Chapter 27: A Stepping Stone

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Chapter 27: A Stepping Stone

Although it is agonizing when it happens, an existential crisis can be transformative and can give rise to positive changes. In fact, it can be one of the best opportunities to find a new purpose in life.

The Red Pill journey isn’t a walk in the park, and I want to share with you one of the directions I found. I invested a lot of thought and reasoning into this, and I hope that it will be of use to you.

To heal and start the search for fulfillment, I think that optimal health comes first. That should be the very first goal that any man should seek.

Being healthy is especially relevant when a person is experiencing an existential crisis that may lead to severe depression because, when that happens, that person’s hormonal balance will be out of whack and that is far from good.

Good eating, exercise, getting enough sleep, and living a healthy lifestyle will do a lot of good in re-establishing order and balance in your life. This will positively affect your mood as well as your energy levels. Eating healthy along with regular exercise even improves your brain's neuroplasticity, which is how the brain grows and rewires itself. This implies that healthy habits will help fight depression and will act as a kind of kick-starter for the changes that will come in your life.

In the long run, it will assist you toward living a longer life with less illness, and it is the first step towards becoming the best you. You could see it as a starting point or as a stepping stone toward fulfillment.

That is but one reason that I put optimal health as the first objective on my list, but there’s a ton of factors that will surely convince you.

For the following part, I will make use of my experience as a former personal trainer to give you the best pieces of advice that I can according to my knowledge. I must warn you that this chapter may resemble a long medical prescription, and those who which to skip this section entirely may go to page 377.

Low testosterone levels are linked with a litany of problems and should be avoided at all cost; issues such as increased body fat, decreased strength and muscle mass, loss of bone density, and greater risk of injury (especially if you do physical labor).

Other symptoms of low testosterone are accumulated fat in the breast tissue (man boobs), chronic fatigue and insomnia, negative effects on cholesterol metabolism, and increased chances of heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, and high blood pressure.

To me, the scariest part is the emotional impact that accompanies low testosterone, such as depression, having trouble with memory and concentration, experiencing low motivation and low self-confidence, and increased rates of suicide.

Testosterone pills and steroid injections are not necessarily the answer, as they can cause a host significant side effects such as a loss of bone density, kidney, heart, and liver problems, and more. When done incorrectly, steroids can even boost your estrogen levels.

On the other hand, optimal levels of testosterone contribute to a healthy heart and normal blood pressure, less body fat, more muscle, and stronger bones.

High levels of testosterone are also associated with better memory, spatial abilities, and enhanced mathematical reasoning.

The real saving graces of being healthy and having high levels of testosterone are improved moods overall, a general sense of well-being, more energy, and better quality of your sleep.

Testosterone almost works like magic. If you are sad and depressed, do an activity that raises testosterone, and you will immediately feel better.

Women tend to combat stress by talking a lot. That is, a woman’s body produces oxytocin when she speaks with another person, and in turn, oxytocin reduces blood pressure and cortisol levels.

Men don’t generally cope with stress by talking and producing oxytocin; we fight it with testosterone. There is a direct correlation between chronic stress, low testosterone levels, and depression. Doing vigorous male activities like firing a gun, doing sport, or riding your motorcycle, can do a lot to relieve mental stress and raise your testosterone levels.

In the last 20 years, average testosterone levels dropped by 17% on average. But the decline of male hormones began way before that. It is estimated that men have between half and a third of the testosterone that men had 100 years ago. So, what are the causes of low testosterone? There are many, and I often refer to them as the Testosterone Grim Reapers.

1. Endocrine disruptors

Endocrine disruptors, or xenoestrogens, like Phthalates and BPA, are chemicals found in your everyday products. In fact, they are almost everywhere.

Xenoestrogens are found in plastic toys, food packaging, shower curtains, plastic medical equipment, household cleaners, cosmetics, personal care products, sunscreen, and even in certain brands of toothpaste.

Before becoming aware of those things, I used a regular Speed Stick deodorant, and you know what? I checked the list of ingredients and found out that one of them was also used in floor sealing products!

Getting rid of xenoestrogens requires a lot of logistics, and it is impossible to avoid them entirely. If you want to avoid them, you will have to check all the labels, and even then, you won't be able to get rid of xenoestrogen entirely unless you live like a hermit in the woods. My advice is to limit your exposure to xenoestrogen as much as you can.

2. Tap water

As a general rule, people need around 2,5 to 3 liters of water per day to detoxify, clean the body, and operate all of their biological functions optimally. Water is an essential component of life, but what happens when that precious H2O becomes contaminated?

Chloride found in tap water kills the bacteria residing in our water supplies. This is a necessity since cities arbor large bodies of water that are stored for the consumption of the population, but the chloride found in tap water also kills bacteria in our gut. This means that our intestinal flora is continually getting wiped out by the water that we drink. Our gut flora plays a major role in digestion and nutrient absorption, and a healthy microbiome is essential for optimal health.

And then there are the chemicals found in tap water like the birth control pill and all the medication flushed down the toilet. Water facilities get rid of a lot of things, but they aren’t equipped to get rid of every chemical. Water facilities filter remarkably large bodies of water, which means that the chemical compounds found in water are extremely diluted, but the accumulation of various substances in tap water is getting higher over the years.

To protect yourself you should buy a good water filter. Zero Water is the best filter in America that I know of, and it filters out everything, even chemicals. The main downside of owning a water filter is that you have to change the filters regularly, but these filters are fairly affordable. As a general rule, you should be fine by filtering the water that you drink and cook with.

3. Pesticides, herbicides, and hormones in meat

Some pesticides are pure poisons that kill bugs. They affect our guts bacteria and have an impact on our hormones, but not as much as the one that targets insect fertility. Some pesticides render species of insects sterile, effectively killing them in the span of a few generations, and since those pesticides are generously sprayed on our crops, it is only inevitable that we have serious effects on our endocrinal system.

These pesticides not only mimic the effects of estrogen, which lowers our testosterone levels, but they have also been shown to increase the risk of prostate cancer for men and breast cancer for women. The list of hazardous effects that stem from lifelong exposure to xenoestrogens is too long to summarize in this text, but it is harmful and it is effeminizing men.

Going organic or avoiding crops that are notorious for being heavily sprayed with pesticides is a good solution. I suggest looking for the infamous ‘‘dirty dozen and clean fifteen’’ list from The Environmental Working Group (EWG). Each year they review and update the most and less sprayed crops in the industry, which is very useful in selecting what fruits and vegetables you want to eat and those that you should avoid.

With regard to meat, conventional meats are routinely injected with Trenbolone (testosterone), zeranol (estrogen), and melengestrol (progesterone), which are manmade chemical hormones to accelerate the growth of the livestock and to fatten them up. When you eat this meat, it will raise your estrogen levels and decrease your testosterone, and it will have an inflammatory effect on your body.

Fat-soluble hormones, like the sex hormone estrogens and testosterone, are fat soluble and water repellent (the manmade chemicals that mimic those two sex hormones are fat soluble as well). That is, they "like" lipid or fatty structures such as those surrounding cells but are generally repelled by watery areas.

Fat soluble toxins are processed and marked for elimination through bile, which is absorbed by insoluble fiber and exits the body as fecal matter. As the liver is exposed to more toxins it becomes congested, it makes thicker, ineffective bile, thus creating a cycle of toxicity. The liver then begins to expel the fat-soluble toxins into the blood stream.

These toxins can find their way into the fat cells, where they are stored for many years and cause oxidation (free radical damage) and degeneration.

Conventional livestock can be injected with high dosage of manmade sex hormones to accelerate their growth, and while some of those chemicals will be processed and eliminated by the animals’ liver, another portion will flood back into their bloodstream before being stored inside of their fat cells.

This means that conventional meat has chemicals stored into their fatty tissues and you will be exposed to these toxins when you consume the animal’s meat. If you can, I suggest looking for meat that is organic or grass-fed. If this isn't possible, you can buy the leanest meat that you can find. For conventional meat, less fat also means less manmade chemicals stored in the animal’s tissue.

If you eat organic or grass-fed meat, you don’t have to look for lean meat. In fact, animal fats are quite healthy when they aren't filled with chemicals.

4. Eating habits, refined food, poor gastrointestinal health, obesity, vegetarians, and vegans

As we saw in a previous chapter, drinking two small cans of Coca-Cola (40g of sugar packed in 12 oz) will reduce a man’s testosterone by 25% for two hours. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston have found that glucose ingestion was associated with a significant decrease in the male hormone testosterone. Sugary drinks, cookies, chocolate, refined carbs, candy, you name it. If you are a sugar addict, it is almost certain that you are a low-testosterone man and that your gastro-intestinal micro-biome is heavily compromised. Bad gut bacteria feed on sugar and refined carbs, they send signals to the brain for more refined carbs, and you quickly become addicted to glucose.

Other people completely avoid all sources of saturated fat, which are converted into HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and used to build testosterone. HDL cholesterol plays a prominent role in heart health, and more often than not, the same people that avoid all forms of saturated fat will binge on food high in trans fat, which is one of the real culprit behind heart disease.

What you should remember is that big spurts of insulin decrease testosterone, and in order to avoid that you should eat complex carbs like legumes, brown or wild rice, sweet potatoes, quinoa, some pasta made from whole grains (instead of refined flour), low glycemic fruits like apples, peaches, every type of berries, pears, and many more. Always eat your carbs with proteins, fats, and vegetables. Proteins are hard to digest, and so are fiber and fat, and when they are mixed with carbs, it slows down the overall digestion of carbs, which lowers your insulin output.

Lowering your insulin output is a primary key to health. Insulin is often referred to as an aging hormone, and if you want to age well, you will definitely have to eat smart. Also, unless you are an athlete, limit your intake of carbs to a maximum of 40% of your total calories.

A general format for eating could go like this:

30% of your calories from proteins

40% of your calories from carbs (always complex carbs)

30% of your calories from fats

In this example, 40% of your total calorie intake comes from carbs. This may seem like a lot, but most people get 60-70% of their daily calories from carbs. In reality, a plate consisting of 30% meat, 30% fat, and 40% carbs (calorie wise) will look like there aren't that many carbs in it. Such a plate would seem like it was mostly filled with beef and vegetables, with some brown rice and nuts on the side.

For optimal health, you should aim for 10% body fat. If you have over 14% body fat, your fatty tissues will be converting too much testosterone into estrogen (aromatase) and it will affect your metabolism. If you want precise results for your body fat measurement, you may consider seeing a personal trainer. If not, you can always ask a friend to measure your skinfolds with a $30 skinfold caliper (they usually come with a guide), then add up the numbers and apply the formula written in the manual. Taking your body fat measurement with a friend won't be as precise as doing it with a personal trainer since the caliper used by professionals cost around $400-$500, and experience is required to measure skinfolds accurately, but it will give you a good general indication of where you stand.

5. Overexploitation of agricultural soils

Soils are overexploited, and fruits and vegetables tend to have poor mineral and vitamin contents. For example, oranges have five times less vitamin C than they did 50 years ago. Even organic vegetables follow this trend, but to be fair, they are better off than their conventional counterparts.

Even if a person eats a lot of vegetables and fruits, the chances are that this person will only get a portion of the vitamins and minerals that his grandparents would get from their food.

Before I keep going, I want to make it clear that I am not trying to sell any products nor am I being sponsored by anyone. The advice that I give here and throughout this entire book are only general suggestions that I also apply to my own life. In the end, you shall be the only judge of whether you want to employ them yourself.

I eat 6-7 cups of veggies per days (to measure vegetables in cups it is required to slice them in dices), and even I don't count on my food to give me all the nutrients that I need. I recommend five basic supplements for optimal health and to naturally boost testosterone levels. They are zinc, magnesium, a decent multivitamin, vitamin D, and fish oil.

*All the links and sources for the following arguments are at the end of the chapter.*

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element important for plants and animals. Zinc has shown significant positive effects on male sex hormones, and men with low testosterone levels have a lower blood concentration of zinc. Zn deficiency has been shown to induce depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors, and zinc could even be an effective treatment for mood disorders. 40 mg of zinc per day is the safe limit for daily intake, which is what I take daily and I highly recommend it.

A multivitamin is a dietary supplement in the form of a tablet or capsule containing vitamins, dietary minerals, and other nutritional elements. In a recent study (published in November 2015), multivitamins have been shown to improve health biomarkers related to heart health by reducing the total levels of homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acid and byproduct of protein metabolism that, when present in high concentrations, has been linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

Interestingly, multivitamins have shown a significant decrease in depression rates in a short period of four weeks, a reduction of stress levels and an increase in mood when compared to a controlled group (placebo).

Low vitamin D levels also contribute to the plummeting testosterone levels of the average man. We don’t go outside anymore, and a study published in 2011 found that when healthy male participants took 3332 IU’s (IU is an International unit to measure some types of vitamins) of vitamin D daily for a year, they ended up having 25.2% more testosterone on average when compared to the control group that was given placebos.

When consumed in sufficient amounts, Vitamin D is efficient at boosting the immune system and increasing athletic performances. For optimal vitamin D levels, I recommend 5000 IUs of vitamin D per day or a single dose of 35,000 IUs every week. Humans evolved in the outdoors, and we have been exposed to the sun for countless millennia. As such, the human body is very efficient at processing vitamin D and overdosing requires a single shot of more than a million IU or consuming several hundred thousand IUs for several days in a row. (Do not take more than 5000 IUs per or 35,000 UIs per week unless you are told to by a medical professional)

Magnesium (Mg) is a macro-mineral, which, unlike trace minerals, is needed by the body in large amounts. In fact, magnesium is the second most abundant element inside human cells. Without Mg we could not produce energy, our muscles would be in a permanent state of contraction, and we could not adjust the levels of cholesterol produced and released into the bloodstream.

It is a standard medical procedure to give a magnesium injection to patients who experience a heart attack, and this practice has been shown to cut the fatality rates by a walloping 63%.

Higher magnesium levels are also strongly associated with increased testosterone levels. I recommend a daily intake of 400-500 mg of magnesium.

Fish oil (omega-3) many benefits and can’t list them all in a single chapter. Let’s, however, look a some of the most important benefit of fish oil.

ADHD:

A 2012 study published in the U.S. National Library of medicine involving children from 6 to 12 years of age with ADHD found “statistically significant improvements” among those taking omega-3 supplements in the following categories: restlessness, aggressiveness, completing work and academic performance.

Alzheimer’s disease:

A study published in the FASEB Journal (ω-3 Supplementation increases amyloid-β phagocytosis and resolvin D1 in patients with minor cognitive impairment) found that fish oil may act as a natural weapon to help fend off the onset of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

Arthritis: A study published by the Department of Neurological Surgery in the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) as an anti-inflammatory: an alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for discogenic pain.) showed that fish oil may be a safer alternative to NSAIDs when taken long term for pain management, considering it has very low risk for side effects.

Cancer:

Scientific studies have found that fish oil may help to prevent and kill various cancers, including colon, prostate and breast. It may also make conventional cancer drugs more effective.

For example, researchers concluded that there’s a great deal of evidence suggesting that omega-3s have antiproliferative effects – which means they inhibit cancer cell growth – in cancer cell lines, animal models and humans. They published their study titled ‘‘Mechanisms of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Prostate Cancer Prevention’’ in the BioMed Research International in 2013.

Cardiovascular Disease:

Researchers from the Integrative Genomics of Ageing Group (University of Liverpool, United Kingdom) have found that fish consumption can protect against heart disease, in spite of a large intakes of fat and cholesterol. Fish oil has been shown to impact on several risk factors associated with coronary heart disease, including hypertension, high levels of triglycerides, and high LDL cholesterol.

Testosterone:

As shown in a study titled ‘‘Alteration of the lipid composition of rat testicular plasma membranes by dietary (n-3) fatty acids changes the responsiveness of Leydig cells and testosterone synthesis.’’ From the Department of Foods & Nutrition (University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada), Fish Oil can increase luteinizing Hormone (LH), which is a precursor to testosterone production.

In reality, fish oil isn’t a magical supplement that procures incredible benefits because of some innate property that it possesses. As a species, we have been eating fish regularly for countless millennia and the human body has a hard time dealing with a diet that lacks fish. In fact, fish has been a major staple of the human diet for a very long time.

Rather than saying that eating fish brings a multitude of benefits, it would more accurate to say that not eating fish is like never going outside. In that case, the person who never goes outside would surely develop a vitamin D deficiency and suffer from a range of negative affects. Fish oil and vitamin D aren’t particularly exceptional, but we do need them for our body to function properly.

A good Omega-3 supplement should contain at least 1500mg daily dose of Omega-3’s, which includes 800mg EPA and 600mg of DHA, and no additional ingredients.

Other supplements are beneficial, and I could overview them, but I will stop here for now.

To my knowledge, the four supplements, zinc, magnesium, multivitamin, and fish oil are the most relevant for health and testosterone levels, and vitamin D is a nice addition to the mix.

Be careful though, it is easy to find garbage supplements in supermarkets and even at your nearby pharmacy. When looking for adequate supplements, always inspect their multivitamin first. Look for the label and see if they use a useless form of zinc or magnesium, such as zinc/magnesium sulfate, zinc/magnesium oxide or magnesium chloride. If they do, you should not trust them, as they are trying to feed you the scrap that your body has trouble absorbing that may give you an upset stomach or diarrhea.

On the other hand, you can generally trust them if they use zinc gluconate, zinc acetate, zinc monomethionine, zinc picolinate, zinc/magnesium citrate, zinc/magnesium orotate, magnesium lactate, magnesium arginate, magnesium aspartate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate, or magnesium taurates.

Supplements will never replace a healthy diet, and your first and primary focus should be on your eating habits. If you are disciplined and already have a balanced diet, then you could consider looking into supplementation.

6. Chronic stress and chronic sleep deprivation

An excessive amount of cardiovascular exercise such as running, cycling, swimming, or even overtraining with weight-lifting, poor stress management, working too many hours for prolonged periods of time, taking too many stimulants like coffee or energy drinks, or any combination of these factors can lead to a monumental increase in the cortisol hormone. In any case, your cortisol will go through the roof and your testosterone will keep sinking.

Cortisol steals the building blocks for testosterone, which means that chronic stress leads to lower testosterone levels. Sleep deprivation is also a big culprit, as sleeping 5 hours per day for one week can decrease testosterone levels by as much as 10-15%. Now, imagine what a lifestyle of continuous sleep deprivation and chronic stress could do to a man's androgen levels!

Make sure to sleep at least 8 hours per day and practice at least one mindful hobby that helps you wind down. For example, because it decreases cortisol, meditation has been shown to increase testosterone, especially for anxious people.

7. Sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise, or too much aerobic exercises.

If there was medicine to counter low testosterone, exercise would be on the top of the list, and if there were poisons, the most lethal of which would be inactivity.

Humans are hunters, and we evolved to track, capture, and kill our prey. Being a couch potato is not natural, and our bodies aren't designed for inactivity.

Intense bursts of energy in sports and weight training are essential keys for achieving optimal testosterone levels. Any sport where you have to sprint will do the trick. Interval training where you do both intense periods of exercise with short to medium recovery times is also good. Out of all activities, weightlifting is the number one exercise for increasing testosterone. This list does not include long periods of low-intensity exercise, such as marathon running. Frequent long-distance running drains the body of its resources and lowers testosterone. It also reduces muscle mass and bone density. Just look at how thin and frail professional marathoners are, and you will understand.

8. Regular use of medication

Can prescription drugs affect testosterone levels? Yes, a decrease in testosterone levels is a direct side effect of certain prescription drugs like cholesterol drugs, antidepressants, medicine for acid reflux or heartburn, medicine to treat high blood pressure and heart failure, pain relievers like morphine or codeine (and others as well), drugs used to treat athlete’s foot, dermatitis, or dandruff. I cannot confirm whether sleeping pills lower testosterone or not, but low libido is a side effect commonly reported after the extended use of sleeping pills. Sleeping pills, even if they help you fall asleep faster, disrupt the deep stages of sleep. My guess is that it lowers testosterone because of its negative impact on deep sleep.

9. Poison and toxins

I include drugs, smoking, and alcohol in this category. I will give you a small example to understand why poison and other toxins reduce testosterone.

If you had full control over your bodily functions as well as your hormone output and you were bitten by a venomous snake, would you prioritize testosterone production or would you put every secondary function on hold, focusing entirely on the current threat until you completely detoxified the deadly poison from your system?

If you were to choose testosterone production, not only would you be a fool, but you would also be dead. Having high levels of testosterone is not a priority for your body. Others things are way more critical for maintaining the complex survival machine that you are. When your brain and the numerous glands that modulate your metabolism calculate the available resources, your daily consumption of calories, your intake of vitamins and minerals, and the current state your body, numerous other and more important elements are prioritized over testosterone.

Like a delicate flower, testosterone will only flourish in rich and fertile grounds. In other words, testosterone is a by-product of a healthy body, and it will increase when everything else functions properly.

10. Body posture, general behaviors, and mindset

After doing a full-contact fighting match, your testosterone levels will increase for roughly three months. Maintaining a victory posture for five minutes increases testosterone for a short duration of time, while curling up into a fetal position for the same duration decreases it. Holding a baby immediately decreases testosterone levels. Long-term relationships with a woman for more than a year decreases testosterone by as much as 20%. Playing sports and winning a game increases your testosterone, while losing decreases it. Even watching your favorite sports team affects your testosterone levels.

Many things affect testosterone, and your mindset is one of them. Stand straight, be proud, look up, straighten your posture, and act with confidence. These simple things will increase your testosterone levels if they are done regularly. Your default behaviors are essential components that determine your androgen levels.

To be clear, there is no need to be aggressive or overly arrogant; simple and plain confidence in yourself is enough to maintain good levels of testosterone.

Having low levels of testosterone is like a slow death. You lose sight of yourself; you become depressed, everything gets darker, and you lose grip of what made you enjoy life. Your body becomes sick, but so does your mind.

Optimal testosterone, and being healthy, just makes you feel more alive, more ‘‘you’’. Everything seems more pleasant; you feel an intrinsic motivation, kind of like when you were younger and you explored the world. Doing things is easier, and your passions and goals are reignited. Your focus is sharp, and your freedom is within reach.

Most men live for others and readily discard their own needs and desires. The disposable man doesn’t value his well-being. He put all of his attention on external sources of validation, and others continuously manipulate him.

Our subconscious mind can be thought of as a sponge, or a very impressionable child. Over time, it can absorb and believe just about anything we tell it. A man who always puts his needs on the back burner is telling his subconscious mind that his well-being is to be discarded, that he is not worthy and that his happiness is irrelevant.

Each time that he discards his own needs, this man reaffirms to himself the notion that he is disposable; ensuring that this psychological anchor stays deeply rooted in his psyche. Sending such a grim message to your mind is the perfect recipe for self-hatred and unhappiness. Ultimately, this man becomes a shadow of himself and truth may become his worst enemy.

Taking care of yourself, improving your overall health and fitness, and doing what is best for you are all excellent ways of getting into the habit of focusing on yourself.

Doing selfish but beneficial actions (and repeating them enough times so that they become a habit or second nature) paves the path for personal development, success, and fulfillment. This effect starts at the unconscious level, and can quickly become apparent in your daily life. By working hard to acquire healthy habits, you signal to your subconscious mind that you are worthy of your well-being and happiness. This powerful message isn’t as simple as just saying some positive words. When you act on your own behalf, the directives that you send to your unconscious mind are unmistakably authentic. Do not listen to what people say, instead look at their actions. The same principle applies to you, and your subconscious mind will be the first to pick up on it.

In this case, you report to your brain that yes, you truly care about yourself and that similar actions of self-empathy are to be repeated in the future.This is why I suggest seeking optimal health as a first stepping stone. It can be way more helpful than what people may think. While going through the cycle of grief, being healthy and being stable can make all the difference between falling into a dark place and climbing to a better one.

In a world full of Shitty Shit, the best solution to find fulfillment is to arm yourself with the best tools, seek knowledge to empower yourself, confront the truth even when you fear it while holding your head high, and strive forward without apologizing to anyone!

Men with low testosterone levels have a lower blood concentration of zinc: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21671089

Zinc sulphate has some significant positive effects on male sex hormones (male rats): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23955401

Role of zinc in the development and treatment of mood disorders:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20689416

Magnesium supplementation and testosterone levels: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20352370

Magnesium levels are strongly associated with the anabolic hormones testosterone (older men): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21675994

Magnesium injections and heart attack: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1351547

Serum testosterone in mice and fish oil: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5613343/

Vitamin D defficiency and low testosterone:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504177/

Vitamin D - 25.2% more testosterone when compared to control group: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21154195

Multivitamin, health biomarkers, stress (cortisol), and depressions rates: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4663579/

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