***Author’s Note: Let me state right up front: DO NOT attempt to “balance your hormones” on your own. The supplements recommended in this article, “Andrew Huberman’s Top Testosterone Supplements,” are powerful substances, & they will increase your testosterone levels. At the very least, before taking these supplements, have your hormone levels tested to establish a baseline value. Then have them tested again in 2-3 months, after taking these supplements, to measure your new levels.

ALL of this should be done under a doctor’s supervision!!!

Andrew Huberman’s Top Testosterone Supplements

I believe that information is power.  And you should be getting your information from some of the smartest people around.  Andrew Huberman is one of those people: a renowned Stanford neuroscientist who gives very specific recommendations, all science-based, for common health problems.  He essentially helps people optimize their health, with free or low-cost strategies.  He’s been interviewed on some of the world’s top podcasts ~ & has his own podcast now, where he gives long discussions on a range of health topics.  I’ll be creating a series of articles that act as “Cliff Notes” for these fascinating discussions, & break down his recommendations into easily-digestible takeaways. 

And first up is a potentially controversial topic: increasing your testosterone levels.

Andrew Huberman is one of the top neuroscientists in the country, whose focus is on brain development & neural regeneration. His podcast features long-form discussions on a wide range of health topics, including how to optimize hormones. Photo courtesy of FastLifeHacks.com.

“Testosterone has some very interesting effects on the brain.  The major mental effect of testosterone is that it makes effort feel good.”

 

– Dr. Andrew Huberman

Andrew Huberman & Joe Rogan Video

When Huberman talks about raising testosterone levels, he is NOT talking about the use of anabolic steroids (which is what most people think of when they hear about testosterone).  He is instead referring to the use of two rather obscure supplements, both of which are plant compounds: Tongkat Ali & Fadogia Agrestis. 

Listen to his thoughts on them in the interview with Joe Rogan below… 

**Author’s Note: I think it’s really important when talking about testosterone to reiterate why anabolic steroids are so dangerous, particularly for young men to be using: when you inject high levels of a substance into your body, even if it’s a synthetic form, your body will eventually stop making it itself. This thought ought to be terrifying for anyone who is considering using anabolics. The beauty of the plant compounds Huberman recommends, is that they encourage your own body to produce more testosterone ON ITS OWN. That distinction is huge, & should not go unnoted.

Huberman’s Specific Recommendations: 

• Tongkat Ali = The typical dose is 400 mg/day, & it can raise your testosterone levels by 100-200 points.
• Fadogia Agrestis: The typical dose is 600 mg/day, & it can raise your testosterone levels by 300-400 points.

Andrew Huberman Podcast on Hormones

For a deeper dive on the discussion of hormones, listen to Huberman’s two-hour, full-length podcast below, where he goes into greater detail about hormone optimization for both men & women.  My “Cliff Note” take-aways are listed below the video. 

How to Naturally Increase Testosterone

• Getting a good night of deep, REM sleep, distraction-free, helps to optimize testosterone levels, & also helps release more Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which helps to burn fat & increase muscle mass;
• Expose yourself to sunlight first thing in the morning for two to 10 minutes: this increases dopamine (the “feel-good” neurotransmitter), as well as testosterone & estrogen levels;
• Cold exposure helps to increase testosterone levels ~ whether by cold-water swimming, taking an ice bath, or simply taking a cold shower (for more on this, check out the work of Wim Hof);
• Exercise increases testosterone for about 48 hours; exercising consistently throughout the week helps keep testosterone perpetually elevated. Weight-training heavy loads, but NOT to failure, seems to be the most effective way to increase testosterone.
• Supplements that help increase testosterone levels are: zinc, Vitamin D3, & magnesium. Two plant supplements that can drastically increase testosterone levels are the above-mentioned Fadogia Agrestis & Tongkat Ali.

Fadogia Agrestis

$20.95

Why Increase Testosterone?

So why do people, both men AND women, want to increase their testosterone levels?  There are many reasons: to increase energy, reduce brain fog, & help create lean muscle.  These are things pretty much everyone wants, & when regular diet & exercise aren’t quite cutting it like they used to, particularly as we age: the underlying problem is often some kind of hormone imbalance.  As we age, both estrogen & testosterone decline: these are essentially the “youthful” hormones; they help keep us lean, strong, & energetic.  As they decline, we can notice an increase in things such as belly fat, because these hormones ~ in conjunction with insulin & cortisol, have a dramatic effect on how & where we store fat. 

Hormone replacement therapy, or HRT, has evolved greatly in recent years; whereas they used to give women horse urine or some other crazy kind of “hormone replacement,” the hormones being given nowadays are typically made in compounding pharmacies, & are far safer & more effective than previous iterations.

Testosterone is not only associated with greater strength & endurance, but it’s also linked with decreased anxiety & depression: making its benefits both physical AND mental.

I know many people who take these newer hormone replacements, whether as a cream or an injection, & I must say: the results are VERY wide-ranging.  For some people, increasing testosterone levels is life-changing ~ but, they also exercise A LOT & eat very well; for these people, the results & changes in their body & energy levels are dramatic.  But I also know people who take testosterone hoping it will do all the work for them; meanwhile, their diet is crappy & their lifestyle is quite sedentary ~ for them, the effects of the testosterone are very minimal. 

So I think the bottom line here is: increasing testosterone by itself is NOT enough to change your body or completely change your life ~ you MUST DO THE WORK.  But as Huberman says so eloquently, “Testosterone makes effort feel good,” so hopefully doing that work becomes easier, once these levels are optimized.

Andrew Huberman’s Top Testosterone Supplements

Again, I highly encourage you to check out Andrew Huberman’s work.  He interviews some of the brightest people in all different fields relating to health ~ such as sleep expert Matthew Walker, offering simple solutions to maximize health & well-being. 

xoxo Noelia

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