Coconut Oil and Testosterone: Is There a Connection?

February 1, 2023

Coconut oil is made from copra, which is the kernel or flesh of a coconut.

Most of the saturated fats in it originate from medium-chain triglycerides.

Several uses for coconut oil abound in the areas of cosmetics, wellness, and skincare products.

Besides these benefits, it's been claimed that coconut oil boosts levels of testosterone and enhances sperm count, however studies on the subject are lacking.

The impact of coconut oil on male testosterone levels is discussed in detail in this article.

Levels of testosterone:

Testosterone is a very potent hormone.
It is generated by both women and men, but men generate twenty times greater than women do.
The increase of body hair and muscularity in men, in addition to the health of their joints and sexual performance, are all strongly affected by testosterone.
Men's testosterone levels hit their peak at the age of nineteen and, on average, begin to drop by 16% by the time they turn 40.
Albumin and sex hormone-binding globulin are the 2 proteins to which the majority of the testosterone in your plasma is attached (SHBG).
While albumin is loosely linked to testosterone and can be utilised by your body with certain exertion, SHBG is strongly bound, rendering it impossible for your body to utilise the hormone.
The rest of the testosterone, often alluded to as free testosterone, is not protein-bound and is thus quickly absorbed by the human body.
Bioavailable testosterone is composed of unbound testosterone and albumin-bound testosterone.
Total testosterone is the summation of your accessible and testosterone coupled to SHBG.

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and coconut oil:

While there are many lifestyle choices that might influence testosterone levels, like nutrition and exercise, little is known about how coconut oil impacts testosterone in humans.

While DHT overlaps many of testosterone's bioactivities, it is also suspected to be a role in male trend hair loss.

Fascinatingly, studies on animals and pipettes have shown that MCTs, particularly lauric acid, halt the enzyme that transforms testosterone into DHT.

The 5-alpha reductase enzyme is inhibited by medications known as 5-alpha reductase preventers, that are used to treat male recurrent baldness.

But, research efforts are required to find if taking MCTs from coconut oil aids in the treatment or prevention of male style hair fall, as the illness.

The conclusion:

Coconut is a kind of oil that is produced from the flesh or copra of coconuts.

It has a large proportion of MCTs, which can block the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT, the hormone linked with male pattern baldness as per studies conducted on animals and in test tubes.

However, there is not enough evidence to indicate that coconut oil can assist with this condition.

No proof to claim that coconut oil can cure ED and enhance sexual prowess by boosting testosterone.