WORCESTER, United Kingdom – Many people strive for low-fat and vegetarian diets as the best ways to stay healthy, but is this really the case for men? A new study finds that lowering fat also reduces male testosterone levels. The results may cause men to choose to go green while their diet has a loss of libido.
Researchers from the University of Worcester add that the male sex hormone also protects against heart disease, diabetes and Alzheimer’s. Results show that vegetarian low-fat diets are the worst for men’s sexual health; decreasing testosterone by up to 26 percent.
These diets usually focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Such foods are rich in fiber and low in calories compared to meat and other animal products. Other low-fat diets cut this important chemical by an average of 10 to 15 percent, according to the study.
“There has been a significant decrease in sex hormones on diets low in fat and high in fat,” writes lead author and nutritionist Dr. Joseph Whittaker, in The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Testosterone levels are highly dependent on what you eat
According to the findings, Europeans are particularly prone to the consequences of these fashionable eating plans. Study authors looked at blood samples from more than 200 men with a mean age of 46.
“Low-fat diets seem to lower testosterone levels in men,” reports Dr. Whittaker. “Men of European descent may experience a greater decrease in testosterone due to a low-fat diet.”
A normal testosterone range is 300 to 1000 nanograms per deciliter (ng / dL), depending on the person’s age. However, average levels have been declining for 50 years, and diets offer a low-risk strategy to increase them. Dr. Whittaker and co-author Kexin Wu compiled data from six previous studies where participants first had a 40 percent fat diet.
Testosterone levels dropped after the group switched to a diet with half the amount of fat. Omega 6 polyunsaturated fats, found mainly in vegetable oils, can damage a cell’s ability to produce testosterone. Dr. Whittaker explains that they are more prone to harmful oxidation.
“Ideally, we want to see a few more studies to confirm our results. However, these studies can never come, usually researchers want to find new results and not repeat the old results. In the meantime, men with low testosterone will be wise to avoid low-fat diets, ‘the lead researcher said in a statement to SWNS.
Where can you get the right fats to stay healthy?
Dietary fat is a controversial topic, and proponents of low-fat, low-carbohydrate diets often disagree.
“The benefits of low-fat diets, such as lowered cholesterol levels, must be weighed against potential disadvantages – such as reduced testosterone,” adds Dr. Whittaker by.
Guidelines in the UK and US usually focus on limiting fat intake to less than 35 per cent of total calories. As nutritionists are doing more work on a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet, this traditional view is increasingly under scrutiny.
In recent years, fatty fats have been shown to destroy harmful blood fats called triglycerides and lower blood pressure. It can also increase the “good” HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol. The latest study now suggests that they also increase testosterone.
Low-fat diets usually include whole grains, lean meats such as chicken, fish, fruits and skinless vegetables. Although these are healthy choices, experts emphasize the importance of including fats in any diet, which is more common in meat, nuts and dairy products such as cheese and milk.
Men should ideally consume monounsaturated fats, which are found in olive oil, avocados and nuts, to promote testosterone. Fat is an essential component of a healthy, balanced diet. Experts generally recommend overdoing the consumption of saturated fats, which are common in butter, fatty meats, cakes and pastries. Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can increase bad LDL cholesterol (low density lipoprotein) – which also increases the risk of heart disease.
SWNS author Mark Waghorn contributed to this report.