What Supplements Actually Increase Testosterone?

Testosterone levels drop as men age, and supplement shelves are full of products promising to reverse that. Most of them do not work. The honest answer is that only a small number of supplements have solid evidence behind them, and even those work best when your levels are already low or your diet is missing key nutrients. Vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium are the three with the strongest track record. Everything else ranges from unproven to outright marketing.

What Supplements Actually Increase Testosterone?

Three supplements have consistent clinical evidence supporting their use: vitamin D, zinc, and magnesium. Each one matters most when you are deficient in that nutrient. If your levels are already normal, taking more will not push testosterone higher. That is the key distinction most supplement brands leave out.

Vitamin D acts like a hormone in the body and plays a direct role in testosterone production. Studies have found that men with adequate vitamin D levels tend to have higher testosterone than men who are deficient. One well-known trial gave men with low vitamin D a weekly dose of 3,000 IU for one year and saw meaningful increases in testosterone. Men who started with normal levels saw no change.

Zinc is required for the enzymes that produce testosterone. Even short periods of low zinc intake can drop testosterone levels noticeably. Clinical studies show that supplementing zinc restores testosterone in men who are deficient. One older study in the journal Nutrition found that men who took 45 mg of zinc daily for six months increased their testosterone from an average of 8.3 nmol/L to 16.0 nmol/L. The men in that study were zinc-deficient to begin with.

Magnesium also supports testosterone production, particularly in men who are physically active. Research published in the journal Biological Trace Element Research found that magnesium supplementation for four weeks increased both free and total testosterone in sedentary men and athletes. The effect was strongest in men who were magnesium-deficient. Again, men with adequate levels saw minimal benefit.

Do Ashwagandha and Other Herbal Supplements Work?

Ashwagandha has the most evidence among herbal supplements. A 2022 meta-analysis in the journal Cureus reviewed four randomized controlled trials and found that ashwagandha supplementation increased testosterone by about 15 percent in men. The average dose across the studies was around 600 mg per day of root extract. Most studies lasted eight to twelve weeks.

However, the quality of these trials is moderate at best. Sample sizes were small, and many studies were funded by companies that sell ashwagandha. The effect is real but modest. It is not going to turn a low testosterone level into a high one.

Other herbs commonly marketed for testosterone — tribulus terrestris, fenugreek, tongkat ali, and maca — have weaker evidence. Tribulus terrestris is the most studied and consistently fails to raise testosterone in clinical trials. Some studies show it improves libido, but it does not change hormone levels. Fenugreek has a few small positive studies, but the evidence is not strong enough to recommend it. Tongkat ali has limited research, mostly from Malaysia, and needs more investigation before it can be recommended.

Does D-Aspartic Acid Actually Raise Testosterone?

D-aspartic acid (DAA) was popular for years based on a single 2009 study in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. That study showed a 42 percent increase in testosterone in men with normal levels after 12 days of supplementation. Later studies failed to replicate those results.

A 2015 study in the journal Nutrition Research found that 3 grams of DAA daily for 28 days had no effect on testosterone in resistance-trained men. A 2016 study in the journal Andrologia found that DAA combined with a training program actually decreased testosterone slightly. The current evidence does not support DAA for increasing testosterone.

If you see DAA in a testosterone supplement, it is likely there because it is cheap and has a famous study behind it. That study has not been reproduced.

What About Boron, Fenugreek, and Other Lesser-Known Supplements?

Boron is a trace mineral that gained attention after a small 2011 study in the journal Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology. The study found that 10 mg of boron daily for one week raised free testosterone in healthy men. The study had only eight participants, and no larger trials have confirmed the finding. The evidence is too thin to recommend boron.

Fenugreek appears in many testosterone supplements, often combined with other herbs. One 2010 study in the journal Phytotherapy Research found that a fenugreek extract called Testofen increased free testosterone in men who were lifting weights. Other studies have shown mixed results. Fenugreek may have a mild effect, but it is not consistent across trials.

Vitamin B6, magnesium, and zinc are often combined in testosterone supplements because they all play roles in hormone production. There is no evidence that the combination works better than addressing individual deficiencies.

What About Prescription Testosterone?

Prescription testosterone therapy is far more effective than any supplement. Gel, injections, and patches all reliably raise testosterone levels. They are only available by prescription and are typically reserved for men with clinically low testosterone — usually below 300 ng/dL on two separate blood tests.

Testosterone therapy comes with risks. It can worsen sleep apnea, increase red blood cell counts, and affect fertility. Some research has raised concerns about cardiovascular risk, though the evidence is mixed. Men considering testosterone therapy should have a conversation with their doctor about the risks and benefits.

Supplements are not a substitute for medical treatment. If your testosterone is genuinely low, a supplement will not fix it. If your testosterone is normal, a supplement will not make it higher.

Are There Supplements That Lower Testosterone?

Some supplements can lower testosterone or interfere with its production. High doses of certain products used by bodybuilders can suppress natural testosterone production. These include prohormones and selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs), which are not approved by the FDA and have real health risks.

Licorice root is one supplement that has been shown to lower testosterone in both men and women. A 2019 study in the journal Nutrients found that consuming licorice daily for four days reduced serum testosterone by about 26 percent in healthy men. Spearmint tea has also been shown to lower free testosterone in some studies, though the effect is modest.

If you are trying to raise testosterone, it is worth checking whether anything you are taking is working against you.

What Lifestyle Factors Matter More Than Supplements?

Sleep, exercise, and weight management have a bigger impact on testosterone than any supplement. One study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that sleeping only five hours per night for one week reduced testosterone by 10 to 15 percent in healthy young men. Chronic sleep deprivation is one of the most reliable ways to lower testosterone.

Resistance training consistently raises testosterone acutely. Heavy compound lifts — squats, deadlifts, bench press — produce the largest acute increases. The effect is temporary, but regular training helps maintain higher baseline levels.

Body fat matters too. Fat tissue converts testosterone to estrogen through an enzyme called aromatase. Men with higher body fat percentages tend to have lower testosterone. Losing weight, particularly visceral fat, reliably increases testosterone levels.

Stress also plays a role. Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, suppresses testosterone production. Chronic stress keeps cortisol elevated, which keeps testosterone suppressed. Managing stress through sleep, exercise, and recovery is more effective than any supplement.