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Supplements That May Improve AndroGel (Testosterone Topical) Absorption Consistency

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At a glance

  • Supplement tested for gel absorption / none identified
  • Bioavailable fraction, studied 1% gel / about 9% to 14% [2]
  • Mean testosterone over 180 days / stable after the first days [2]
  • Interactions in the Teva gel 1% label / insulin, oral anticoagulants, corticosteroids [1]
  • Zinc in marginally deficient older men / 8.3 to 16.0 nmol/L [3]
  • Vitamin D trial / 10.7 to 13.4 nmol/L with 3,332 IU daily [4]

Do any supplements improve testosterone gel absorption?

No published study identified measured whether a supplement changes how much testosterone a gel delivers. The Teva label's interactions section names no vitamin, mineral or herb [1]. The nutrient studies below measured blood hormone levels in men who were not using a gel.

What the 227-man study showed

Swerdloff and colleagues studied 227 hypogonadal men, comparing two doses of 1% hydroalcoholic gel with a testosterone patch. About 9% to 14% of the applied gel testosterone was bioavailable, an earlier study had found steady state 48 to 72 hours after the first application, and total and free testosterone values were similar on days 30, 90 and 180 [2]. Those are group averages; the study summary does not give a per-man day-to-day variability figure.

The nutrient studies people cite

Zinc. Four healthy young men on a zinc-restricted diet for 20 weeks saw serum testosterone fall from 39.9 to 10.6 nmol/L; nine marginally deficient older men given zinc gluconate for three to six months rose from 8.3 to 16.0 nmol/L [3].

Vitamin D. A year-long trial gave 3,332 IU of vitamin D daily or placebo to overweight adults with low vitamin D; 165 completed it, 54 of them men. Total testosterone rose from 10.7 to 13.4 nmol/L with vitamin D and did not change significantly on placebo [4].

Others. Four weeks of magnesium at 10 mg per kilogram of body weight raised free and total testosterone in sedentary controls and in taekwondo athletes [5]. After a week of 10 mg of boron daily, mean plasma free testosterone rose in eight healthy men [6]. An ashwagandha extract delivering 21 mg of withanolide glycosides a day for 8 weeks was associated with a 14.7% greater increase in salivary testosterone than placebo in a 16-week crossover trial that enrolled 57 overweight men aged 40 to 70 [7].

What the label and guideline list for monitoring

The Teva label lists serum testosterone, PSA, hemoglobin, hematocrit, liver function tests and lipid concentrations as periodic checks, with a hematocrit check before treatment, again at 3 to 6 months, and then annually [1]. The Endocrine Society's 2018 guideline recommends monitoring symptoms, serum testosterone, hematocrit and prostate cancer risk during the first year [8].

Frequently asked questions

Is there any supplement shown to improve testosterone gel absorption?
No study identified tested this. The zinc and vitamin D studies measured blood testosterone, not how much testosterone a gel delivers [3][4].
Does zinc raise testosterone on a gel?
Zinc raised testosterone in marginally deficient older men, from 8.3 to 16.0 nmol/L over three to six months in a study of nine men [3]. That measured blood testosterone, not gel absorption.
What interactions does the Teva gel 1% label list?
Insulin, oral anticoagulants, and corticosteroids or ACTH; it names no vitamin, mineral or herb [1].
What does the label list for monitoring on testosterone gel?
The Teva label lists hematocrit before treatment, again at 3 to 6 months, then annually, and periodic checks of testosterone, PSA, hemoglobin, liver function tests and lipids [1].

References

  1. U.S. National Library of Medicine, DailyMed. Testosterone gel 1% topical (Teva) prescribing information. Testosterone gel 1% topical (Teva) label
  2. Swerdloff RS, Wang C, Cunningham G, Dobs A, Iranmanesh A, Matsumoto AM, et al. Long-term pharmacokinetics of transdermal testosterone gel in hypogonadal men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2000;85(12):4500-10. Long-term pharmacokinetics of transdermal testosterone gel in hypogonadal men
  3. Prasad AS, Mantzoros CS, Beck FW, Hess JW, Brewer GJ. Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults. Nutrition. 1996;12(5):344-8. Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults
  4. Pilz S, Frisch S, Koertke H, Kuhn J, Dreier J, Obermayer-Pietsch B, et al. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men. Horm Metab Res. 2011;43(3):223-5. Effect of vitamin D supplementation on testosterone levels in men
  5. Cinar V, Polat Y, Baltaci AK, Mogulkoc R. Effects of magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels of athletes and sedentary subjects at rest and after exhaustion. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2011;140(1):18-23. Effects of magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels of athletes and sedentary subjects at rest and after exhaustion
  6. Naghii MR, Mofid M, Asgari AR, Hedayati M, Daneshpour MS. Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones and proinflammatory cytokines. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 2011;25(1):54-8. Comparative effects of daily and weekly boron supplementation on plasma steroid hormones and proinflammatory cytokines
  7. Lopresti AL, Drummond PD, Smith SJ. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males. Am J Mens Health. 2019;13(2):1557988319835985. A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study Examining the Hormonal and Vitality Effects of Ashwagandha ( Withania somnifera) in Aging, Overweight Males
  8. Bhasin S, Brito JP, Cunningham GR, Hayes FJ, Hodis HN, Matsumoto AM, et al. Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;103(5):1715-1744. Testosterone Therapy in Men With Hypogonadism: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline
Evidence overview for Supplements That May Improve AndroGel (Testosterone Topical) Absorption Consistency