Men today are facing an alarming and underreported health crisis: testosterone levels in the U.S. and other industrialized countries are plunging, and have been for the past few decades. And our modern world is accelerating that decline.
Testosterone is an essential male sex hormone that makes a man a man. It is also critical for overall male health and wellness. It supports mood, motivation, drive, a sense of wellbeing, hair growth, bone density, weight management, muscle mass, and healthy aging.
The problem: today’s man has testosterone levels far below those from 50 years ago, and likely much lower than men hundreds of years ago. Analysis of men in the U.S. aged 15-40 from 1999 to 2016 shows a drop of ~25%.
What’s driving this drop? Stress, obesity and toxic foods are part of the problem. But the causes are complex and so are the solutions.
While testosterone naturally declines with age, we are now seeing a generational drop beginning since testosterone has been measurable in the 1960s. Gen Z men and millennials today have, on average, an estimated
Internationally, the patterns are the same. Research conducted in Finland, Denmark, and Israel shows ~25% decline in testosterone levels across all age groups, accompanied by an increase in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), a protein that binds and deactivates testosterone.
But testosterone isn’t the only measure of male health in decline. Sperm counts are plummeting, and reproductive disorders like erectile dysfunction, impotence, and testicular and prostate cancer are all on the rise.
Processed Foods, Seed Oils, and Chemical Additives
Here’s what the evidence reveals: The modern American diet is loaded with testosterone-sabotaging ingredients. Ultra-processed foods are packed with refined sugars and starches, which spike blood sugar and insulin, leading to fat gain, insulin resistance, and lower testosterone. Many of these foods also contain glyphosate, atrazine, artificial preservatives, and chemical flavorings
Seed oils like soybean, corn, safflower, canola, and sunflower oils are rich in omega-6 fats, which drive chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. This inflammation disrupts the hormonal signaling needed for testosterone production. Seed oils even damage the testosterone-producing cells in the testes, and interfere with hormonal regulation. Additives and artificial sweeteners like aspartame also reduce testosterone and alter hormone balance.
Altogether, this toxic food environment creates the perfect storm for hormone dysfunction: low testosterone, poor libido, fatigue, excess body fat, and metabolic disease.
Hormone Disruptors in Everyday Life
It’s harder than ever to avoid chemicals that mess with male hormones. Endocrine-disrupting compounds—especially xenoestrogens—are everywhere: in our food, water, personal care items, household cleaners, plastics, and even medications.
Xenoestrogens are man-made compounds that imitate estrogen and interfere with the body’s natural hormonal signaling.
These chemical estrogens can cause early puberty, low testosterone, infertility, erectile dysfunction, male breast enlargement, and increased risk of hormone-related cancers.