Every entry whose writeup carries a note for men specifically. The note is the entry’s own — follow it for the full context. See this in the planner →
Supplements
- AndrographisSome animal studies raised questions about fertility at high doses; human relevance is unclear but worth noting for those trying to conceive.
- AshwagandhaThere is some testosterone and sperm-parameter data in men, mostly small trials from a single region, with modest effect sizes. Better supported for stress than for hormones.
- BoronVery small studies show shifts in free testosterone at high doses. That is a long way from an established effect.
- D-Aspartic AcidOne small early study showed a testosterone rise. It did not replicate — later trials in trained men found no change, and one found a fall.
- DHEAA precursor hormone sold over the counter. Banned in sport, and the evidence that it improves anything in healthy men is weak.
- FenugreekEffects on testosterone are small and inconsistent, and most of the positive trials are small and manufacturer-linked.
- Horny Goat WeedThis is its main marketed use, yet the human evidence for erectile function or libido is close to absent — the case is built on rodent and in-vitro PDE5 data.
- IronThe requirement is 8 mg and ordinary food covers it, so the iron in a men’s multivitamin is usually doing nothing you need. Haemochromatosis, inherited iron overload, is one of the more common genetic conditions in people of northern European descent, and iron supplements make it worse. No iron without a reason and a test.
- L-ArginineMarketed for erectile dysfunction, where small trials show modest, inconsistent benefit.
- Maca RootMost libido and sperm-parameter data are in men, from small trials.
- Saw PalmettoThe prostate herbal with the most trials behind it — and the largest, best-controlled of them found it no better than placebo for urinary symptoms. Symptoms that are getting worse need a diagnosis rather than a herbal.
- Tribulus TerrestrisSold almost entirely on the claim that it raises testosterone. Controlled trials in men repeatedly find that it does not. It does raise your odds of a contaminated product, because this category performs worst in independent testing.
- ZincRequirements are slightly higher, 11 mg against 8 mg, and semen is a route of zinc loss. That is a real difference, and still one that ordinary food covers.
- ZMAZinc and magnesium fix a deficiency if you have one. In men who are not deficient, the testosterone claim does not hold up.
Other situations