How to Lower SHBG Levels in Men with Fish Oils

Sex hormone binding globulin, or SHBG, is a protein found within the blood. In males, the purpose of SHBG is to bind to testosterone, which renders the hormone unavailable for biological processes. Bound testosterone is inactive and will not promote muscle growth; however, bound testosterone is needed to keep your body functioning properly. You may want to increase your nonbound testosterone levels because this will help increase the rate at which you can grow additional muscle mass.

Although studies are limited, it appears that fish oil helps reduce serum levels of SHBG. Japanese researchers tested their hypothesis of various dietary fats with their effects on SHBG, testosterone and nonbound testosterone. Their results prove that fish oil does have an effect on reducing SHBG, although they did not state precisely how much it was reduced.

Purchase a high-quality fish oil supplement. This would be a supplement that contains at least 500 mg of EPA and DHA per serving. EPA and DHA are the two main fats found within fish of nutritional interest 3. These are needed in the diet and provide various functions including heart health, anti-inflammatory actions and brain health.

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Consume more fatty fish, like salmon, in your diet. Salmon is a rich source of EPA and DHA. Attempt to eat at least two servings of fatty fish per week. This could be an alternative to consuming fish oil.

Consume at least 349 to 522 mg of EPA per day. This is the range that individuals in the Japanese study consumed to experience reductions in SHBG 11.

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Consume at least 591 to 866 mg of DHA per day. This is the range that individuals in the Japanese study consumed to experience reductions in SHBG 11.

Consume your fish oil in two servings throughout the day. Do not consume all the fish oil in one sitting.

Tips

Increase your consumption of monounsaturated fats, MUFA, like the ones commonly found in olive oil, almonds and peanuts. Higher intakes of MUFA have been shown to increase testosterone production.

Continue to consume some saturated fats. Saturated fats have also been proven to help increase testosterone production.

Continue an exercise regime that utilizes compound movements like dead lifts, squats, bench presses and bent-over rows. These compound lifts have been shown to increase testosterone output.

Warnings

Consumption of a diet too high in fish oils has been shown to decrease total testosterone production.