The Impact of Sugar Consumption on Testosterone in Men

Many of you have been limiting your sugar consumption as a way to avoid consuming empty calories in order to stay toned and muscled; however, there is another important reason for men to avoid consuming sugar—sugar reduces the testosterone in your body.  Eating sugar of any kind causes the body to produce insulin; however, the type of sugar that really needs to be avoided is monosaccharides or the most common form of sugar: glucose or blood sugar; fructose or fruit sugar; and galactose or milk sugar. Basically, all three of these are converted to glucose in the body.

Once you have started ingesting a food or drink with a high sugar content, your pancreas starts releasing the hormone insulin which is supposed to balance your blood sugar levels by regulating the amount of glucose in your blood.  Unfortunately, insulin also directly impacts testosterone production.  The more insulin the body produces, the more testosterone levels decrease.   By giving in to the urge for something sweet, you are ultimately making yourself feel older, more tired, weaker, and less motivated.

By now, you know the importance of maintaining adequate testosterone in your body, especially as you start to age, and the body’s testosterone levels start to naturally decline.  After all, healthy testosterone levels help you maintain strength and muscle tone.  Testosterone helps you think clearly and maintain a positive outlook on life.  Testosterone helps minimize body fat, improves sleep, and improves sexual performance.  Well, now we also know that adequate testosterone can possibly help you avoid developing type 2 diabetes.   Studies have shown that insulin resistance and low testosterone are related because studies have shown that men with insulin resistance also suffer with low testosterone.  This knowledge establishes a link between low testosterone and type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease or condition that happens when the body is unable to regulate your body’s blood sugar or process your body’s blood sugar.  According to the American Diabetes Association or ADA,  someone who has diabetes is two times as likely to have low testosterone than someone who does not have diabetes.

Studies have shown that even young, healthy males’ testosterone levels are affected by sugar intake.  Young men were given sugary sodas to drink, and as they drank more and more, their testosterone levels fell more and more.  Another study used an oral glucose drink which caused a rapid and drastic drop in levels of both total and free testosterone in healthy males.

In 2006, a study used testosterone replacement therapy or TRT to treat men who had both low testosterone and type 2 diabetes.  TRT improved their ability to maintain lean body mass and use up visceral fat.  Their blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and insulin resistance all improved while using TRT.  A later study was done in 2020 which had similar results, but the best part was that over one-third of the men went into remission from type 2 diabetes.

So, what can you do to help maintain a healthy testosterone level?  Well, the three best ways to maintain a healthy level of testosterone are by living a healthy lifestyle, eating a healthy diet, and getting regular exercise. Unfortunately, because of the abundance of processed foods, maintaining a healthy diet takes dedication and an understanding of the sugars that are added to our foods.   What are some of the best ways to avoid eating added sugars?  First, avoid processed foods because sugar is present in most of these.  Sugar is used as a preservative, and its presence makes the food more palatable.  Second, learn to prepare your own meals.  This is the best way to make sure you are eating only healthy, fresh ingredients, and the food will taste much better even without the added sugars.  Cut out sodas and limit your use of alcoholic beverages since alcohol is a form of sugar.  You may want to watch how much tea or coffee you drink if you’re one of those people who have to add sugar to every cup or glass.  Avoid snacking because most snack products add a lot of unnecessary sugar to your diet.  If you need to snack, choose fresh, healthy vegetables to tide you over between meals.

Remember that in spite of all your efforts, natural aging causes a lowering of testosterone levels in men, and that is why testing is so important to maintaining healthy testosterone levels.  Don’t just jump on the TRT bandwagon without medical consultation  It’s important to remember that TRT isn’t without its pitfalls,  and that is why it’s so important to consult with trained medical professionals before embarking on any kind of therapy.

Androgenix can Help

If you wonder whether testosterone replacement therapy might be right for you, talk with our staff and doctor about the risks and benefits. If you have any other concerns about your health, please contact our office and make an appointment with our staff to visit our office for a consult.  If you choose HRT, you will be given a complete physical examination which includes a complete blood work-up. Our staff of caring healthcare practitioners will help, not only, diagnose and develop an appropriate treatment plan for you, but we will monitor your treatment for safety and effectiveness on a regular basis.  Androgenix is here to support you in your journey for a better, healthier you.  Every person who enters our doors is treated as an individual deserving of care and respect.  We can help you feel and look better.  Give us a call today.

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*Unless otherwise stated, individual results may vary depending on many factors not all patients “feel” or achieve the same results.