Will Green Tea Extract Really Help Your Testosterone? Scientific Evidence
You may have come across green tea in many testosterone boosters which probably makes you think if it really has any potential benefits in improving testosterone health. Well, it, undoubtedly, is one of the most popular foods when it comes to health and wellness. Rich in antioxidants, green tea does have some indirect connection with the male sex hormone, although, there is not much evidence of any direct association between them.
We delved into the top research studies surrounding this subject in order to understand in detail what kind of role green tea plays, how it is linked with testosterone, the science behind it, and more. Let’s find out:
How Is Green Tea Beneficial
One of the biggest factors behind the decline in testosterone levels in men is excess body fat leading to obesity. It then slows down the metabolic process of the body significantly thus affecting testosterone production.
Green Tea is widely known for its weight loss benefits because of the presence of the primary compound called Catechins which accelerate fat metabolism by breaking down the stubborn fat cells. Aside from that, its anti-inflammatory properties prevent the storage of extra fat, and the caffeine content in it helps increase energy levels. Increased energy leads to better athletic performance thus speeding up the fat-burning process. Studies have shown that reducing fat can help boost testosterone output effectively. This makes it safe to say that green tea regulates testosterone by managing weight.
The findings from a research trial done in recent years also demonstrated that intake of green tea improved sperm concentration in animal subjects because of its antioxidant property. It again has a lot to do with the body weight of the test participants in question.
There was another study conducted by a research team back in 2015 on green tea’s role as a preventive measure for testicular oxidative damage. A clinical trial was done on 32 male Wistar rats and the findings show that it positively influences oxidative stress and helps reduce testicular cell damage. It is, however, important to understand that the study has been conducted on animal subjects and the results may differ slightly in the case of humans.
What Does Green Tea Do To Testosterone
Unfortunately, while green tea contributes as an excellent weight loss agent, a few studies have shown that it can have negative effects on the body.
For example, an experiment on the impact of green tea on male reproductive functioning was conducted on two groups of animal subjects and a control group for a period of 26 days at a stretch. The dosage was kept different to compare the results. While the control group was given no green tea extract, the treated ones had moderate and high doses of green tea respectively.
The study found that there was a noticeable decrease in the sperm count and quality in the treated subjects along with low testosterone, LH, and FSH levels. The findings from this study suggested that green tea leaf extract may have a ‘castrative’ effect (as worded by the research team) depending on the dosage, which is quite an extreme impact.
Another recently published journal article also had similar views. After comprehending more than 300 reported articles it concluded that while green tea can potentially improve weight loss efforts, it has the ability to reduce testosterone production and LH levels in humans and animals. The good thing however is, it doesn’t suggest any highly severe effects (like castrative) as the previous one inferred.
Conclusion
After going through various research references in this article, you may find it confusing to decide whether green tea should be added as a part of your diet or not. Well, green tea, undoubtedly, is one of the most effective weight loss agents. If your primary focus is to lose weight to improve your testosterone levels, then green tea can be a good addition. You should, however, keep it at low to moderate dosages and combine it with more testosterone-boosting food, appropriate forms of exercise, and good sleep.
The negative effects of green tea extract should not also be ignored, so, it is best to avoid high doses of this ingredient. Consulting a healthcare practitioner to understand the actual reason behind testosterone decline will definitely do a great help in future solutions.