DNA's Guide to Testosterone Supplements and T-Boosters.

With every Tom, Dick & Harry (no Meghan) selling testosterone supplements these days, how do you know which one to choose and whether they are safe?

We put together a quick guide of simple things to look out for when shopping for your testosterone support supplements. It ensures that you don't get scammed.

SINGLE INGREDIENT T-BOOSTERS:

Due to the complex nature of testosterone health, it’s asking a lot of any single ingredient to achieve natural testosterone health on its own. There’s a lot of reasons driving low testosterone - including excess oestrogen from toxins and also nutrient deficiencies are prevalent. It means that the body doesn’t have the raw materials needed to do the job it's meant to do.  Therefore you’ll likely need a pretty decent stack in optimal dosages if taking single ingredient products.  

Single products are also hard to remember to take daily which is needed to support the 24 hour testosterone production. Plus they can get pretty expensive when adding them up. You’re much better to look for a robust all in one testosterone booster that will be more bang for your hard earned buck.

TESTOSTERONE HEALTH TAKES TIME:

As mentioned, sadly due to the way we farm our food, and our poor modern diets, a driver for the increase in low testosterone is micronutrient deficiencies. Levels are further impacted by a variety of lifestyle factors. It can range from poor diet to stress, alcohol and drug use and lack of sleep or lack of exercise. 

Simply put, if you don't supply your body with the building blocks it needs to produce testosterone, i.e. micronutrients, you're going to impair your bodies ability to make testosterone, repair and fight disease.

To eliminate these deficiencies and to get your body producing healthy levels of testosterone takes time. It can range from anywhere between 4 weeks to 6 months depending on your level of micronutrient deficiencies. 

Therefore there is no quick fix to low testosterone levels and levels get worse with age. Even TRT (testosterone replacement therapy) which is a pharmaceutical (lifelong)  intervention can take up to 6 months before you start noticing any benefits. It is why GPs will not prescribe it for anything less than this period.

So, if any product claims that you will feel a difference immediately or is offering X increase in muscles or erections, you shouldn't go anywhere near the product.

ARE THEY IN RETAIL?

One of the easiest ways to ensure the product you're looking at is the real deal is to see if the product is sold anywhere other than the manufacturer's website.  If not, chances are that they are not trading standards compliant. This is due to having to go through rigorous compliance to be sold in retail. Including proving all health claims made and being within government requirements on dosages of ingredients. Many testosterone boosters don't come close to compliance and are happy to operate using unscrupulous advertising tactics.

We just happen to have concluded compliance with our first retail listing. Besides, we proudly operate under 3rd party medical advisory teams.

Amazon did an audit on all testosterone supplements sold on their platform. About 95% of them either made exaggerated and unfounded claims, were not manufactured in a regulated facility or simply didn't work due to lack of ingredients and poor dosages.  Many included ingredients that offered absolutely no human trials proving safety and efficacy.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ABSORPTION:

For any testosterone booster supplement to be effective, it needs the right ingredients, and the correct dosages of ingredients to ensure it does what it says.

This is another easy way to spot supplements that simply don't work. 

We have addressed the single ingredient supplement issue, but what about amounts and absorption?

The maximum absorption rate of ingredients in pills and capsules is 30% at best. It is because your body has to digest the binders, fillers and caking agents used in the manufacturing before it can get to the ingredients at which time, most of it has been destroyed by our stomach acid. 

That also doesn’t take into account that we all have challenged microbiomes and gut issues are common - impacting absorption further.

Another issue is that due to the manufacturing process, it's nearly impossible to get enough of any ingredient into 1 pill. Also tablets and capsules that are very cheap to make also tend to contain less bioavailable formats of nutrients. Again impacting their ability to do what is being claimed or sold to you.

This is why DNA has designed the world's only powder-to-liquid testosterone booster supplement.  Liquid supplements have an absorption rate of 95% of ingredients as it gets straight into the bloodstream - bypassing the digestive tract. This also means they don’t contain unnecessary binders, fillers or caking agents.  

Let’s face it one drink a day is also a lot more convenient and easy to remember than popping lots of pills. Our blends each include 20+ nutrients which is equivalent of 20+ different pills a day to match our dosages.

DRIVEN BY SCIENCE

Before buying any product, always do your homework.  A lot of companies claim that their products were developed by nutritionists. It is a code for a personal trainer that did a nutrition course and decided to make a supplement.  Find out who the "nutritionist" is and find out their professional qualifications. After all, this is something you are going to be taking so you need to be sure.

DNA's testosterone booster products took 2 years of research and development. It was done in a clinical laboratory in the UK.  Our products were developed by a clinical nutritionist, Bertie Stringer, who has a degree in naturopathic nutrition. Supported by our wider clinical team including  Dr Bernie Willis, a hormonal and testosterone specialist for over 40 years.  

DNA testosterone booster products are manufactured right here in the UK in a FDA approved facility with GMP accreditation. So, you can rest assured that all DNA products are not only safe, but that they are effective.

So there you have it.  We know that is a lot to take in, but when it comes to your health, the supplements you take and the ingredients within them, it's vital that you always ensure you are getting the very best product that is as safe as it is effective.

Any questions? Please feel free to ask our nutrition & clinical team