Probiotics & Serum Testosterone Levels

We often hear that probiotics and gut bacteria are important for our health, which is pretty true! But, what if we tell you that probiotics and good bacteria (which are a part of your normal gut flora) can also increase your serum testosterone levels!?

Let’s see how:

Probiotic Bacteria And Serum Cortisol Levels

Cortisol- the stress hormone is the biggest suppressor of testosterone and it has been proved by various clinical studies that probiotics or gut bacteria can significantly reduce the serum cortisol levels naturally thus, increasing serum T levels.

According to a new research study that was conducted on rats, it was observed that lactobacillus ramnosis – a gut bacteria, can greatly reduce the serum cortisol levels in the rats. The rodents were divided into two groups; controlled group and test group. The test group was fed with lactobacillus ramnosis while the other group was given a regular diet. After a couple of weeks both groups were exposed to water filled bowls to find out how well the subjects reacts under stress conditions. The controlled group almost immediately showed signs of panic attacks as they struggled hard and tried frantically to escape out but, after 4 minutes they stopped to struggle and accepted that they will die. Whereas, the test group remained calm and continued to swim even after 4 minutes.

Researcher found out that the group fed with bacteria had 100 times lesser cortisol than the controlled group. To understand the mechanism behind, researcher performed another experiment in which they disconnected vagus nerve in rats (vagus nerve runs towards the brain through central nervous system). This time both groups freaked out when placed in water. This experiment suggested that the bacteria signals the brain via vagus nerve to release GABA, a compound that keeps a person calm under stressful events. Thus, healthy bacteria can lower the cortisol levels.

Probiotics Can Boost T Levels And Increase Testicle Size!

According to another research study, probiotic bacteria can increase the size of testicles. The subjects (rats) were divided into two groups in which one was control group while the other group was fed with Lactobacillus reuteri. Upon observation, it was found that bacteria-fed rats had increased testicular size and weight along with substantially high T levels. Moreover, the age dependent shrinkage of testicles was less in those who had taken L. reuteri in their diet. In addition, researchers also observed an improved quality and quantity of sperms with increased activity at hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis.

The researchers had compared bacterial diet with numerous other diets and each time, L.reuteri had proved to increase the testicular size and T levels. In fact, the test group was fed with junk food too and still they had bigger sized testicles and elevated testosterone levels.

Thus, if a man wants bigger balls and more testosterone, he should consume more probiotics and healthy bacteria!

Best Sources For Healthy Bacteria And Probiotics

The market is filled with tons of probiotic supplements and yogurts and sometimes it is hard to decide which one is best. To get benefits from bacterial probiotics it is necessary that the bacteria is kept alive which means that the supplement should be refrigerated from the time of manufacturing till consumption by the person. Thus, a person should only get refrigerated probiotic supplements. However, yogurt is not a good option because they are loaded with artificial sugars therefore, you won’t only get healthy bacteria but harmful sugars as well.

Organic and fermented food are the best sources of natural probiotics and bacteria which keeps both body and mind healthy. For instance,

• Fermented fish
• Fermented cheese
• Organic yogurt
• Lassi (Indian drink made with yogurt)
• Kombucha (a culture of yeast and bacteria brewed into tea)
• Fermented pickles
• Kefir
• Sauerkraut

References

• Poutahidis, T., Springer, A., Levkovich, T., Qi, P., Varian, B. J., Lakritz, J. R., ... & Erdman, S. E. (2014). Probiotic microbes sustain youthful serum testosterone levels and testicular size in aging mice. PLoS One, 9(1), e84877.
• Al-Damegh, M. A., Zeitoun, M. M., & Abdel-Salam, A. M. (2014). The Role of Fermented Milk Containing Probiotic, Dandelion as Prebiotic or their Combination on Serum Metabolites, Enzymes, Testosterone and Testicular Histopathology of Arsenic-Intoxicated Male Rats. Journal of Basic & Applied Sciences, 10, 492.
• Arab, E., & Ramazani, I. (2014). P-36: Evaluating The Effect of Lactobacillus Acidophilus and Bifidobacterium on Spermatogenesis Index of Testicular Tissue in Isoniazid-Induced Rats. Int J Fertil Steril, 8(2.5).