By now, most of us know what makes us more vulnerable to dying from COVID-19. The major risk factors include age, obesity, smoking, lung conditions, and diabetes.[1]
Now, German researchers have discovered another one for men: low testosterone.
Researchers at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf tested people severely ill with COVID-19 who were in intensive care for the male hormone. Scientists found that 69% of the men had low T.[2]
Of the men who died of COVID-19, 78% were testosterone-deficient.
Professor Gulsah Gabriel of the Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology was an author of the study. “Low testosterone levels in men seem to be a risk factor for severe and even fatal disease outcome in men,” she said.[3]
Women also have small amounts of testosterone. But the study found that in women with COVID-19, testosterone levels did not seem to affect the severity of the disease.
Testosterone appears to protect men by preventing the sometimes-lethal “cytokine storm.” This is runaway inflammation in the lungs caused by an overreaction of the immune system. It makes it difficult for patients to breathe and get enough oxygen to survive.
Dr. Ali Daneshkhah is a virus researcher at Northwestern University. He explains: The cytokine storm “is what seems to kill a majority of COVID-19 patients, not the destruction of the lungs by the virus itself. It is the complications from the misdirected fire from the immune system.”
Professor Gabriel adds: “Testosterone has a dampening impact on the virus-induced cytokine storm which leads to death. Men with normal testosterone levels do not present a cytokine storm and thus are more likely to survive.”
4 Natural Supplements That Increase Testosterone
As men get older, many start to show the classic signs of low-T: lack of energy, diminished sex drive, erectile dysfunction, anemia, and the inability to concentrate.
The answer for some is a prescription testosterone supplement, usually in the form of a monthly injection or a testosterone gel that is rubbed into the skin daily.[4]
But several supplements have been proven to raise testosterone naturally.
1.) Longjack: Eurycoma longifolia is a medicinal plant native to Southeast Asia. It’s commonly called longjack or tongkat ali.[5]
For centuries it has been used as a folk remedy to improve energy, libido, and sports performance. A 2013 study tested longjack extract in 32 men. Half the men were given a daily supplement with 200 mg of longjack. The others took a placebo.
After four weeks, the testosterone levels in the longjack group had increased by an average of 37%. The placebo group’s levels did not change.[6]
Look for a longjack/tongkat ali supplement that uses a proprietary form called LJ100. It has undergone a patented extraction process that makes it more biologically active. Follow the label directions for dosage.
2.) Vitamin D: Shortly after the coronavirus pandemic began, we advised you that one vitamin may be the key to stopping it. A recent study provides further evidence this is true.
It looked at 780 COVID-19 cases in Indonesia. Researchers found that 96% of patients who died lacked vitamin D. Whereas 93% of survivors had normal levels.[7]
Vitamin D increases testosterone. Dr. Al Sears is one of the nation’s premier anti-aging physicians. He’s in private practice in Royal Palm Beach, Fla. “Most doctors don’t know about the crucial connection between testosterone and vitamin D,” he said. “But scientific research confirms that vitamin D directly boosts testosterone levels.”[8]
A 2011 study published in the journal Hormone and Metabolic Research looked at 200 men with low testosterone. Half were given a daily vitamin D supplement. The other half took a placebo.
After a year, the vitamin D group’s total testosterone readings rose by an average of 25%. The placebo group saw no increase.[9]
At your next checkup, have your doctor check your vitamin D level. You can have it done with the rest of your blood work. Ideal levels are 40–60 ng/mL.
To raise your level, get at least 15 minutes of sun a day with your arms and legs exposed. If it’s not possible for you to increase your sun exposure, take a quality vitamin D3 supplement. We recommend 5,000 IUs a day.
Be sure to take the D3 form (cholecalciferol), not D2 (ergocalciferol). A 2017 study found that D3 is more readily absorbed and has greater health benefits.[10]
3.) Ashwagandha: This root herb has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for more than 5,000 years. In India and other Asian countries, it is used to improve strength, muscle mass, energy, libido, and fertility.[11]
Pronounced ash-wah-gahn-dah, its scientific name is Withania somnifera.
In 2013, researchers tested ashwagandha on 46 men. Half took an ashwagandha extract supplement every day for 90 days. The other half took a placebo.
Afterward, the testosterone levels of the men who took the supplement had increased by an average of 17%. The placebo group’s levels stayed the same.
We recommend ashwagandha supplements that use a form called KSM-66. It retains all the natural constituents of the herb and is strictly controlled for quality. Follow label directions for dosage.[12]
4.) Zinc: Low zinc levels have long been associated with low T. Researchers at Wayne State University found that zinc supplements nearly double testosterone levels in older men.[13]
The scientists had men with an average age of 64 take zinc gluconate supplements every day. After six months, their testosterone levels had gone up by an average of 93%.
The study concluded: “Zinc may play an important role in modulating serum testosterone levels in normal men.”
Zinc lozenges are widely available at drug stores, health food stores, and online. Follow the label directions for dosage.
By raising testosterone, the supplements above can help men feel better, look better—and during the pandemic, they may help keep men safe.
Editor’s Note: Discover the simple ancient health practice that researchers believe may offer a “ray of hope” in the fight against COVID-19. It takes just minutes a day.
Find out why one doctor is doing it himself and is recommending it to all his patients. Get all the details in the October issue of Independent Healing. To get your copy, go HERE.
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[1] https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-factors-covid-death-revealed-world.html
[2] https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.05.07.20073817v1.full.pdf
[3] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-8312771/Male-coronavirus-patients-low-testosterone-levels-likely-die-COVID-19.html
[4] https://www.johnmuirhealth.com/health-education/health-wellness/mens-health/low-testosterone.html
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurycoma_longifolia
[6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3669033/
[7]https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3585561
[8] https://alsearsmd.com/2018/01/low-testosterone-linked-deficiency/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21154195
[10] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318266.php
[11] http://nutrientjournal.com/ashwagandha-extract-testosterone-strength-increase-reduced-cortisol/
[12] http://www.ksm66ashwagandhaa.com/why_ksm66.html
[13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8875519