7 Testosterone Boosters That Actually Work — Backed by Human Trials
Men’s testosterone has been declining for over 50 years. Among 28 compounds tested, 7 yielded a measurable increase in testosterone in humans.
The Great Testosterone Decline
A 2025 systematic review/meta-regression by Santi et al covering 1,064,891 healthy men (1,256 papers; 1,504 study groups; 1971–2024) found a significant negative trend in serum testosterone across the last five decades in all age groups.
The decline remains after adjusting for age, BMI, assay type, and even environmental/demographic moderators. Importantly, luteinizing hormone (LH) declines in parallel, suggesting a central (hypothalamic–pituitary) component rather than a purely testicular failure; FSH showed no clear trend.
Testosterone underpins energy, mood, body composition, libido/sexual function, erythropoiesis, bone density, and cardiometabolic health. A multi-decade population drift downward has obvious implications for fertility and men’s health.
As a result, there is growing interest in so-called “testosterone boosters”— compounds marketed to ameliorate or reverse this hormonal decline.
What “Testosterone Boosters” Actually Raise Serum Total Testosterone?
Morgado et al (2023) systematically reviewed all data published in the last two decades on testosterone boosters and determined their efficacy. They found 52 clinical trials spanning 28 proposed testosterone boosters (TBs) and judged efficacy strictly on serum total testosterone (sTT) vs placebo in four groups: healthy men, male athletes, men with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH), and infertile men.
Their “effective” label required ≥2 independent positive studies in a given population; “possibly effective” meant a single positive randomized trial:
Effective
β-Hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) — naturally occurring metabolite of the amino acid leucine
Effective for male athletes (≥2 positive RCTs).
~11–22% serum total testosterone (sTT) increase after 10–12 weeks (3 g/day; p < 0.05), depending on sport and training status.
Betaine (trimethylglycine) — naturally occurring derivative of the amino acid glycine
Effective for male athletes (≥2 positive RCTs).
~64–94% sTT increase after 2–14 weeks (2–2.5 g/day; p < 0.05).
Possibly Effective (single positive RCTs; needs replication)
Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia) — root extract
Possibly effective for healthy men and those with late-onset hypogonadism (LOH).
~10–15% sTT increase after 2 weeks (600 mg/day; p < 0.05).
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) — root extract
Possibly effective for healthy men.
~14–17% sTT increase after 8 weeks (300 mg twice daily; p < 0.05).
Shilajit (purified Himalayan mineral resin)
Possibly effective in healthy middle-aged men.
~20% sTT increase after 90 days (250 mg twice daily; p < 0.05 vs placebo).
Pomegranate and cacao mix (Punica granatum rind + Theobroma cacao seed)
Possibly effective in men with LOH.
~21–25% sTT increase after 56 days (200–400 mg/day; p < 0.05; clear dose response).
Aromatase inhibitor (non-hormonal)
Possibly effective in resistance-trained men.
+283% sTT increase after 8 weeks (unspecified dose; p < 0.01).
No Reliable Effect
Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) — 10 RCTs; null overall unless correcting frank deficiency; no effect in replete athletes (p > 0.05).
Zinc and/or Magnesium (ZMA) — 5 RCTs; largely null for sTT (one zinc-only arm showed free T ↑ but no total change).
Tribulus terrestris — mixed/mostly null across healthy, athletes, infertile, and LOH groups.
Creatine — no consistent effect on sTT despite ergogenic benefits.
β-Alanine — no sTT change.
D-Aspartic Acid (DAA) — transient rise week 1 lost by week 4 (p > 0.05).
Lepidium meyenii (Maca) — no sTT effect (p > 0.05).
Isoflavones — null or slightly negative trend (p > 0.05).
Trigonella foenum-graecum (Fenugreek) — small free T changes only; no sTT difference.
Arginine — no effect on sTT (p > 0.05).
L-Carnitine — no effect on sTT; some sperm-motility improvement only.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) — variable free T ↑ but no consistent sTT gain.
Coenzyme Q10 — no change in sTT (p > 0.05).
Lipoic acid — no effect on sTT (p > 0.05).
Virgin argan oil / extra-virgin olive oil — methodological issues; no significant increase.
Jingui Shenqi pill — single-arm; no placebo; unclear effect.
Calcium gluconate + exercise — authors claimed positive but no additive sTT effect vs exercise alone (p > 0.05).
Conclusion
Out of 28 total compounds, only two (HMB and Betaine) consistently increased serum total testosterone in placebo-controlled human trials.
Five others—Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia root), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera root), Shilajit (purified Himalayan mineral resin), pomegranate and cacao mix (Punica granatum rind + Theobroma cacao seed), and a non-hormonal aromatase inhibitor—showed possible short-term efficacy in single or context-specific studies.
The remaining 21 “boosters”—including Vitamin D, Tribulus, ZMA, Creatine, Fenugreek, Maca, and DAA—failed to reliably raise testosterone in nutrient-sufficient adults, but may benefit those who are deficient.
While supplements may offer marginal or context-specific benefits, the most powerful drivers of testosterone remain foundational lifestyle factors — consistent resistance training, adequate sunlight exposure and sleep, nutrient-dense whole foods, and maintaining healthy body composition.
As Wrzosek et al indicated:
Most factors influencing testosterone levels in men are modifiable, such as diet, amount of sleep or stress levels.
Zinc is a cofactor of LH and FSH enzymes catalyzing the synthesis of trophic hormones of the pituitary. Zinc deficiency correlates with lower testosterone levels.
The reduction of sleeping time to 5 hours per day during a single examination contributed to reducing testosterone levels by 10–15%.
In the case of people with healthy weight, too low calorific value of diet may result in the reduction of testosterone levels in men.
Excessive body mass may lead to higher levels of cortisol and affect androgens levels. Hair analysis of people of different body mass showed higher cortisol levels and lower testosterone levels in obese people.
Epidemiologist and Foundation Administrator, McCullough Foundation
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It would pay for men to learn what is lowering their testosterone...soy is one of the foods men should avoid. In addition, processed foods have very limited value, primarily calories! One of the healthiest men that I have ever met back in 1980...lived on fruits and vegetables in abundance. He looked no older than 30, all his hair, no gray, no glasses and a 28 inch waist. He liked to work out with weights and enter physique contests; and he usually won beating out 20 to 30 year olds. I spoke to him about 2 years ago, before he moved to Tahiti. He was still biking all over San Pedro, California at 93. I have been into health research for 64 years and never met a healthier American male. He had followed Dr. Norman W. Walker's advice, since he was 16 years old. Dr. Walker wrote ten books on health and nutrition. He lived well over 100 healthy years.
Unfortunately it still doesn't truly address the root cause of Low T which is estrogen dominance.
Join the movement against the bioidentical hormone manipulation of children. Every child deserves the right to grow into the body they were born in. 50 years of ongoing breast cancer research shows that many plants and "health foods" are contributing to estrogen dominance diseases. Commonly found commercial food brand ingredients like Soy, Flax, Sesame, Chickpea, Lavender, and even hemp/CBD are also causing a chronic feminization of the male species, and causing gender dysphoria in young girls. When people compound these plants, vegan diets, concentrated essential oils, supplements, herbs and other products, major hormone imbalance aka estrogen dominance occurs. During developmental stages this will have extensive irreversible damage, likely leading to gender confusion as they grow into adulthood.
Learn the truth about bioidentical estrogen (phytoestrogen) and the massive spike in hormone related diseases including: breast cancer, uterine & ovarian cancer, PCOS, PMDD, PMS, Hypothyroidism, Low T, Trans, Gender Dysphoria, Nonbinary, Early Menopause & Early Puberty!
Many women have supplemented themselves into an estrogen dependency, similar to an opioid junky treating the symptoms.
This is the entry from the back of my wife's 8th medical research book:
In the 1980s, Dr. Hobbins, a researcher in thermography, alerted the public about the link between soy consumption and an increased risk of breast cancer. The introduction of soy into processed foods in the late 1970s coincided with an increase in breast cancer rates, from 1 in 11 in 1980 to 1 in 8 by 1992. Since 1979, there was a reported annual increase of 1% in the incidence of breast cancer among men, and testosterone levels have been decreasing by approximately 1% annually since 1980. Effects are seen in women first.
In terms of potency, a gram is a billion times stronger than a nanogram. While chemicals like Atrazine, BPA, and phthalates raise estrogen levels, the use of popular phytoestrogens (PE) has exponentially increased this estrogenic effect. This is exemplified by products like the Impossible Burger, which contains an estimated 18 million times more estrogen than a Whopper. Combining these findings with studies showing the transplacental transfer of soy from mother to fetus, and the ability of Japanese researchers to produce all-female catfish populations using soy, raises concerns.
Their 2013 publication marked a milestone as the first researchers to publish medical evidence that demonstrated flax and bio-identical estrogen increased risk of breast cancer with a chapter warning about the feminizing effects on men. Research indicates that one cup of soy has the estrogenic effect comparable to one birth control pill, and flax is twenty times stronger than soy.
However, doctors advocated the health benefits of plant-based lifestyles. Adopting this trend, many women integrated estrogenic supplements like chasteberry, prepared meals with estrogenic chickpea pasta and sesame seeds, applied estrogenic lavender on their children and estrogenic CBD on their husbands.
The men's supplement industry has also embraced the PE trend, rebranding estrogenic fenugreek as 'free testosterone' and incorporating flax oil into testosterone injections. Over the last forty years, research has indicated a concerning trend: a 25% decrease in testosterone levels, a 52% drop in sperm counts, and an alarming study warns that if these trends persist, sperm counts could reach zero by 2045. Decline in testosterone results from an excess of estrogen.
The widespread use of PEs has led to excess estrogen levels causing PMS, menopause symptoms, low testosterone, early puberty. Women were labeled ‘crazy’ when they tried to express their symptoms. Doctors didn’t listen and prescribed synthetic hormones and bio-identical estrogen to mask the side effects, similar to how addicts are treated. Breast cancer remains the second leading cause of death. It's reported that the identification of girls as transgender has surged by 4,000%. Doctors recommend hormone therapy.
Due to the public's and doctors' reluctance to acknowledge physiology, we've reached a critical precipice. Children are exhibiting symptoms of gender dysphoria, and signs of feminization among boys. Treat the root cause: reduce estrogen.
Phytoestrogens: the pill no one can swallow. Dr. Sellens' eighth book offers an extensive compilation of research on estrogen making it one of the most comprehensive sources on the subject. Soy Boys: prepare to choke down the truth.
8th Medical Research book:
Soy Boys: The Rise in Low Testosterone & the Feminization of Men Due to Phytoestrogens https://a.co/d/c3hy6e4
Author Research and Course Info:
https://linktr.ee/drwendyestrogenfree
Support her IG accounts:
1) Www.instagram.com/estrogenfree
2) Www.instagram.com/feminizationofmen
Join the discussion, educational videos on Substack:
https://open.substack.com/pub/drwendysestrogenfree?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=1wz7rn
A list of all known phytoestrogenic plants and herbs:
Www.estrogen-free.com/the-diet
If anyone would like a discount for our audiobook please let me know!
Please vote here and help us to reverse this mass hormone imbalance/manipulation epidemic. We can't do this without your help, and please share!.
Policy For People link to vote and comment on (Comprehensive Ban on Phytoestrogenic Substances (Flax, Soy, Estrogenic Essential Oils and Herbs) and Mandatory Warning Labels)
https://forum.policiesforpeople.com/t/comprehensive-ban-on-phytoestrogenic-substances-flax-soy-estrogenic-essential-oils-and-herbs-and-mandatory-warning-labels/19684?fbclid=IwY2xjawGnhd1leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaoK1P0YyHwj4TU51FEWB66Cyq13AvUISjo4osC4J82nQe1KtHwSR-BPqg_aem_zCln7T9YHUlqncwQ0KLUng