Mint tea, especially peppermint and spearmint, has been shown to have some direct effect on lowering testosterone levels in women and those with vaginas. It is also hypothesized that peppermint essential oil may have a lowering effect on testosterone levels.
Spironolactone (Aldactone®): This antiandrogen treats hormonal acne and excessive body hair. Cyproterone: This medication can help treat PCOS, reduce testosterone levels and reduce the production of acne-causing oils.
Summary. High testosterone is common in people with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and certain food have anti-androgenic properties that may help lower these levels. Doing so may improve symptoms of PCOS, including weight gain, acne, high blood sugar, excess facial hair, and irregular periods.
In PCOS, the ovaries do not work normally and produce too much testosterone(hyperandrogenism). Testosterone is called a “male hormone,” the ovaries usually produce very small amounts, but in PCOS, they make more, and this can contribute to acne, increased hair growth, and sometimes hair loss from the scalp.
There have been hundreds of studies showing particular foods have detrimental effects on your testosterone. These include soy, nuts, fish, spearmint tea, red reishi mushrooms, flaxseed, refined carbohydrates, and hormones in meat. To properly combat these effects, it's important that you eat these foods in moderation.
Take Vitamin D
Vitamin D has been associated with reducing androgen levels in women with PCOS. A review of six clinical trials with 183 women with PCOS revealed that vitamin D supplementation significantly reduced total testosterone levels.
Vitamin D and testosterone: Not just for men
Scientists have also observed a direct correlation between vitamin D and testosterone in women. In a recent cross-sectional study of women, researchers observed a positive, significant correlation between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and total testosterone levels.
Testosterone values may be normal in PCOS. Oral contraceptives will lower total testosterone, and interpretation in this setting is difficult (3 months off oral contraceptives is best to get a “true” testosterone value). Most testosterone values in PCOS will be ≤150 ng/dL (≤5.2 nmol/L).
LHRH agonists
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists (also called LHRH analogs or GnRH agonists) are drugs that lower the amount of testosterone made by the testicles. Treatment with these drugs is sometimes called medical castration because they lower androgen levels just as well as orchiectomy.
“Anything that negatively affects overall health can diminish testosterone levels,” says Dr. Hakim. “Smoking and excessive alcohol use are controllable factors that you want to eliminate or at least decrease significantly.”
Consider taking herbs. White peony, licorice, nettles, spearmint tea, reishi mushroom and others all have research to support testosterone - lowering effects and are commonly used in both PCOS and other cases of elevated testosterone in women.
Some women with high testosterone levels develop frontal balding. Other possible effects include acne, an enlarged clitoris, increased muscle mass, and deepening of voice. High levels of testosterone can also lead to infertility and are commonly seen in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
For most men, a higher vitamin D intake will probably not strongly influence the concentration of testosterone, but men with vitamin D deficiency might consider vitamin D supplements to boost the concentration of testosterone in the body and perhaps also fertility.
The recommended initial dose to treat vitamin D deficiency is 6000 IU (units) daily or 50,000 IU weekly for eight weeks, followed by 1000 IU or 2000 IU daily for maintenance (Holick, 2011). You can meet this intake requirement through diet or by taking a high-dose vitamin D3 supplement called cholecalciferol.
In clinical trials, magnesium raised both total and free testosterone in average men. Additionally, in a study conducted with athletes found that Magnesium combined with Zinc had even larger testosterone effects.
There are biological causes for increased testosterone in women. One such cause may be polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition in which the ovaries or adrenal glands produce more male hormones than normal.
Spearmint tea twice a day for 30 days has been shown to have anti-androgen effects in PCOS [6,7]. Our favourite teas are PCOS to Wellness herbies. There is spearmint in Cysterhood Tea so you can relax, unwind and lower androgens at the same time!
Caffeine generally has a positive impact on testosterone levels. It has been shown that men that consume caffeine on a regular basis, on average, have more testosterone than those that don't. Not only this but the estradiol levels, both free and total, have been reduced.
In inflammatory PCOS, chronic inflammation causes the ovaries to make excess testosterone, resulting in physical symptoms and issues with ovulation. Signs of inflammation in this type of PCOS include headaches, joint pain, unexplained fatigue, skin issues like eczema and bowel issues like IBS.
And while PCOS doesn't have a clear hereditary pattern, per the Genetics Home Reference, there does seem to be some sort of family association—an estimated 20%–40% of those with PCOS have an affected family member, usually a mother or sister.