How to Lower SHBG Naturally: What to Eat and What Not To?

High SHBG means low T-levels, which means extremely slow muscle gains!

Knowing how to suppress SHBG can accelerate your fitness journey like never before!

The protein produced by the liver is responsible for binding sex hormones estrogen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and testosterone in females and males. However, testosterone is most important in these.

A high SHBG level naturally lowers testosterone levels in males resulting in multiple harsh effects. Particularly, folks into bodybuilding and fitness struggle to achieve their fitness objective.

In such a case, knowing how to lower SHBG and increase free testosterone is vital.

In this blog, learn the top ways to lessen the male hormone hunter. First, let’s get into a few details about the protein.

What Does SHBG Do?

SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) is also known as SSBG (Sex Steroid Binding Globulin) and SBP (Sex Steroid Binding Protein).

Though it has a key role in many body functions, it mainly regulates sex hormones.

Here’s how SHBG works

The protein produced by the liver tends to manage the level of hormones in the body.

It transports testosterone (the male sex hormone), oestradiol (the female sex hormone), and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the blood. On top of that, it handles their access to target tissues. 

Actually, the protein binds itself to the excess quantity of the hormone to make it inactive. This helps lessen the hormone to maintain an appropriate amount of the hormone necessary for body functions.

The protein seems to favor the male hormone over the female hormone. In short, it even maintains the balance between two hormones in the body.

Certainly, this indicates low SHBG leads to higher free sex hormones, whereas high SHBG levels result in lower free sex hormones.

But, certain conditions can lead to an abnormal increase in the protein consequently affecting the sex hormone.

Excessive SHBG can ruin the prospering bulking cycle for bodybuilders and athletes. Thus, it becomes important to know how to lower SHBG naturally.

However, it isn’t the only reason why one should think about decimating the protein. There are other equally concerning factors.

Why Do You Need To Lower SHBG?

Whether extremely high or extremely low SHBG, either isn’t good.

Though high SHBG is likely to be fatal for bodybuilders, athletes, and fitness enthusiasts. It can affect their efforts at the gym.

Here’s a discussion.

High SHBG means the protein would bind more free male sex hormones. This naturally drops your existing free testosterone level.

With less male hormone available for your body to use, your body function would decline.

Testosterone is important for muscle building, proper metabolic activity, and energy flow during workouts.

Moreover, low testosterone slows down the recovery process, which affects the productive rhythm of exercise affecting your entire fitness program.

In the long run, low t-level causes various difficulties like man boobs or Gynecomastia.

Here’s what a low t-level triggered by high SHBG can lead to:

• Brain fog
• Weight gain or obesity
• Increase in BMI
• Trouble in weight loss
• Lower energy
• Quick fatigue
• Poor libido and low sex drive
• Muscle loss
• A decline in muscular strength
• Poor quality sleep
• Bad mood, irritation, and depression
• Insulin resistance in folks with type 2 diabetes

Low testosterone levels due to excessive SHBG don’t only affect fitness freaks. Of course, it can hinder anyone’s health because of the related concerns.

So, it becomes important to do something about it. Some dietary changes are highly successful in lowering the SHBG level. 

How to Lower SHBG Hormone with Dietary Modification?

What you eat determines your health and well-being. So, making dietary changes can directly reflect the current SHBG levels.

Certain food times can directly stimulate the protein consistency in the body. In contrast, some foods seem to decimate SHBG levels to restore your t-levels.

Some foods are rich in a few minerals with impressive SHBG-reducing effects. Indeed, adding them to the diet help to reduce the hormone.

In this section, we will disclose major foods with SHBG-reducing effects.

#1: Boron Rich Foods

Boron, a trace mineral, has impressive SHBG-reducing as well as testosterone-increasing effects.

Certainly, adding them to your diet would provide promising effects for your course. Specifically, Boron has sound scientific evidence to lower SHBG.

Study 

A study on humans investigates the impact of a 10mg daily dose of boron. In a week, researchers noted a significant increase in free testosterone levels.

Moreover, there was a huge decrease in the SHBG level at the same time. This explains the sudden increase in male sex hormones with boron supplementation.

Boron-rich food to Try: milk, potatoes, apples, and dried and cooked beans.

#2: Have More Carbs

In general, there is a conception that a low-carb diet benefits testosterone levels. Of course, it tends to increase insulin and sugar, which can lower male hormones.

In contrast, high-carb foods help accelerate your testosterone level.

Study 

According to a few studies discussing the link between carbs and testosterone state that less carb intake suppressed testosterone levels.

The same review discusses a study where a group having high-carb food appeared to increase testosterone levels while dropping cortisol levels. However, there is an ongoing debate, on which carb food can really benefit the male sex hormone.

High-carb foods: Skip refined carbs. Instead have unprocessed foods like root veggies (potatoes), white rice, milk, cane sugar, and fruit & pressed fruit juice.

#3: Add Some Vitamin D

Vitamin D maintains multiple body processes like bone health, cardiovascular health, and immune function.

Vitamin regulates more than a thousand body functions. No study directly demonstrates Vitamin D supplementation is successful in decimating SHBG, but it does benefit people with low t-level.

Study

A study to evaluate the impact of Vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men. The experiment group was given 3332 IU of vitamin D3 daily for a year while another group had a placebo.

In the end, researchers observed an increment in t-level, free testosterone level, and bioactive testosterone. Of course, Vitamin D supplementation benefits, but more studies can further elaborate on the efficacy.

Vitamin D-rich foods to try are orange juice, mushrooms, egg yolks, beef liver, cheese, the flesh of fatty fish, and fish liver oils.

#4: Magnesium Increases Free Testosterone

Magnesium is crucial to multiple body functions.  The mineral is necessary for regulating many hundreds of enzymes in the body.

Usually, an unhealthy diet leads to magnesium deficiency, which accelerates SHBG and depletes free testosterone.

Adding magnesium to your diet does lower SHBG to reverse the scenario.

Study 

The research utilizes a bio-chromatographic approach to study the impact of magnesium supplements on SHBG.

They found the mineral effective in making testosterone more bio-available. Magnesium is effective in delivering the result by lessening SHBG.

Magnesium-rich food to try includes pumpkin seeds, cashews, almonds, peanuts, spinach, etc.

#5: Zinc for Everything

Zinc plays a crucial role in the functioning of the endocrine system.

The mineral is responsible for maintaining testosterone, elevating dihydrotestosterone, lessening female hormones, and enhancing sperm parameters.

In terms of lowering SHBG naturally, it can provide a major difference.

Scientific evidence 

A review discussing the link between zinc and testosterone sheds light on its relation with SHBG.

Studies showcase that zinc supplementation leads to a significant increment in the male hormone. It can be because the mineral inhibits SHBG making free testosterone more bioavailable.

Zinc-rich foods are breakfast cereals, beans, nuts, whole grains, oysters, crab, lobster, red meat and poultry, and dairy products.

Knowing what food lowers SHBG helps plan the diet accordingly.

Adding foods rich in these minerals to your meals will provide noteworthy differences in a short duration.

In contrast, some foods tend to spike SHBG exponentially. Thus, excluding those dietary habits or food is more than necessary. 

5 Things That Raise SHBG [Things to Avoid]

There are certain dietary choices that can escalate the presence of SHBG protein. This is reflected in the reduced testosterone level.

So, avoiding these habits can support your SHBG-reducing attempts.

#1: Regulate Alcohol Consumption

Drinking a few times isn’t going to affect your SHBG. However, the joy of binge drinking can lead to harmful consequences.

It can decimate testosterone levels, sperm parameters, and even testicular weight.

Moreover, it accelerates estrogen production and cortisol, i.e., stress hormone secretion. Both of them can hinder your bodybuilding prospects.

So, try to minimize regular alcohol consumption and avoid binge drinking.

#2: Fiber Doesn’t Need Attention

In general, people think a huge amount of fiber consumption is the secret behind good health. However, there is very little evidence recommending daily fiber intake.

Some even claim that Kellogg’s and other cereal manufacturing giants overplayed the importance of fiber.

Projecting fibers as a healthy breakfast expands their business. In contrast, high fiber may reduce testosterone by increasing SHBG which is the male hormone.

#3: Cut Down Caffeine

Various studies declared regular coffee consumption associated with elevated SHBG levels. However, coffee may not be the only reason behind the increase in blood SHBG levels, it can be any caffeinated drink.

Green tea, coffee, black coffee, green coffee, oolong tea, and lead to an increase in SHBG levels in almost 50 women in a study.

In contrast, another study showcased mixed results in 42 people. There was no noteworthy impact of coffee intake on SHBG. Still, it is best to regulate coffee and caffeine intake.

#4: Switching to a New Diet Plan: Mediterranean Diet

Dietary modification may benefit in one aspect but may hinder another area.

Particularly, a low-fat, high-fiber diet like the Mediterranean diet plan elevates SHBG levels.

In addition to that, some food items are likely to escalate SHBG production. They are:

• Olive oil 
• Almonds and walnuts
• Soy (rich in isoflavones)
• Cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower

 Thus, it is advisable to avoid these food items from your diet to minimize SHBG in your body.

#5: Specific Medicine

Some medications are likely to stimulate your SHBG production.

Sticking to these prescriptive drugs is likely to decimate your testosterone production.

Ultimately, it hampers your bodybuilding goal. They are antidepressants, statins, antifungals, beta-blockers, and hair-loss drugs.

In some cases, you won’t be able to skip the supplement. So, ask your doctor to provide a better alternative causing less impact on the SHBG levels.

Try to keep these things in mind because they are likely to induce protein consistently in the body.

To lower your SHBG, what you need to do is involve dietary modification and lifestyle changes side by side.

Have the right kind of food and avoid bad habits resulting in excess protein. 

However, supplements can provide quick differences, and knowing how to use them to lower SHBG can clear your doubts.

How to Lower SHBG with Supplements?

SHBG affects the availability of the male hormone. Certainly, testosterone is highly important for bulking, athletic performance, and fat loss.

Dietary medication doesn’t work always, and even if it does, it takes a long to showcase any significant difference. Thus, the need for a fast-acting solution is always there.

In this section, our entire attention is on sharing the finest way to subside SHBG.

Natural Supplements

It already discussed how some minerals are great at decimating the production of SHBG. This is reflected in the increase in the male sex hormone.

Most interesting, they have solid scientific evidence for providing these results.

The supplement of the following minerals can help:

• Zinc 
• Boron 
• Calcium 
• Vitamin D 
• Magnesium 
• Fish oil 
• Tongkat Ali 

Usually, the minerals are available in supplement form whereas fish oils are accessible in liquid form as well as capsule form.

Choose anyone in any form as per your preference.

Apart from the natural supplements, you can also incorporate legal SARM alternatives known for their effectiveness in reducing SHBG. A study suggests that  SHBG can be reduced in a compound- and dose-dependent fashion in men from SARM usage.

Here are two popular legal SARMs that effectively help in boosting testosterone and lowering SHBG levels.

Let’s have a quick Testol 140 and Rad 140 Review. 

RadBulk By Brutal Force

Brutal Force RADBULK is a Testolone RAD 140 alternative developed to mimic the positive side of the supplement. It helps in boosting testosterone levels without employing any negative sides of RAD 140.

As per manufacturer, it delivers a potent metabolism boost to help keep fat levels at a minimum. Along with that it also helps users to build iron-hard, lean muscle mass naturally. 

Testol 140 By CrazyBulk

Testol 140 by CrazyBulk is a safe and natural Testolone 140 alternative developed to mimic the benefits of synthetic SARM. Further, it also helps in getting faster recovery after strenuous workouts.

As per users’ Testol 140 reviews, they shared that the legal RAD 140 alternative helped them in lowering SHBG levels and ensured the availability of free testosterone. 

Drugs That Lower SHBG Levels

Some prescriptive drugs provide quick effects to decimate SHBG levels.

They work great when used against autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and allergies to reduce SHBG in several human trials:

• Prednisone
• Prednisolone
• Dexamethasone

The mentioned medicines aren’t recommended.

NOTE: Never take any prescriptive medicine without prior discussion with your doctor. Many drugs can lead to unknown effects when not taken under supervision.

Certainly, the mineral supplement can aid in your SHBG-reducing attempt.

Add them to your diet to achieve your goal, but don’t take one mineral supplement at the same time.

In terms of prescriptive drugs, consult with your doctor before making any decision.

The complete guide on how to lower SHBG discussed every tip that can help. However, how long will it take to work? We need to look into it as well.

How Long Does It Take To Lower SHBG?

The answer would differ from person to person.

• Firstly, it depends on the current situation of your SHBG count.

If it were excessively higher, it would take quite a long to normalize the protein level. However, if the existing SHBG level is induced a little bit, it can be controlled in a short while.

For a normal increase in protein, dietary modification may take a month or more to show results. Meanwhile, it also depends on how successful are in avoiding foods that increase SHBG.

Apart from that, mineral supplementations are highly effective in SHBG. It can lead to an initial difference within the first two weeks.

In terms of prescriptive drugs, it may be even sooner, but only if your doctor prescribes the medicine.

Overall, to observe noteworthy differences, it can take more than 2 months whether diet, medicine, or prescriptive drug.

For fast results, try a combination of diet, mineral capsules, and prescriptive medicine. However, consult with your doctor before making such abrupt changes.

If you have symptoms of low SHBG, this guide discussed every important point that can help reduce your SHBG levels. In the end, let’s sum up some important points.

Takeaway

SHBG protein is crucial to different body functions.

It regulates the level of sex hormones like testosterone and estrogen necessary for many body processes.

A sudden increase in SHBG lessens the said sex hormone causing major trouble. This specifically is excruciating for bodybuilders trying to jack lean muscle and develop strength.

Of course, their efforts suffer a huge setback slowing down muscle growth, fat loss, and performance.

In such cases, lowering SHBG naturally by means of dietary medication can provide significant results.

Cutting down on alcohol, caffeine consumption, and particular food items is necessary.

For quicker results, taking prescriptive medicine can work, but consult with your doctor before adding any to your routine.