Onions and testosterone. Do onions really boost testosterone? It’s a claim that you hear time and time again on TikTok, but how true really is that? In this video, we will look at all the possible ways that onions could boost testosterone and also 3 things that you want to consider before trying out onions. And if you already eat onions regularly, here is more information on them. What may surprise you is that they aren’t suited for everyone, and it’s important that you know both the pros and cons without any of the fluff.
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Onions, otherwise known as Allium cepa, are one of the most popular root vegetables and are loaded with a ton of vitamins and minerals, which you can look at here, as well as all the macros, and an interesting compound, which I’ll come to in a bit. In fact, according to the National Onion Association, per capita onion consumption has risen over 70 percent in the last two decades, from 12.2 pounds per person in 1982 to just over 20 pounds per person in 2018. And don’t be surprised if that number continues, thanks to all the new TikTok trends.
Don’t get me wrong; onions can be a great addition to your diet. Personally, I like them because of 2 major reasons. One: They have great sulfur-containing compounds. Two: They have antioxidants, a big one known as quercetin. Quercetin has been studied time and time again for lowering inflammation, lowering blood pressure, and supporting blood sugar control. But for testosterone? It’s an excellent question to be asking. There aren’t a lot of human studies as I would like, because many studies have been done on male rats, with the exception of one done on healthy men. But let me break down the 3 roadmaps as to why it has been postulated and frequented so much on social media and where I think the research will go in the future.
Afterwards, I’ll tell you about the 3 reasons why you should think twice about onions, which many others have glossed over, so that we get a full picture, which this channel is all about. Starting with the first one: onions’ effects on LH, or what’s known as luteinizing hormone. You see, testosterone is mainly synthesized in Leydig cells in males and the ovaries and adrenal glands in females. When we look at the Leydig cell, the amount of produced testosterone in this cell is under the control of LH. The formed testosterone in the Leydig cell is then transported to Sertoli cells in the testis to enhance sperm production. So if LH is responsible for the amount of testosterone, how do onions play a role? Well, it turns out, in the animal study, onions have a positive impact on the production of luteinizing hormone, and the positive effect of onions on testosterone is attributed back to the increased level of LH. That’s the first roadmap: onions increasing LH, increasing Leydig cell production of testosterone. Let’s look at the second. And this is where it gets interesting: onions’ effects on nitric oxide.
It is well-documented that a decrease in blood flow to the testis reduces the synthesis of testosterone. So to work around that, how do we increase the blood flow, especially with onions? Well, it turns out onions positively affect nitric oxide, which is a free radical gas that is produced by nitric oxide synthase. What it does is act as a vasodilator, opening up the blood vessels, increasing blood flow in the testis, and promoting testosterone synthesis. And not to forget to mention the critical role nitric oxide has for blood vessels around the body in general. Take a look at this visual here: the more nitric oxide you have, the easier your blood is to flow through. But over time, as inflammation and arterial plaque build up, the less nitric oxide can help ease the way for your blood to flow through.
Lastly, the effects of onions on 5 AMP activated protein kinase. Think of this as your cell’s master switch. It plays a ton of roles in the body, from fatty acid oxidation to helping make sure sugar in the blood is stored correctly, all the way to producing testosterone in the testes. What makes onions so unique is their high amounts of quercetin. And quercetin is what activates this important protein kinase. Although more research is needed on this to come to a more thorough conclusion, since a lot of observation has been in animal models, what we do know is that quercetin is studied for its uses in supporting heart health, circulation, prostate health, and exercise recovery. And if you’re wondering which onion has the most quercetin, it’s going to be the chartreuse onion, which has a more yellowish glow than your typical yellow onion.
Now that we’ve covered the 3 main ways onions have been touted for boosting testosterone, I want to leave you with 3 reasons why you probably should skip onions. The first is if you have IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. This is because onions are what’s considered a FODMAP, because they are a fructan, which is a type of oligosaccharide, standing for the O in FODMAP, that can make your symptoms of IBS worse, anywhere from abdominal pain, cramping, or bloating. So here is a trick to work around that: green onion—you’ve seen them before; the tops are lower in FODMAPs than the bottoms, so use the tops instead if you can’t give them up. Because onions are too good to give up completely, am I right?
The second reason is it can make your heartburn worse if you suffer from heartburn. Not everyone has trouble with it, but if you’ve cut out fried foods, spicy foods, and citrusy foods and still have heartburn, consider if onions could be a culprit. Not a lot of people know this, but the fermentable fiber in the onion called fructooligosaccharides can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, and when that is relaxed, acid has an easier time making its way back up and increasing reflux.
Lastly, this may not impact you directly, but if you are a pet owner of a cat, dog, horse, or even a monkey, keep your pets away from onions. The sulfoxides in the onions can cause Heinz body anemia disease, which affects your pet’s red blood cells. And remember, just because a food may be healthy for a human, they aren’t always healthy for your pet.
In the meantime, though, if you don’t struggle from eating onions, there is no reason to stop eating them. And if you’re looking for more ways to increase testosterone from your diet, then check out the video I made on pomegranates to the left right here. I would love to hear your thoughts down below, and in the meantime, click the subscribe button if you found any value in this, and I’ll see you on the next one.