Is low-fat diet responsible for small but significant reduction in testosterone? Going by the results of a study undertaken by scientists from University of Chicago, USA, for many men diagnosed with testosterone deficiency, losing weight can help increase testosterone levels.

For the study published in the Journal of Urology, the research team analysed data on more than 3,100 men from a nationwide health study. All participants had available data on diet and serum testosterone level. Based on a two day diet history, 14.6% of men met the criteria for a low-fat diet, as defined by the American Heart Association.

Another 24.4% of men followed a Mediterranean diet high in fruits, veggies, and whole grains but low in animal protein and dairy products. According to the study, serum testosterone was lower in men on the two restrictive diets – average 411ng/dL for those on a low-fat diet and 413 ng/dL for those on Mediterranean diet.