Testosterone is a hormone present in both men and women, and is related to libido, fertility, and secondary male characteristics such as the growth of body hair and increased muscle mass.

Generally, testosterone should be increased when its values are below the value considered normal for each person’s age, but the treatment should only be started on the advice of an endocrinologist, and in some cases it may be necessary to use supplements or apply injections, gels, and patches.

Total testosterone reference values

Women

Below are reference values for total testosterone in women. Normal levels will vary according to the laboratory responsible for the analysis.

Sex	Age	Normal levels of total testosterone
Women	Children under 2 years old	There are no predefined reference values
Women	2 to 7 years	Less or equal to  2,5 ng/dL
Women	7 to 13 years	2,5 to 10,4 ng/dL
Women	13 to 18 years	2,5 to 27 ng/dL
Women	18 to 20 years	4,6 to 38 ng/dL
Women	20 to 50 years	8,4 to 48,1 ng/dL
Women	Superior to 50 years	2,9 to 40,8 ng/dL

Males

Below are reference values for total testosterone in men. Normal levels will vary according to the laboratory performing the analysis.

Sex	Age	There are no predefined reference values
Man	Children under 2 years old	There are no predefined reference values
Man	2 to 7 years	Less or equal to  2,5 ng/dL
Man	7 to 13 years	2,5 to 432 ng/dL
Man	13 to 18 years	65 to 778 ng/dL
Man	18 to 20 years	188 to 882 ng/dL
Man	20 to 50 years	249 to 836 ng/dL
Man	Superior to 50 years	193 to 740 ng/dL

Key foods that help increase testosterone

Cashew Nuts

Cashew nuts are an oilseed rich in zinc, a key mineral that enhances testosterone production, facilitating muscle mass gain in men and women.

Zinc is a good ally

This mineral is important for testosterone production. Meat and fish are foods rich in zinc, as are raw milk, raw cheese, beans, and yogurt or kefir made with raw milk.

Foods rich in vitamin D

Salmon, sardines, eggs. It is also important to expose yourself to the sun daily, as food creates the perfect environment, but it is sunlight that aids the body in the production of vitamin D.

Foods rich in vitamin A

Mangoes, spinach, tomatoes, fish oil. It is also important to decrease the consumption of sugar and soy, this helps in the production of vitamin A.

Get a good night’s sleep

A good night’s sleep, sleeping more than 5 hours straight, increases testosterone production and decreases levels of cortisol, which is the stress hormone and can promote weight gain when in excess, which also interferes negatively in testosterone production.

In addition, one should dedicate 2 hours a day to relaxation and leisure activities, such as reading, watching television, or going for a walk.

Sexual stimuli

A simple erection raises testosterone levels.

When the body is sexually stimulated, levels of the hormone shoot up.

The opposite also happens: the body that is not sexually aroused over time has reduced testosterone levels in the blood. 

Avoid stress

Cholesterol is used in the production of several hormones, among them cortisol and testosterone. When stress levels are high, the body prioritizes the production of cortisol over testosterone, since both have the same “raw material”. Therefore, it is important to institute habits that reduce stress in order not to lose testosterone.

Maintain a healthy weight

Overweight and obesity reduces testosterone levels, because they increase the amount of fat in the viscera region.

This converts testosterone into estradiol, increasing the incidence of erectile dysfunction and loss of libido.

Other tips for increasing testosterone

There is a beneficial relationship between exercise and increased testosterone levels. However, the exact mechanism is currently unknown. It can be seen that reducing body fat percentage can be a strong driver of increased hormone levels, which may be the reason why some methods of physical activity have more effect than others.

Therefore, the best methods to increase testosterone is to reduce body fat percentage and improve cardiovascular fitness through aerobic activity.

To learn more about this and other subjects, keep following the Sooro by the Whey Blog. 

Here you will find the best content about health and nutrition.

Thank you for reading and see you next time!