinc intake can make a big difference. In this article, we'll review the link behind zinc and testosterone to understand whether zinc can boost testosterone.

Testosterone levels tend to decrease naturally as we age. This decline affects normal body functions and overall health. Zinc is a great nutrient to help you address those health issues, especially low testosterone.

Zinc consumption is associated with a wide range of health benefits. It supports a healthy immune system, helps create and repair DNA, and is essential for cell growth and repair.

If you are interested in learning how zinc aids the body, read this article to learn more.

What is Zinc, and What Does Zinc Do for Your Body?

Zinc is an essential mineral for many of the body's normal functions. It supports healthy immune function, DNA synthesis, hormone production, and wound healing.

Zinc plays an important role in the production and action of testosterone. Although the formulation of zinc with magnesium has been shown to increase levels of testosterone by 30%,⁽¹⁾ zinc seems to be the most effective in people who suffer from zinc deficiency.⁽²⁾ Also, zinc deficiency often goes hand in hand with testosterone deficiency.

Since the body doesn't make zinc, it's important to get enough of it through food or supplements.

People with inadequate zinc levels may likely experience hair loss, frequent infections, diarrhea, skin problems, and a loss of appetite.

Pros

• Helps the body fight colds and infections
• Skin protection and wound healing
• Suports healthy testosterone levels

Cons

• Supplements can cause nausea.
• Excessive amounts may hinder the absorption of other minerals.

What Are the Health Benefits of Zinc?

Many clinical studies have shown the beneficial effects of zinc in healthy adults.

Zinc intake can bring several of the health benefits below:

• Healthy Immune System: zinc supplements improve your body's ability to fight infections such as the common cold.⁽³⁾ People who have low zinc levels have weak immune function and are more susceptible to respiratory infections.

• Reduce Inflammation: due to its regulatory role in the immune system, zinc has inflammatory properties.⁽⁴⁾ It helps reduce oxidative stress, which can benefit conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
• Aids in Fertility Problems: Zinc appears to aid fertility⁽⁵⁾ in both males and females. Low amounts of zinc can decrease sperm quality and testosterone levels.

Zinc and Testosterone: Does Zinc Boost Testosterone?

Zinc and testosterone production are closely related. It is a well-established fact that severe and moderate zinc deficiency in men is associated with hypogonadism (abnormally low testosterone levels).⁽²⁾

Testosterone is a vital male sex hormone. It regulates sex drive, helps bone and muscle development, and regulates optimal testosterone levels in men.

Zinc is an essential mineral for male fertility, healthy testosterone maintenance, and the overall health of the male reproductive system.

Zinc can lower the amount of sex hormone-binding globulin in the body. This can help raise free testosterone levels by stopping SHBG from binding to testosterone.

Are There Any Side Effects to Having Too Much Zinc?

Having too much zinc with food, even over 100 mg/day, does not seem to pose any health risks. However, taking too many zinc supplements may result in adverse effects, such as:

• Nausea and Vomiting: taking zinc supplements, especially in high doses, is likely to cause nausea and vomiting.⁽⁶⁾

(NOTE: If you suffer from zinc toxicity, seek professional medical advice immediately.)

• Changes in taste: sufficient zinc intake supports normal and healthy taste perception. On the other hand, taking too much zinc can result in hypogeusia, a dysfunction of your ability to taste. It appears as a metallic or objectionable taste in the mouth.⁽⁷⁾

Other than that, mild symptoms of zinc toxicity include:

• Diarrhea
• Stomach pain
• Loss of appetite
• Headaches 

What Are the Signs of Low Zinc Levels?

Several symptoms are likely to appear if you do not have enough zinc in your body.

These symptoms can range from frequent colds to blood sugar issues, or even muscle loss and infertility due to low testosterone.

The most common and obvious symptoms of zinc deficiency are:

• Frequent infections: people who are zinc deficient are more likely to have frequent colds and other infectious disorders.⁽⁸⁾ This is due to the key role of zinc in regulating the immune function.
• Hair loss: due to the role of zinc in hair growth, zinc deficiency commonly manifests with hair thinning and hair loss.⁽⁹⁾

• Acne Breakout: zinc deficiency is associated with acne breakouts and severity. Taking zinc may help clear breakouts due to its anti-inflammatory properties.⁽¹⁰⁾

• Delayed wound healing: zinc deficiency causes cuts and scrapes to heal longer because your body relies on zinc to repair cells and tissues.⁽¹¹⁾

• Low Testosterone Levels: Low test levels are also one of the symptoms of zinc deficiency. Low T-levels are detrimental to men's health as they are likely to experience low sex drive, weight gain, depression, and muscle loss. Zinc deficiency also contributes to male infertility due to decreased sperm count and low sperm quality.⁽¹²⁾

Other common symptoms of zinc deficiency include diarrhea, emotional lability, mental issues, and impaired taste and smell.⁽¹³⁾

If you have zinc deficiency, the best course of action is to fix your diet and take additional zinc supplements, if needed.

How Much Zinc Do You Need?

The endocrine system is made up of hormone-secreting glands. These hormones control most body functions, such as growth, metabolism, sleep, and reproduction.

To keep your endocrine system functioning correctly, you should consume at least 15 mg of zinc daily.

This dosage is enough for most people to prevent zinc deficiency and support body processes that require zinc.

However, you should not consume more than 40 mg of zinc daily from supplements for more than a month. As mentioned earlier, excessive zinc intake can lead to toxicity. However, you should be fine getting more than that from food.

Some medical conditions can deplete body stores of zinc, which may require you to take zinc supplements. Make sure you consult with your medical doctor before doing so.

What Are the Best Ways to Increase Zinc Levels?

There are a few main ways to increase zinc levels. All you need to do is consume a variety of zinc-rich foods, mostly animal products, and find a good zinc supplement to get you covered.

If you are wondering how it works, read the section below.

Zinc Supplementation

The way to optimal testosterone should ideally start with restoring normal zinc levels. Zinc supplementation is probably the most popular way to achieve adequate zinc levels in the body. There are several forms of zinc supplements, and all of them can be bought on major retail websites and at local pharmacies.

Here are some of the best products that increase both testosterone and zinc levels.

• TestoPrime
• Testogen
• Prime Male
• Testodren
• TestoFuel
• Testo-Max
• TestRX

However, before taking any supplements, make sure you get advice from your healthcare provider to avoid negative side effects.

Zinc Food Sources

If investing in zinc supplements is not for you, zinc-rich food is always the best bet.

Foods high in zinc include:

• Meat
• Shellfish
• Nuts
• Dairy products
• Eggs
• Whole grains

Zinc and Other Hormones

Zinc has different functions and effects on the other hormones in the body, which allow them to perform their normal physiological functions.

Some of the hormones influenced by zinc include:

• Growth Hormone: Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary gland. It is responsible for growth and development of all body cells. The growth hormone regulates muscle growth, bone growth rate, and fat metabolism. Zinc deficiency can negatively impact growth by negatively affecting the levels of growth hormone and its metabolites.⁽¹⁴⁾
• Thyroid Hormones: Zinc is needed for the synthesis and action of thyroid hormones in the body.⁽¹⁵⁾ Low zinc levels can lead to hypothyroidism.
• Luteinizing Hormone: LH is the hormone responsible for stimulating testosterone production. If you are producing too much testosterone, the hypothalamus will alert the pituitary gland⁽¹⁶⁾ to reduce the production of LH, which can lead to a decreased secretion of testosterone. If you have a zinc deficiency, it can lead to impaired synthesis or secretion of LH and decreased testosterone production.

FAQ:

We know that low testosterone levels leave men worried and raise many questions. Here are some of those questions answered.

Conclusion: Does Zinc Really Boost Testosterone Levels?

If you suffer from low testosterone symptoms, zinc is one of the best minerals to support optimal testosterone production.

Zinc also helps fight colds and infections, maintains skin health, speeds wound healing, and can even help treat erectile dysfunction, increase sex drive, and improve muscle mass.

Make sure you estimate your dietary zinc intake before starting with zinc supplements.

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