Zinc reduces androgens (testosterone) and raises it. This depends on what the person needs. If you are a female with PCOS you may need zinc to reduce testosterone, whilst a male low in testosterone will benefit from zinc to bring testosterone back to healthy levels. Zinc supports the stress response.
It found that men who received 30 milligrams of zinc per day showed increased levels of free testosterone in their bodies. Using a supplement may not be necessary. Another study demonstrated that using a zinc supplement won't raise your testosterone levels if you're already getting enough of the mineral.
Zinc supplementation of marginally zinc-deficient normal elderly men for six months resulted in an increase in serum testosterone from 8.3 +/- 6.3 to 16.0 +/- 4.4 nmol/L (p = 0.02). We conclude that zinc may play an important role in modulating serum testosterone levels in normal men.
Experts recommend supplemental zinc for the treatment of hypogonadism, and some research shows that a dose of 220 mg of zinc sulfate (which delivers about 50 mg of zinc to the body) twice a day is enough to safely steer hypogonadism out to sea and boost those testosterone levels back to normal.
How does Zinc Affect Hormone Levels in Men? Lower Production: Zinc is required in the chemical pathway to make testosterone in the body from androstenedione. Zinc deficiency causes lower levels. More Conversion of Testosterone to Estrogen: Low zinc levels causes more testosterone to be converted to estrogen.
Share on Pinterest Zinc supplements may be used as a potential treatment for ED. Zinc helps produce key sex hormones, such as testosterone and prolactin. Zinc also enables the creation of the main component of prostatic fluid. There is evidence that dietary zinc may impact male sexual competency.
Physiological and biochemical levels of many hormones are affected by zinc metabolism. Therefore, growth impairment, hypogonadism, and some endocrine diseases are associated with the deficiency of zinc. These effects of zinc are considered versatile.
Zinc is an essential nutrient that everybody needs – but getting enough zinc is especially important for men, as a deficiency has been linked to lower testosterone levels. Because the human body doesn't naturally produce zinc, we have to ingest it from certain vegetables, seafood, meat, or supplements.
Studies have long since proven that zinc deficiency causes a significant decrease in testosterone concentration and that supplementation in deficient men will raise it back to healthy levels [2].
Zinc Helps Control Aromatase
By controlling the aromatase enzyme, which would otherwise cause testosterone to convert into estrogen.
Helps Progesterone Production
The ovaries love zinc—sufficient amount of this mineral helps them produce estrogen and progesterone.
It is important to note that zinc may not have a direct impact on erections; however, it's deficiency can pair well with other underlying conditions, which will directly impact erection and sexual competency. A study also found that zinc improved ejaculatory control for those who suffer from premature ejaculation [3].
Signs of too much zinc include nausea, dizziness, headaches, upset stomach, vomiting, and loss of appetite. If you take too much zinc for a long time, you could have problems such as lower immunity, low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol, and low copper levels.
Adults should avoid taking more than 40 mg of zinc each day. If you accidentally take more than this, it's more likely to cause stomach symptoms than any serious health problems. Check with your healthcare provider if you are considering taking zinc supplements.
Supplements. Only a few supplements have been shown to benefit testosterone production. Among those, the evidence mostly supports vitamin D and zinc, followed by magnesium.
Our results show that supplementation with magnesium increases free and total testosterone values in sedentary and in athletes. The increases are higher in those who exercise than in sedentary individuals.
In fact, taking too much zinc can potentially cause stomach side effects, such as diarrhea, stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. And having high levels of zinc over a long period of time might also lead to low copper or iron levels.
Zinc reduces androgens (testosterone) and raises it. This depends on what the person needs. If you are a female with PCOS you may need zinc to reduce testosterone, whilst a male low in testosterone will benefit from zinc to bring testosterone back to healthy levels. Zinc supports the stress response.
There is evidence that dietary zinc may impact male sexual competency. A 2016 study also found that a supplement containing folic acid, zinc, and the herb golden root improved the ejaculatory control of those affected by premature ejaculation.
This particular study concluded that in males, zinc has a positive effect on arousal and maintaining an erection. A 2013 study shows that sense of smell may actually be important to libido, especially in younger men. That means that zinc deficiency, which can reduce sense of smell, may also reduce libido.
But taking doses higher than 40 mg daily might decrease how much copper the body absorbs. Taking very high doses of zinc is likely unsafe and might cause stomach pain, vomiting, and many other problems. Single doses of 10-30 grams of zinc can be fatal.