Question: Is there a safe way for a healthy 73-year-old man to increase his level of testosterone through diet?

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

There is no dietary supplement that can reliably increase your testosterone level, so avoid wasting your money buying anything that makes that claim. Most of the claims you read about are totally misleading and aimed at your pocketbook.

Anabolic steroids (testosterone and testosterone-like drugs) and their precursor agents are present in many weightlifting supplements, which are regularly changing names to avoid Food and Drug Administration scrutiny. These supplements are often even stocked at vitamin stores and unregulated as to content, purity, and safety. Many are unsafe in long-term use, even if you are under physician supervision.

Talk to your personal physician to see if supplementation or stimulation of more testosterone is appropriate for you. Testosterone supplementation is usually done through an injection or patch, and stimulation is done by precursor injection or gonadotrophin injection. Also, a few oral formulations can supplement somewhat adequately. Dietary vitamin and nutritional deficiencies, as well as many medicines have adverse effects on testosterone and other hormones, but over-supplementation when you level is not low does not generally increase your testosterone.