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10.09.2013

Ginger boosts testosterone levels in human study

Many animal studies have shown that ginger supplementation boosts testosterone levels. There were no human studies on the hormonal effects of ginger on testosterone, we thought. Well, there are. A thoughtful reader mailed us one. From the university of Tikrit in Iraq, published in the Tikrit Medical Journal. This may not be a perfect study, but hey - it's a start.

Study
The researchers describe an experiment they did with 75 married men with fertility problems, aged between 19 and 40. Through a clinic in Tikrit the men were put on a course of ginger. The researchers do not say how much ginger the men received or the form in which they were given it. They are also not very clear about the duration of the treatment, although in the article they mention "three months of treatment". We assume this is the case.

The researchers used a control group of 25 healthy men, but they don't report the data they collected from this group in the article. The figure below relates therefore to the 75 infertile men. There was not a group to whom a placebo was given.

Results
The supplementation raised the men's testosterone level by 17.7 percent. This may well have something to do with the effect of ginger on the LH level. The latter rose by a whopping 43.2 percent.

The concentration of the toxic malondialdehyde in the men's blood decreased and the concentration of the protective glutathione rose. Malondialdehyde is a marker for free radical activity. This confirms the theory that ginger works above all, probably by activating endogenous antioxidants, by destroying harmful molecules in the testes.

Both quantity and quality of sperm cells increased. The study does not reveal whether the men also became fathers.

Conclusion
"The present study recommends the use of ginger by Iraqi community as a food additive”, the researchers conclude.

Source:
Tikrit Medical Journal 2012;18(2):322-329.

More:
Ginger boosts testosterone levels in diabetic rats 06.09.2013
Ginger doubles testosterone levels in rats 08.09.2010
Animal study: ginger has similar effect to clomiphene 14.10.2009

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