Testosterone is an important marker when it comes to your health, fitness, and fertility, but it doesn’t work alone. If you’re thinking about your testosterone levels, it’s a good idea to look at the bigger picture.
The ability of your body to produce the right levels of testosterone, and for that testosterone to work effectively, depends on lots of factors, from your diet and sleeping habits to whether you are getting enough essential vitamins and minerals.
We’re going beyond testosterone alone to take a closer look at the other elements you need to know about, alongside your testosterone levels, if you want to improve your health, increase your fitness, and build muscle more effectively.
What is zinc and why is it important?
From supporting cell function to influencing growth and development, the mineral zinc plays an important role in the function of your brain and your body.
The body doesn’t store zinc, so it’s important to make sure you’re getting enough through your diet in order to avoid a deficiency. The main role of zinc is to assist around 100 enzymes in the body perform their essential biochemical reactions, including:
- Boosting immune function
- Helping cells divide
- Helping wounds heal quickly
- Maintaining the sense of smell and taste
What are the signs of a zinc deficiency?
If you have a zinc deficiency, the signs will tend to show up in appetite loss, slow growth, and poor immune functions. In more severe cases, it can cause:
- Diarrhoea
- Hair loss
- Lesions on the skin
- Lethargy
- Slow wound healing
- Unexplained weight loss
How does zinc impact testosterone?
As well as the symptoms mentioned above, men and boys with a zinc deficiency can also experience impotence and hypogonadism, when the body does not produce enough testosterone.
So, if you’re concerned about low testosterone levels and also recognise other symptoms in yourself, it could be the case that a zinc deficiency is the cause of the problem and, thankfully, is easy to remedy with supplements and some dietary changes.
Taking a look at your testosterone – look a little deeper
When looking indicators of your health and fitness, it’s always a good idea to get as much of a holistic view as you can, as there are so many elements which can influence how effectively our body is functioning.
And this is certainly the case when it comes to testosterone. Understanding the crucial elements linked to your testosterone levels can help you make the right dietary, supplement, and exercise-based choices for you.
