Low Testosterone? Fix Your Gut Before Reaching for Boosters

April 24, 2024

If your testosterone levels and libido have flatlined, your first instinct might be to start stacking testosterone boosters, adaptogens, or expensive hormone protocols.

But before you do that, remember this:

Start with your Gut.

Plenty of men believe their low T is purely hormonal.

Rather, their gut can be the true root cause—and once its addressed, their testosterone levels radically improve.

No injections. No aggressive stacks. Just gut-first support.

Here’s how it happens and what to look for:

Leaky Gut = Hormonal Chaos

A compromised gut lining (aka leaky gut) doesn’t just give you bloating. It sparks chronic low-grade inflammation, which disrupts your HPA axis (the brain-adrenal-gonad connection).

More inflammation = more cortisol
More cortisol = less pregnenolone available for sex hormones
Result: Suppressed LH & FSH (the signals your brain sends to make testosterone)
Plus: Inflammation blunts androgen receptor sensitivity, so even if you have testosterone, it’s not doing its job.

Microbiome Imbalances = Estrogen Overload

When your gut bacteria are out of balance, it messes with hormone regulation big time.

Overgrowth of certain bacteria leads to high beta-glucuronidase activity
This enzyme reactivates estrogen in your gut, leading to estrogen dominance
And that messes with your LH levels and raises SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin), making testosterone less bioavailable

Translation? You’ve got testosterone, but it’s bound up and unusable.

Malabsorption = Nutrient Deficiency

You need key nutrients to produce testosterone. If your gut isn’t absorbing well, you’ll be running on empty.

Common deficiencies from poor gut function include:

Zinc – critical for testosterone production
Magnesium – supports sleep, recovery, and testosterone synthesis
B vitamins – needed for energy and hormone production
Vitamin D – helps regulate LH and supports immune function
Selenium – assists thyroid and testicular function

Liver and Bile Disruption = Hormone Build-up

Your liver and gallbladder are vital for hormone clearance. If your bile is sluggish or your liver is overloaded, hormones don’t clear properly.

Poor bile flow = toxin buildup
Disrupted estrogen clearance = estrogen overload
Poor methylation = compromised detox pathways
Low bile = malabsorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins (like D)

This leads to a feedback loop of dysfunction—too much estrogen, too little usable testosterone, and symptoms to match.

So What Can You Do?

Skip the band-aid approach. Start by:

Healing your gut lining – with nutrients like glutamine, zinc, and collagen.
Restoring your microbiome – with prebiotics (like PHGG), probiotics, and antimicrobials if needed
Supporting the liver and bile – through bitters, taurine, and phosphatidylcholine (found in Sunflower Lecithin)
Rebuilding nutrient stores – with high-quality supplements and food-based sources
Reducing systemic inflammation – cut seed oils, sugar, processed food; optimise sleep and stress