Chrysin is a natural flavonoid found in honey, propolis, and various plants. It has recently gained attention from bodybuilders and athletes as a potential testosterone booster. But does the science actually support using chrysin to increase testosterone levels? Let’s take an objective look at the evidence.
How Chrysin Could Theoretically Work
In theory, chrysin may increase testosterone levels by inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in the body. This conversion process is facilitated by an enzyme called aromatase. By blocking aromatase, less testosterone gets converted to estrogen. This leads to higher circulating testosterone levels.
However, inhibiting aromatase may also reduce estrogen levels. As estrogen plays many important roles in the body, decreasing it substantially can lead to unwanted effects. So even if chrysin does raise testosterone, it may do more harm than good if estrogen becomes too low.
What Does The Research Say?
There have been a few human studies on chrysin and hormone levels. Unfortunately, most of them show that chrysin has little to no effect.
In one study, 23 men took either chrysin or a placebo daily for a week. There were no differences in testosterone or estrogen levels between the groups after 7 days. Other researchers found that taking chrysin along with black pepper extract for a week didn’t alter testosterone either.
A couple of studies have shown marginal T-boosting benefits. But the effects were modest and likely not clinically meaningful. For example, men taking chrysin for 2 months only saw an average 12% increase in total testosterone. Considering natural T levels can easily fluctuate by ±15% day-to-day, such minor changes are insignificant.
Why Doesn’t Chrysin Seem to Work in Humans?
Researchers have investigated why chrysin underperforms in real-world settings. It seems taking an oral chrysin supplement prevents nearly all of it from being absorbed. Without absorption into the bloodstream, chrysin can’t effectively block aromatase or influence hormone levels.
One study tested having men take chrysin along with piperine, an absorption enhancer from black pepper. This finally resulted in some inhibition of aromatase enzyme activity and a slight boost in testosterone. But the effect size was still relatively small and may not outweigh potential side effects. Try with natural TestoPrime testosteorne booser here.
The Bottom Line on Chrysin and Testosterone
Based on the current evidence, chrysin supplements likely won’t help meaningfully increase testosterone or improve workout performance. Any positive effects seen in research are minor and come alongside reductions in estrogen that could be problematic.
Since chrysin has a poor absorption rate with oral supplementation, getting sufficient quantities to positively influence hormone levels seems difficult. Stacking it with piperine can help, but the returns just aren’t that impressive for most healthy men.
In conclusion, save your money on chrysin. Focus instead on resistance training, nutrition, sleep, and proven natural testosterone optimizers like vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, and boron. A solid lifestyle protocol is far more reliable for maintaining healthy testosterone levels long-term.
