Spa Wellness: Red Wine’s Effects on Testosterone

A new study may have men drinking to their own testosterone.

A new study may have men drinking to their own testosterone. A compound found in red wine, as well as some other foods and supplements, seems to prevent this male hormone from being secreted in urine, thereby increasing testosterone levels in men’s bodies.

A team from Kingston University’s School of Life Sciences in London reports that the compound quercetin, founded in wine, partially blocks the action of an enzyme that cues the kidneys to excrete testosterone. Hence, the red wine drinker’s testosterone levels go up, while his urine fails to reveal these increased levels. An earlier study revealed that green and white teas might produce a similar effect.

This test-tube research has yet to be trialed on humans. Even so, the Kingston team has shared its findings with the World Anti-Doping Agency, so officials there can be aware of the phenomenon, and therefore prepared to contend with its potential abuse amongst competitive athletes.