Pomegranate Juice May Boost Testosterone

✔ Evidence-Based. Scientifically Reviewed by Michael Sharpe, MSc.

According to in-vitro and animal studies, the antioxidant effect of pomegranate juice may help boost testosterone by up to 27% and can improve markers of fertility.

Researchers from Turkey’s Firat University presented the findings of an experiment in which they discovered that pomegranate increases sperm quality and somewhat boosts testosterone levels in rats.

Their primary focus is artificial insemination, and they want to know whether they can improve sperm production by changing diet.

The Study

The rodents were given pomegranate juice every day for seven weeks, according to the researchers.

• A control group received only water.
• Three separate groups were given 0.25 ml, 0.5 ml or 1 ml of pomegranate juice.

The groups were PJ-low, PJ-middle, and PJ-high. The table below indicates how the rats’ sperm quality improved following a seven-week juice diet.

Unsaturated fatty acids are abundant in sperm cells and the cells that produce sperm and testosterone. These are prone to oxidation.

Pomegranate juice, the researchers observed, enhanced the formation of natural anti-oxidants in the rats sperm and blood. These most likely protect the susceptible fatty acids from oxidation.

Malondialdehyde, a marker for fat oxidation, was shown to be lower in the blood and sperm of rats given pomegranate juice. Catalase is a natural anti-oxidant whose concentration rises significantly as a consequence of supplementation.

The fact that this antioxidant impact has an influence on testosterone synthesis is shown here.

Conclusion

It seems as though the antioxidant effects of pomegranate juice can slightly boost the production of testosterone (27% boost in the PJ-high group) and can also improve markers are fertility. This is a similar mechanism as to how ginger can boost testosterone.

However, this study is limited as it is conducted on rodents and may not have the same effect in humans. It also may not be of significance or of practically relevance.

In any case, pomegranate juice may still be considered a natural testosterone booster.

Definitions

Below are definitions and short explanations of what some of the terms in this article mean.

• Testosterone: Testosterone is a steroid hormone produced mostly in the testes, but also in the ovaries and adrenal cortex. It accelerates the development of secondary male sexual characteristics, as well as a variety of other functions.
• Malondialdehyde: When free radicals oxidise a fat, MDA (malondialdehyde) is formed as a result. Excess free radicals damage the membranes of healthy cells. When MDA levels are high, it indicates that oxidative stress is present.

References

This section contains links to research, studies, and sources of information for this article, as well as authors, contributors, etc. All sources, along with the article and facts, are subjected to a series of quality, reliability, and relevance checks.

Real Muscle primarily uses high-quality sources, such as peer-reviewed publications, to back up the information in our articles. To understand more about how we fact-check and keep our information accurate, dependable, and trustworthy, read more about us.

This evidence based analysis of pomegranate juice and testosterone features 1 reference, listed below.

1. Türk G, Sönmez M, Aydin M, Yüce A, Gür S, Yüksel M, Aksu EH, Aksoy H. Effects of pomegranate juice consumption on sperm quality, spermatogenic cell density, antioxidant activity and testosterone level in male rats. Clin Nutr. (2008, Apr) ✔

✔ Citations with a tick indicate the information is from a trusted source.

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