| 6 | ANDROGENIC FOODS |
Everybody, sooner or later, sits down to a banquet of consequences.
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
There are a number of foods that have been found to possess androgenic actions and that can help restore androgen levels or the androgen/estrogen balance in men. They primarily work by supplying androgenic chemicals, stimulating androgenic hormone production in the body, or strengthening and toning the adrenal glands and kidneys. Another important factor, however, comes into play when looking at using foods to stimulate testosterone levels in the body. Scores of studies have found that one of the reliable indicators of low testosterone levels is having high BMI and waist circumference figures. BMI means body mass index and is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. (The formula is: BMI = weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.) Research has found that the higher the BMI and the larger the waist circumference, the lower the testosterone. What this comes down to is the fatter you are, the lower your testosterone levels. This is because of the unique nature of fat cells, especially in the aging male.
Fat cells are not just storage sites for fat but are also a highly active endocrine system that produces a great many potent hormones. Among these are estrogens such as estradiol. Fat cells, especially around the waist, both store and produce estrogenic compounds. This is why the higher the BMI and waist circumference, the lower the testosterone levels.
The most important thing to do to raise testosterone levels naturally is to make sure that your body fat levels, especially around the waist, are not overly high. The easiest way to lower fat levels is to reduce fat intake in your meals for a few months or do a series of short juice fasts. Diet modification such as a ten-week, low-fat diet that is followed by a short three- to ten-day juice fast is the most efficient way to drop body fat. (A ten-week, low-fat diet is outlined in the Appendix.) Exercise, which is more useful for toning the muscles, is a very distant third. There is no need to be particularly fanatical about this; food nazis are some of the least fun people on the planet. I generally do a severely restricted diet or a fast of one sort or another every year, usually in the spring, usually for two or three weeks. Generally, I lose 15 to 20 pounds, my energy levels, androgen levels, and immune function all increase. Then I eat how I want. The next spring, I am run down again and a bit overweight from being sedentary over the winter, so I do it again.
The kidneys and the small glands that sit atop them, the adrenal glands, are important in the production of androgens. Many of the herbs that enhance androgen production do so by affecting the kidneys, though more often it is the adrenal glands.
If your body fat levels are already moderately low or if you have done a low-fat diet to lower your BMI, the next thing to do is to increase the intake of foods that contain androgens or androgen-stimulating chemicals, and those that exert a tonic effect on the kidneys and adrenal glands. A number of plant foods do both.
THE KIDNEYS
The kidneys are tiny actually, only about 4½ inches high, 2 to 3 inches wide, and an inch thick. But they filter some 190 quarts of water and scores of other substances out of the blood each day. (Though after age forty this begins decreasing about 10 percent per decade.) Most of these filtered substances are reabsorbed. Ninety-nine percent of the water is reabsorbed into the blood; only about three pints are excreted. Of the 270 g of glucose (except in diabetes), all is reabsorbed, of the 1100 g of chloride, only 10 g are excreted; and of the 48 g of urea, only 15 g are excreted. The kidneys constantly monitor the amount of nitrogen, water, and electrolytic salts (sodium, potassium, and chloride) coming into the body and excrete just enough to keep the balance the same. They monitor the body’s acid/alkali balance and through altering urine composition maintain the Ph of the body. To accomplish all this, the kidneys make and release enzymes and hormones that maintain the body’s water, red blood cells, calcium, and phosphorous, the mineral content of the bones, and the diameter of capillaries, among other things. The adrenal glands that make so many important androgens for men sit just on top of the kidneys and are, in many respects, part of them.
The Kidneys’ Enzymes and Hormones
The kidneys monitor the body’s blood pressure constantly and raise and lower it through creating and releasing a hormone called renin, which the liver uses to make angiotensin. Renin also increases the size of that portion of the adrenal gland that produces aldosterone while angiotensin stimulates its production. (Aldosterone causes the kidneys to reabsorb more water and sodium.) Angiotensin also constricts the walls of arterioles, increases the strength of the heartbeat, and stimulates the pituitary gland to release antidiuretic hormone, which lowers the amount of water being excreted. These actions increase the blood pressure and intimately affect the levels of sodium and salt in the body.
The kidneys constantly monitor oxygen levels in the body’s cells. When it is too low, they produce a hormone called erythropoietin, which stimulates the bone marrow to make and release more red blood cells. When oxygen levels return to optimum, the kidneys quit making erythropoietin. Through this process, the kidneys maintain the balance of red blood cells in the body.
The kidneys also make another hormone called calcitriol, a unique form of vitamin D. Vitamin D is in actuality not a vitamin but a type of steroidal hormone that is synthesized in a unique endocrine system in the body. During exposure to sunlight, the human skin converts a form of cholesterol to Vitamin D3, the liver alters or metabolizes this again (into 25-hydroxycholcalciferol, aka 25-OHD3), and then the kidneys use that altered substance to make two highly biologically active hormones. One of them, calcitriol, acts on the cells of the intestine to increase absorption of calcium from the diet and direct it to the bones for bone formation. Calcitriol also regulates certain parathyroid hormones that maintain the body’s levels of phosphorous. The kidneys constantly monitor the levels of calcium and phosphorous in the body and increase or decrease them as needed. Through calcitriol, the kidneys regulate bone mineralization and maintain the transfer of calcium to the bones to make them stronger. Thus they affect not only the bone marrow in the creation of red blood cells but also the bone itself.
Importantly, recent research has revealed that the kidneys also create enzymes that help to synthesize arginine. Arginine is an important precursor of nitric oxide (an erectile stimulant), stimulates sperm production and motility, boosts growth hormone release, and possesses wound-healing and immune-enhancing functions.
The kidneys also are highly responsive to steroidal hormones and possess a large number of estrogen receptor sites. Estrogens can bind to these sites in the kidneys, especially when estrogen levels in the body are high. This causes increases in body water levels, sodium content, and blood pressure.
Low androgen levels in men have an impact on kidney function. Research has shown that a healthy renin/angiotensin cycle is regulated by androgens through the action of a protein, the kidney androgen-regulated protein (Kap). This takes place in the part of the kidney that also produces the calcitriol that regulates bone mineralization and density. High estrogen/low androgen levels produce different actions than when these levels are normal, especially in this part of the kidneys. This possibly explains why men suffer from osteoporosis at much higher rates as they move into middle age and their androgen and testosterone levels change. It also explains to some extent the significant alteration for middle-aged men in how their bodies maintain water and sodium levels during sleep. Research has shown that healthy kidneys in men are highly dependant on testosterone and that men with kidney disease have far higher levels of estrogens in their bodies and much lower levels of testosterone. Estrogens, it is now known, also stimulate the production of epidermal growth factor in the kidneys, which testosterone does not do. This growth factor has been linked to some types of prostate cancer, and the estrogen-initiated production of epidermal growth factor in the kidneys is a potential contributing cause.
THE ADRENAL GLANDS
The adrenal glands, the two tiny pyramid-shaped organs that sit on top of the kidneys, are named for their location. Ad means near, renal is the Latin for kidney. The outer layer of the adrenal gland, the cortex, and the inner layer, the medulla, produce nearly 150 different essential hormones. The cortex itself produces more than two dozen important hormones, for example: cortisol, cortisone, aldosterone, DHEA, DHEAS, DHT, androstenedione, and testosterone. The adrenal medulla produces the most famous of the adrenal hormones, adrenaline (real name: epinephrine; adrenaline is actually the name of a synthetic drug), and its close relative noradrenaline (aka norepinephrine). The adrenal glands are responsible for nearly 50 percent of all the androgens in a man’s body. They produce significant quantities of male hormones, 90 percent of the body’s DHEA, powerful anti-inflammatories such as cortisol, and fright-flight-or-fight hormones like adrenaline. They are closely tied to the testes, heart, lungs, and kidneys through intricate biofeedback loops and hormonal exchange systems.
Actions of Adrenal Hormones
Stress has powerful impacts on this hormonal exchange system. Under continued stress, the body will release high, constant levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine. Cortisol blocks inflammation, regulates the water content of blood, and modifies blood sugar levels by releasing glucose from fats and proteins when it is needed. It also interferes with the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, which causes an increase in wakefulness. Over time, chronic high cortisol levels can cause insomnia and constant poor sleep. In early morning, cortisol levels are high, in the evening they are low.
Epinephrine is used by the body as a short-burst, high-alert response to danger. It stimulates heart action, increases the diameter of air passages to stimulate oxygen uptake, and speeds up the liver’s glucose production. Constant stress results in high levels of both cortisol and epinephrine and such physical symptoms as increased metabolism, hyper-wakefulness, rapid heart beat, increased blood pressure, nervousness, increased stomach acid, increased muscle tension, and higher levels of emotional aggressiveness. Caffeine, especially at the levels found in coffee, stimulates the production of epinephrine and prevents its breakdown, which is why drinking coffee produces so many of the same symptoms.
Of significant importance is that as cortisol levels rise, DHEA levels decrease. The shift to cortisol metabolism inhibits DHEA production. This lowers the levels of androgens in the body. The adrenal glands can become exhausted or suffer overstimulation after years of high cortisol production. This is especially serious in men with decreased androgen levels. Once the adrenals become overtaxed or exhausted, energy levels decline both from lack of normal epinephrine/cortisol levels and low androgen levels.
THE KIDNEYS AND ADRENAL GLANDS IN CHINESE MEDICINE
While many of the actions of the kidney/adrenal system are new to Western science, they are not to the Chinese. Chinese physicians have long understood the close connection of the kidneys to the heart and intestines. Within their system, disharmony between the heart and kidney or kidney and intestines was known to be the cause of numerous diseases, including kidney stones, urinary gravel, and certain blood circulation problems. Chinese physicians also understood the connection of the kidney to low androgen levels. They call it “empty kidney-glands,” meaning there is insufficient production of vital hormones. This is especially perceptive in that the term for this condition occurred many thousands of years before any Western scientist knew that the adrenals produce many of the essential hormones and androgens for male health. The kidneys are considered to be an organ of balance and do, within the Chinese system, affect the functioning of the inner ear. Vertigo (and even tinnitus) can be a sign of a disordered kidney, the imbalance in the kidney causing a literal inability to balance.
ANDROGENIC TONICS FOR THE ADRENAL GLANDS AND KIDNEYS
There is one primary herb for the kidney/adrenal system that also supplies androgens: celery. Its regular use as a juice has profound impacts on both androgen and energy levels. Common sweet corn also has strong impacts on the kidney/adrenal system.
As always, you should try to buy only organic vegetables and herbs. Not only will this avoid as much chemical contaminants as possible but the mineral and vitamin contents of organic foods are much higher. Over the past forty years, the mineral content of most vegetables has declined between 25 and 35 percent because of the way they are grown.
If you do suffer from adrenal exhaustion in particular and not just low androgen levels, you might try a daily regimen of juice made from one cup of corn kernels and three to four stalks of celery as well as 200 mg of eleuthero, 500 mg of nettle root, 200 mg of vitamin B5, and 20 mg of zinc for three to six months.
Celery (Apium graveolens)
Besides containing significant amounts of androgen-like chemicals, celery is exceptional for lowering blood pressure and helping the circulatory system and also has a number of things to recommend its use for the health of the kidneys and adrenals.
Two stalks of celery contain (approximately) the following nutrients: 275 mg potassium, 30 mg magnesium, 35 mg calcium, 20 mg phosphorous, 90 mg sodium, 225 international units (IU) vitamin A, 8 mg vitamin C, 0.2 mg iron, 8 mcg folic acid, and trace amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6.
Celery is closely related to a number of very powerful medicinal plants: osha (Ligusticum porterii), angelica (Angelica archangelica), and lomatium (Lomatium dissectum). It is not surprising, then, that celery also possesses a number of very powerful medicinal actions. Like these other plants, celery is antimicrobial, antibacterial, slightly antiviral, antispasmodic, and anti-inflamatory.
Celery is especially useful for lowering blood pressure. It contains a compound called 3-n-butyl phthalide that can lower blood pressure about 14 percent when taken in sufficient quantities. It is also high in apigenin, a blood-vessel dilator that also helps lower blood pressure. Eating three to four celery stalks will supply the necessary amount of both compounds to lower blood pressure. Celery also contains a large number of compounds that act like calcium-channel blockers and that help reduce and prevent angina. The apigenin, magnesium, potassium, and another compound, apiin in celery, make it a useful herb for cardiac arrhythmia, as well. In a number of studies, celery juice has also been found to significantly reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Celery is a strong antioxidant and is also reliably effective in lowering the levels of uric acid in the body by stimulating its excretion in the urine. Historically, this has made celery a primary remedy for gout. Normally the seeds are used, but the fresh juice, while slightly weaker in action, produces the same result. Celery has also been found effective for helping alleviate arthritis and rheumatic complaints, skin rashes and diseases, nervousness (especially when accompanied by anxiety), upset stomach and digestive system, and gallstones.
But celery’s major areas of importance are its impacts on the kidneys. Its wide-ranging impacts on kidney function help the removal of toxins from the body through the kidneys by enhancing kidney function and urine flow. Because part of the primary function of the kidneys is to filter the blood and maintain the body’s electrolyte balance, the regular ingestion of celery juice supports optimum filtration and electrolyte balances. Electrolyte balance is also enhanced because of the large amounts of primary electrolytes in celery, including calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Celery is a specific remedy for the kidneys. It is a kidney tonic, an antimicrobial, antispasmodic, and anti-inflammatory for the urinary passage, reduces kidney stone formation, increases urine flow (a diuretic), and (in Chinese medicine) helps alleviate dizziness. Celery’s volatile oil, apiol, is excreted through the urinary tract and acts as a mild, but reliable urinary system antiseptic.
Researchers have also found a male steroid in celery. The chemical, 5 alpha-androst-16-en-3 alpha-ol, and its related 3-ketone combine to form the chemicals that a number of animals use to stimulate sexual arousal in the female; they are a sign of elevated sexual hormones in the male and its readiness to mate. The two compounds are closely related in structure to both androstenedione and testosterone. They are present in celery at about the level of 8 ng per gram of fresh celery, a moderately high level. This perhaps explains why celery has long been used as a sexual tonic for men. Note: Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) also contains these same androgenic chemicals and can be added to the diet regularly to help enhance androgen levels.
Of further importance to enhancing testosterone levels and the health of the male reproductive system recent research on apigenin has found it to have a much greater range of action than merely acting as a blood-vessel dilator. Apigenin has been shown to suppress androgen-independent prostatic tumor cells and also acts as a fairly strong aromatase inhibitor. In numerous studies it has been found to significantly inhibit the conversion of testosterone to estradiol.
In short, celery affects the entire urinary network, much of the reproductive system, and most of the bodily systems that the kidneys affect: heart, digestive system, adrenal glands, and blood vessels.
Suggested Dosage: Three to four celery stalks juiced daily makes 3 to 4 oz of juice. Best as an androgen/kidney tonic if blended with corn (see next listing).
For Urinary Tract Infections: Celery seed, like many seeds of medicinal plants, is stronger in some of the medicinal actions of celery, especially for urinary tract infections. (It is also good for arthritis, gout, and kidney stones.) If you have a urinary tract infection, you may want to add a squirt of celery seed tincture to your juice each morning as well. The tincture is usually available at health food stores.
Side Effects: Fresh celery juice, taken in quantity, will cause a slight numbing to the tongue. Large doses of celery juice are contraindicated in kidney disease. The roots will sometimes, because of improper storage, become infected with yeasts that can raise the content of a substance called furocumarin in the roots by as much as 200 percent. These furocumarin-enhanced roots can cause phototoxicosis (skin sensitivity to light). Use only fresh celery. In rare circumstances, celery can cause allergic reactions in some individuals to the severity of anaphylactic shock. Do not use if you have a history of allergic reaction to celery or similar plants.
Corn (Zea mays)
Although most people do not realize it, corn is a specific tonic for the whole urinary tract, including the adrenal glands. The corn kernels, corn silk, and the pollen are all kidney/adrenal specific, though the pollen is somewhat difficult to find.
Corn silk is highly effective for cystitis, acute and chronic inflammations of the bladder, urethritis, and prostatitis. Corn pollen has been used similarly to pine pollen in a number of cultures as a restorative of male vitality, and contains many of the same amino acids and vitamins that are found in pine pollen. Corn pollen is part of the medicinal blend Cernilton, the rye grass pollen mixture that is so successful in treating prostate disease. And importantly, in cases of androgen deficiency, corn juice stimulates the production and release of luteinizing hormone (LH). This hormone binds to sites on the Leydig cells in the testes, which stimulates the synthesis and secretion of testosterone. In a number of studies, corn was found to increase the levels of androgens in test animals.
Corn is an anodyne (soothing pain), a diuretic (increasing urine expression), demulcent (soothing to mucous membranes), anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, and tonic. The Spanish writer Garcilaso de la Vega (1539–1616) commented that he was highly impressed:
. . . with the remarkable curative properties of corn, which is not only the principle article of food in America, but is also of benefit in the treatment of the kidneys and bladder, among which are calculus and retention of urine. And the best proof I can give of this is that the Indians, whose usual drink is made of corn, are afflicted with none of these diseases.1
While most people don’t think of drinking corn, it has been used for some ten thousand years to make chicha, a kind of beer unique to the Americas. While chicha is difficult to find in the northern hemisphere, you can easily run corn kernels through a juicer each morning to obtain the juice. As the corn juice is a bit thick, I blend it with 4 oz of celery juice, a really delicious combination. There is no better overall tonic for the kidney/adrenal system than this combination.
Suggested Dosage: 2 to 4 oz juiced organic corn kernels daily (about 2 to 4 oz of kernels).
Corn Silk: Corn silk is most often used for inflammation in the urinary tract. In a number of clinical trials, it has been found to be especially effective in reducing excess water retention, swelling, and edema—all problems that occur from estrogen excess. The stigmas—the 4- to 8-inchlong fine, silky threads that you pull off corn on the cob as you shuck it—are what is normally used for urinary tract problems. They are best used fresh. A tea or tincture made from corn silk can be added to the juice daily if you are experiencing specific urinary tract problems.
Corn Silk Suggested Dosage: Steep 2 tsp. of the silk in 8 oz of hot water for fifteen minutes and drink the tea three times per day. The tincture may be purchased in health food stores: take 3 to 6 ml (¾–1½ tsp.) of the tincture three times daily.
Androgen/Adrenal Green Drink: I find the best way to use celery and corn for androgen increase and supporting kidney/adrenal health is as a fresh juice. They go into the system much more quickly, and the impact is much stronger. I usually drink it on an empty stomach each morning. Here is a recipe for androgen/adrenal green drink that I have used for a long time. It also contains cucumber, kale, spinach, and radish.
Androgen/Adrenal Green Drink
2 stalks fresh celery
1 cup corn kernels
½ cucumber
1 large fresh kale leaf
½ cup fresh spinach
(optional: 1–3 radishes)
Juice all the vegetables in a juicer.
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
One-half an average cucumber contains 260 IU vitamin A, 220 mg potassium, 20 mcg folic acid, 20 mg calcium, 15 mg magnesium, 25 mg phosphorous, 5 mg sodium, moderate amounts of silica and chlorophyll, and trace amounts of vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, boron, and iron.
Cucumbers are a mild diuretic; their seeds possess mild tonic actions on the kidneys, help prevent kidney stones, and promote uric acid excretion from the body. Cucumbers, especially the peels, are exceptionally good for promoting healthy skin, keeping it elastic, and reducing wrinkles. I like their addition to green drinks because they contribute a LOT of water, diluting the intensity of the other plants in the mixture.
Suggested Dosage: One-half cucumber per green drink. Do not peel cucumbers, juice them whole.
Kale (Brassica oleracea)
Kale is especially high in beneficial nutrients such as carotenes and chlorophyll. One large kale leaf with stem (about 3 oz) contains 10,000 IU vitamin A, 100 mg vitamin C, 175 mcg folic acid, 250 mg potassium, 200 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 15 mg magnesium, 60 mg phosphorous, 3 mg sodium, 2 mg niacin, and trace amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, copper, manganese, and zinc.
A cup of kale or collard greens has more calcium than a glass of milk and, in this form (juiced), is much better assimilated into the body. Kale, like other members of the Brassica family such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, possesses potent anticancer compounds and a rich supply of antioxidants.
Suggested Dosage: One large leaf with stem per green drink.
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea)
Like other dark green leafy vegetables, spinach contains large amounts of chlorophyll and carotenes—both of which offer potent protection against cancer. One cup of fresh, raw spinach contains 3750 IU vitamin A, 16 mg vitamin C, 110 mcg folic acid, 300 mg potassium, 60 mg calcium, 1.5 mg iron, 45 mg magnesium, 30 mg phosphorous, 22 mg sodium, and trace amounts of thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6.
Suggested Dosage: ½ cup of fresh spinach.
Radish (Raphanus sativus)
There are a number of different types of radishes; all can be used and are of benefit. The most commonly known is the red radish, but there is a Japanese radish, the daikon, that looks something like a white carrot. There are also black radishes, which are used mostly in Russia and the Eastern European countries. They look much like a very black beet, although inside they possess the normal crisp, white flesh of a radish. All three taste much the same. Daikon radishes are always available in oriental markets and sometimes in health food stores. Black radishes can mostly be found in neighborhood markets that have large numbers of Russian or Polish customers.
A single medium-sized red radish contains in the neighborhood of 25 mg potassium, 2.5 mg each of calcium and phosphorous, 1.5 mg of sodium, 1 IU of vitamin A, 2 mg of vitamin C, and varying traces of magnesium, selenium, iron and zinc.
Radishes tend to normalize the production of thyroxine in the thyroid gland. If too much T4 is being produced radishes bring levels up, if too little, they lower them. They are, in fact, a thyroid tonic herb and can be very helpful in treating thyroid problems. Radishes contain a unique compound, raphinin, that normalizes not only thyroxine but also calcitonin, another hormone produced in the thyroid gland. Thyroid-produced calcitonin controls the amount of calcium released into the blood and affects the amount of calcium laid down in the bones during bone matrix formation. With regular intake of radishes or radish juice the thyroid production of these compounds is normalized. Russian physicians have successfully used radishes for decades for alleviating both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.
Radishes have been found in a number of clinical studies in Malaysia to be powerful inhibitors of kidney stones in prior sufferers who consume them regularly. They also help the liver work with fat intake in the diet more effectively, seem to help break up fat deposits in fatty liver conditions, and help break up gallstones in the gallbladder.
Suggested Dosage: One to three medium-sized red radishes, juiced, or the equivalent amount of juiced daikon or black radish, daily. They are spicy, as you know, so start with one and then use more if you like it.
OTHER ANDROGENIC FOODS
There are a few other androgenic foods that are helpful in increasing androgen levels: oats, garlic, pine nuts, and red meat.
Oats (Avena sativa)
Green oats (basically the fresh green oatmeal plant in seed) have been found to increase testosterone levels in men in at least one study; various other studies support this androgenic activity. In vivo research has found that oats, dried and added to animal diets, increase the release of luteinizing hormone (LH), which stimulates the creation and release of testosterone into the bloodstream. Oats were official as a sexual tonic and stimulant in older German pharmacopoeias and are listed as a common doctor-prescribed unofficial herb for this use in the current German Commission E Monographs on herbal medicine.
Oats also contain a number of alkaloids, including trigonelline and avenine, that have central nervous system relaxant activity and which help relax the people who eat them regularly. This relaxant activity makes oats one of the best long-term foods for stressed nerves, tension, nervous debility, and exhaustion. This kind of stress reduction in many instances helps male sexual function.
Oats are also high in Vitamin E, which is an essential vitamin for sexual health as it helps prevent atherosclerosis and prostate disease. Oatmeal also contains about 70 percent fiber and is very high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Both these factors contribute greatly to lowering cholesterol levels in the blood and rectifying or preventing atherosclerosis (fat clogging the arteries and veins), one of the major factors affecting erectile function.
Oats are best used long term, the effects build up over time and increase in effectiveness the longer oats are eaten. In general, effects begin to be noticed after three months and increase throughout the first year.
Suggested Dosage: Eat one bowl of oatmeal per day.
Garlic (Allium sativum)
Garlic, a member of the lily family, has a long history as a sexual tonic for men. After ginseng, it is perhaps one of the most intensely studied medicinal plants on Earth. There have been a substantial number of clinical trials, including double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover studies. Garlic has shown consistent activity in increasing testosterone levels, stimulating the production of sperm, increasing sexual desire, reducing atherosclerosis, and alleviating cardiac arrhythmia, diabetes, hypertension, and the effects of a depressed immune system.
Suggested Dosage: Garlic and its close relative, onion, which has many of the same properties, should be liberally added to the diet. Garlic supplements can also be used. Follow the directions on the bottle.
Herb/Drug Interactions: Avoid garlic if you are taking anticoagulants, paracetamol (acetaminophen), or chlorpropamide.
Red Meat
Regular consumption of red meat, one to three times per week, is important for keeping androgen levels high. Studies have shown that reducing the intake of meat and the dietary fats from meats reduces serum androgen levels in men. In one study, thirty healthy men had their diets changed to reduce their meat intake and lower their ratio of polyunsaturated fats to saturated fatty acids. After six weeks, their levels of total serum testosterone, androstenedione, and free testosterone declined an average of 10 percent.
Suggested Dosage: Organic or wild, red meat once per week.
Pine Nuts (Pinus semen)
Pine nuts have been used in every ecoregion, and they occur as both a nutritional and aphrodisiacal food. They can be made into soups, ground into flour for breads, eaten raw, roasted, and added to dishes like pesto.
For thousands of years and among such different cultures as the Romans, Greeks, Arabians, and Asians, pine nuts have been considered an aphrodisiac. The Greek physician Galen suggested that a mixture of honey, almonds, and pine nuts, eaten on three consecutive evenings, would produce an increase in male vitality. Also, Ovid, the Roman poet, provides a list of aphrodisiacs in his Ars Amatoria (The Art of Love), which includes “the nuts that the sharp-leaved pine brings forth.” There is good reason for this long-standing recognition that pine nuts can increase male vitality.
Like pine pollen, pine nuts also contain testosterone, and they are also highly nutritious. Although the nutrients in pine nuts vary between species, a good indication of their nutritional power can be seen from a look at the nut of the American pinyon pine. One ounce of pinyon nuts contains 161 calories and 3.3 g of protein, 5.5 g of carbohydrates, 2.7 g of saturated fat, 6.5 g of monounsaturated fat, 7.28 g of polyunsaturated fat, 2.3 mg of calcium, 10 mg of phosphorous, 20 mg of sodium, 178 mg of potassium, 0.88 mg of iron, 8.2 IU of vitamin A, 0.35 mg of thiamin, 0.05 mg of riboflavin, and 1 mg of niacin. As an example of how nuts from different pines can vary, Spanish pine nuts (pignolias) contain nearly 7 g of protein and 144 mg of phosphorous but only 1 mg of sodium, with the other constituents being about identical with those of pinyon pine nuts. All pine nuts are high in omega-3 oils and amino acids such as arginine.
The green cones are picked by hand from autumn to spring and piled to dry. As they dry, the cones open and allow the hull-covered seeds, called pine nuts, to be extracted by either mechanical or hand thrashing. They are then further dried, and the nuts hulled by milling. The primary species used (in order) are P. pinea, P. koraiensis, and P. edulis (the pinyon pine), while at least ten others are used for food around the world. Unfortunately, it is often impossible to find out which species you are buying because few nut suppliers list the tree species on their packages. Sometimes, to make it even more difficult, the different species are intermingled for sale. (Some Internet companies do say which species they sell.) Pine nuts can go rancid, so they should be used moderately quickly; unrefrigerated, they last three months, refrigerated, six months. Pine nuts are readily available on the Internet from nut companies and in many stores, especially during the fall harvesting season.
Suggested Dosage: Eat as much and as often as desired.
Side Effects: Nut sensitivities. Pine nuts also contain the female hormones estrone and estradiol. To date, I have been unable to find the exact levels. Anecdotal evidence indicates that, at least in this instance, their presence is not usually a problem affecting male androgen levels.