Why is testosterone important for men’s health?

Testosterone concentrations in males decline with advancing age at a rate of 1-2% per year from the age of 40.^1,2 Low testosterone, known as androgen deficiency or late-onset hypogonadism (in men over 40 years), is associated with reduced quality of life and increased risk of mortality in men.²

Symptoms of androgen deficiency may include muscle weakness, weight gain, reduced muscle mass and increased abdominal fat, musculoskeletal changes, joint pain, sweating, sleep disturbances, fatigue, depression, and low bone mineral density.¹ It is also associated with reduced sexual activity and desire and an increased risk of metabolic syndrome and cognitive decline.¹

Can herbs help boost testosterone?

Research suggests that steroidal saponins (glycosides) in Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) may boost testosterone via inhibition of aromatase (reducing conversion of testosterone to oestradiol) and 5-alpha reductase (reducing conversion of testosterone to DHT).³ Steroidal saponins including diosgenin are a type of glycoside found in Fenugreek believed to be responsible for its testosterogenic effects.  

Serum total testosterone levels rose significantly in healthy men taking Fenugreek for 8-12 weeks compared to placebo (p=0.026), based on a meta-analysis of 4 randomised controlled trials (n=206).³

A single dose of Testosurge™ Fenugreek extract (standardised to 80% glycosides) in healthy sedentary men (n=16; 18 - 45 years) resulted in significant increases in free testosterone (p=0.038), total testosterone (p=0.018) and bioavailable testosterone (p=0.025) levels, compared to placebo.⁴

A randomised controlled trial found that Korean Ginseng (Panax ginseng) supplementation significantly increased testosterone levels in men with metabolic syndrome (n=62) over four weeks.⁵

Can herbs help increase physical performance and body composition?

Fenugreek extracts have demonstrated androgenic and anabolic effects³ and support male athletic performance. 

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of 7 randomised controlled trials evaluated the effects of Fenugreek on strength performance, body composition, and hormone concentration in male athletes (n=449). Fenugreek supplementation significantly increased serum total and free testosterone levels and improved body composition (increased lean body mass and decreased fat mass) compared to placebo. Leg press performance improved, indicating that Fenugreek supplementation has performance enhancing and anabolic effects in male athletes.⁶

Two randomised controlled trials found that Korean Ginseng supplementation significantly improved exercise performance in healthy men.^7,8 Additionally, another form of Ginseng known as Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) has demonstrated improvements in endurance and exercise performance in healthy men in a small clinical trial.⁹

Can herbs help improve male fertility and sexual function?

A double-blind randomised trial examined the effects of a standardised Fenugreek extract (600 mg/d for 12 weeks) in healthy older adult men (n=120; 43 – 70 years). Fenugreek improved sexual function, including the number of morning erections (from 1 per week to 2-3 per week; p=0.001) and frequency of sexual activity (from 1-2 times per month to 1 per week; p=0.004). Significant increases in total and free testosterone levels and significant improvements in total sexual function scores occurred in the Fenugreek group compared to placebo (p=0.006).¹  

Men taking Fenugreek had significant improvements for total Aging Male Symptom scores (a measure of possible androgen deficiency symptoms) compared to placebo (p=0.013), with differences in subscale scores for somatic symptoms, sexual function and psychology significantly in favour of the Fenugreek group.¹

A meta-analysis found that Korean Ginseng significantly improved erectile dysfunction, in a series of trials involving 363 men with erectile dysfunction.¹⁰

Supporting male fertility, Fenugreek treatment in healthy adult males significantly increased free testosterone levels (p=0.0004), sperm count (p=0.0002) and sperm motility (p=0.0003) compared to placebo. Abnormal sperm morphology also decreased significantly in the Fenugreek group (p=0.0002) following 12 weeks’ treatment.¹¹ Additionally, in a randomised controlled trial in men with infertility due to variocele, supplementation with Korean Ginseng with or without varicocelectomy significantly improved semen parameters in terms of sperm concentration, viability, motility, and morphology, compared with the placebo and variocelectomy-alone groups.¹²

Who can benefit from Fenugreek, Korean Ginseng and Siberian Ginseng?

Any men who want to boost their testosterone, physical performance, stamina, sexual function, fertility or general well being may benefit from taking these herbs.

References

1. Rao A, Steels E, Inder WJ, Abraham S, Vitetta L. Testofen, a specialised Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract reduces age-related symptoms of androgen decrease, increases testosterone levels and improves sexual function in healthy aging males in a double-blind randomised clinical study. The Aging Male. 2016 Apr 2;19(2):134-42.

2. Smith SJ, Lopresti AL, Teo SYM, Fairchild TJ. Examining the effects of herbs on testosterone concentrations in men: a systematic review. Adv Nutr. 2021 Jun 1;12(3):744-765. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmaa134.

3. Mansoori A, Hosseini S, Zilaee M, Hormoznejad R, Fathi M. Effect of Fenugreek extract supplement on testosterone levels in male: A meta‐analysis of clinical trials. Phytotherapy Research. 2020 Jul;34(7):1550-5. DOI: 10.1002/ptr.6627

4. Mokashi MA, Singh-Mokashi RE, Mohan VI, Thakurdesai PR. Effects of glycosides based Fenugreek seed extract on serum testosterone levels of healthy sedentary male subjects: A exploratory double blind, placebo controlled, crossover study. Asian J Pharm Clin Res. 2014;7(Suppl 2):177-81.

5. Jung D, Lee Y, Kim C, Kim J, Shin S, Park J. Effects of ginseng on peripheral blood mitochondrial DNA copy number and hormones in men with metabolic syndrome: A randomized clinical and pilot study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. 2016 Feb;24:40-6. DOI:10.1016/j.ctim.2015.12.001

6. Isenmann E, Alisauskas P, Flenker U, Schalla J, Diel P. The anabolic effect of Fenugreek: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Int J Sports Med. 2023 Sep;44(10):692-703. DOI:10.1055/a-2048-5925

7. Lee S, Jung HC, Sargent M, Kang M. Acute Effects of Wild Ginseng Extract on Exercise Performance, Cognitive Function, and Fatigue Recovery: A Randomized Cross-Over, Placebo-Controlled, and Double-Blind Study. IJTM. 2025 Jan 6;5(1):5. DOI:10.3390/ijtm5010005

8. Cristina-Souza G, Santos-Mariano AC, Lima-Silva AE, Costa PL, Domingos PR, Silva SF, et al. Panax ginseng supplementation increases muscle recruitment, attenuates perceived effort, and accelerates muscle force recovery after an eccentric-based exercise in athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2022 Apr;36(4):991-7. DOI:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003555

9. Kuo J. The effect of eight weeks of supplementation with Eleutherococcus senticosus on endurance capacity and metabolism in human. Chin J Physiol. 2010 Apr 1;53(2):105-11.

10. Jang D, Lee MS, Shin B, Lee Y, Ernst E. Red ginseng for treating erectile dysfunction: a systematic review. Brit J Clinical Pharma. 2008 Oct;66(4):444-50. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2125.2008.03236.x

11. Maheshwari A, Verma N, Swaroop A, Bagchi M, Preuss HG, Tiwari K, et al. Efficacy of Furosap^TM, a novel Trigonella foenum-graecum seed extract, in enhancing testosterone level and improving sperm profile in male volunteers. Int J Med Sci. 2017;14(1):58-66. DOI:10.7150/ijms.17256

12. Park HJ, Choe S, Park NC. Effects of Korean red ginseng on semen parameters in male infertility patients: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study. Chin J Integr Med. 2016 Jul;22(7):490-5.  DOI:10.1007/s11655-015-2139-9