Red wine compound may boost testosterone

(NBC) -- A compound in red wine could increase levels of testosterone circulating in your body by inhibiting the way you excrete the hormone, according to new research in Nutrition Journal.

Normally, one of the ways testosterone is eliminated from your body is through urine. An enzyme called UGT2B17 attaches specific molecules to testosterone, enabling your body to get rid of it. But researchers at Kingston University in London found that quercetin--a compound in red wine--blocks UGT2B17 in lab studies. That means potentially elevated T levels in your bloodstream, and less in your urine.

What does that mean for you? Researchers aren't sure yet. "This is a classic example of a study done in a test tube that potentially might have implications for humans, but there are many steps that need to be taken to see if these findings can be translated to humans," says Dr. Michael Joyner, an exercise researcher at the Mayo Clinic.

In the meantime, enjoy your wine--but stick to a glass or two max a night. Chugging wine--or any alcohol for that matter--could tank your T levels, not boost them. Men who boozed even moderately every day for 3 weeks had a 7 percent decrease in testosterone levels, according to a recent Dutch study.

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Red wine compound may boost testosterone

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