Man Boost

One of the best reasons to utilize grape seed extract is because it increases testosterone levels. But there is also another point in favor of grape seed extract — it can help naturally boost nitric oxide production in your body.

Selçuk University did a study that proved that grape seed extract could increase Nitric Oxide levels up to 138%. This is great if you want to use this component for boosting your workout routine.

According to a study done by the Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, grape seeds have an anti-estrogenic compound called proanthocyanidin. This component can significantly lower estrogen in your body as well.

IC-3 Is found in cruciferous vegetables. The problem is that they’re also high in fiber which can also impact testosterone levels and male hormone health. So in a rare instance, supplementing with IC-3 rather than consuming a ton of fibrous vegetables, is actually optimal for men. So how does IC-3 work?

- Helps the liver metabolize and flush estrogen more quickly.

- Converts strong estrogen molecules into less potent kind. This should result in reduced estrogen levels and a more favorable estradiol/estrone ratio.

- In a human study conducted nearly 20 years ago, 6-7 mg/kg of IC3 per day was able to significantly increase the clearance of estrogens via urine in both, men and women.

- In a human study conducted nearly 20 years ago, 6-7 mg/kg of IC3 per day was able to significantly increase the clearance of estrogens via urine in both, men and women.

- Taken in its pure form you can get the anti-estrogenic properties of IC3 without the male hormone-declining properties of the fiber found in cruciferous vegetables (where IC3 comes from).

Boron is a powerful substance that has been studied and shown to help improve male hormone health while also decreasing estrogen. Every man should be supplementing with boron.

Take a study from Naghii et al. researchers gave eight of their male subjects ~10 mg’s of boron supplement, every morning for 7 consecutive days. After the week had passed, the scientists compared their subjects blood results from day 1 to day 7 and found out that:

- Free testosterone levels had increased by 28%

- Free estrogen levels had decreased by -39%

- Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels rose by 10%

- Many inflammation biomarkers (hsCRP, TNF-α) dropped significantly

Another study looked at how boron supplementation impacts serum vitamin D levels, but on the side, they also measured free testosterone levels. After 2 months of giving their 13 subject males 6 mg’s of daily boron (calcium fructo-borate) the levels of free testosterone had increased by 29,5% on average.

Boron is one of the best micronutrients there is on the planet for assisting male hormone production in men. Rarely used in supplement form though it should be a staple.

Zinc, especially in its highest quality form - picolinate - can do wonders for male testosterone levels by increasing testosterone and reducing estrogen.

-During strenuous exercise, elite wrestlers who supplemented with 3mg/kg of zinc daily for a month, were found of having significantly higher testosterone and thyroid hormone levels when compared to placebo group which saw steady decreases in both of the hormones due to excessive workload.

- Another study with 10 young “sedentary male volunteers” in 2007 using the same dosage of zinc for the same duration of time. The men were subjected to “fatiguing bicycle exercise” during those 4-weeks and as in their previous study, zinc supplementation was able to maintain and increase total and free testosterone levels, as well as thyroid hormones when compared to a placebo pill.

- Another study consisting of 37 infertile-subjects had the men take an undisclosed amount of zinc for 6-months and noted that the men who had testosterone levels on the lower end (less than 480 ng/dL) noticed significant improvements in testosterone and DHT levels, whereas the men on the higher levels of testosterone (more than 480 ng/dL) noted no increases in testosterone, but still significant increases in DHT levels. On an even more positive note, Nine of the subjects were able to conceive a child during the study period.

- Another study in vitro found that supplementing with zinc reduced the activity of the female-hormone estrogen towards it receptors by 57%

From a quality standpoint, zinc picolinate is better absorbed than zinc citrate, oxide, or any other form of the supplement, which is why I chose the more expensive, higher quality zinc picolinate. Zinc picolinate retails for $59 USD at 20mg