Within the scientific foundation document for the latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans is a brief paragraph suggesting that certain supplements and diet and lifestyle modifications may help with “supporting testosterone health” in young adult men.

The paragraph — under the heading “Supporting testosterone health in men” — appears briefly within the 90-page report accompanying the newest food pyramid. Hormones and testosterone were not mentioned in the previous edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025).

The new guidance advises that young men “seeking to maintain healthy testosterone levels should focus on a balanced diet that includes foods rich in healthy fats.” It also states that weight loss can boost testosterone concentrations.

Maintaining “a healthy body weight is strongly associated with higher testosterone levels in men,” the guidance noted.

The report also stated that evidence “suggests” that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich fish oil supplementation may “support” testosterone production, and notes that zinc and vitamin D could provide modest benefits as well when used as supportive measures.

US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has promoted wellness initiatives, said in a 2023 interview that he uses testosterone replacement therapy as part of an anti-aging regimen.

The US FDA held a public meeting in December 2025 seeking input on how to encourage broader use of testosterone replacement therapy, with a public comment period open through February 9, 2026.

But What Do Clinicians Think?

“Anything that brings attention to a men’s health issue is a good thing,” said Mark Paulos, MD, an internist and lifestyle medicine practitioner and an adjunct faculty member at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Men’s Health.

“I like the overall theme,” Paulos told Medscape Medical News. However, he said some details “run the risk of directing men toward the supplement industry.”

Paulos said there is no evidence that supplements can help normalize testosterone levels.

Most of his patients with low testosterone have impaired production because of “metabolic stress, primarily from obesity,” he said.

When it comes to improving production, “The overwhelming weight of evidence is in favor of calorie restriction and weight loss,” Paulos said. “There can be dramatic increases in testosterone production when men lose weight.”

He added that younger men tend to reap the greatest improvements from weight loss and increased exercise.

Skepticism From Endocrinologists

Bradley Anawalt, MD, professor of medicine and endocrinologist at the University of Washington, Seattle, said he is skeptical about the language used in the guidelines.

“‘Testosterone health’ is a “nonsense statement,” Anawalt told Medscape Medical News. “There’s no such thing as testosterone health.”

Although a balanced diet may increase the likelihood of normal serum testosterone, a healthy diet alone generally does not raise testosterone levels, especially in individuals with obesity, said Anawalt.

The guidance also advises men to steer clear of strict low-fat diets, but Anawalt said there is “no data to support that a low-fat diet” has any impact on testosterone levels.

Similarly, he said there is no evidence that zinc or vitamin D supplementation increases testosterone, and the suggestion that DHA-rich fish oil supports testosterone production is “horse patootie.”

“The current evidence supports attempting to lose weight as the first and major way of trying to raise your testosterone concentrations into the normal range,” Anawalt said.

The Key Modifiable Factor: Weight Loss

Shalender Bhasin, MB, BS, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, also questioned the scientific rigor of the guidance.

The section on testosterone is “not an evidence-based scientific set of statements that could be published in any reputable journal,” Bhasin told Medscape Medical News.

Still, he said that the general concepts linking weight with testosterone levels are well established.

Having overweight or obesity is associated with lower testosterone, said Bhasin, who is also director of the Research Program in Men’s Health: Aging and Metabolism at Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston. Mild-to-moderate adiposity lowers total testosterone primarily because it decreases sex hormone-binding globulins, he explained. More severe adiposity can also reduce free testosterone levels, although the mechanisms behind this are not well understood.

Maintaining a healthy diet is important for many reasons, Bhasin said, but weight loss remains the main modifiable factor that can increase testosterone levels.

However, he cautioned that there’s no evidence that a particular diet could influence testosterone.

Bhasin emphasized that most evidence-based advice is straightforward.

“The advice to eat a healthy, balanced diet and maintain a healthy body weight is a good thing, and the evidence for other supplements or nutrients in improving testosterone is unproven,” he said.

Societal Pressures Facing Young Men

Bhasin noted that young men face increasing pressure to be more muscular and “boost” testosterone levels.

“It has accelerated over the past decade because of the social media pressures,” he said, adding that the trend is driving many toward anabolic steroids and unregulated and unproven supplements.

Anawalt said that recommending supplements in a federal document labeled “scientific foundations” is irresponsible and could reinforce misconceptions.

Many Americans already erroneously believe that changing a macronutrient or adding specific foods will improve testosterone levels and sexual function.

“People are looking for a little bit of magic,” said Anawalt. “If there was evidence that they were going to do good things for your health, including your testosterone concentration, we'd be recommending them.”

Paulos and Anawalt reported no relevant disclosures. Bhasin reported serving as a consultant for Besins.

Alicia Ault is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freelance journalist whose work has appeared in many health and science publications, including Smithsonian.com. You can find her on X @aliciaault and on Bluesky @aliciaault.bsky.social.