Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s) and published for informational purposes only. We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to testosterone enhancing treatments.
Testoprime is a dietary supplement which claims to provide “testosterone support.” The brand claims it can “stop low-T in its tracks” which suggests that the product naturally increases testosterone (T) levels.
In this article we’ll review every active ingredient in Testoprime based on published medical research to determine if we believe it’s likely to be effective and safe for boosting T levels or whether it’s a waste of money.
Why Are Testosterone Products Becoming So Popular?
There’s no doubt that male consumers are searching more and more for T-boosting supplements. We see it in our search volume data, and in the increased popularity of male enhancement supplements like ExtenZe, which we recently reviewed negatively.
The reason there’s such an increased need for T-boosting supplements (and for exogenous testosterone), is because there’s a significant population-level decline in T across all developed nations. A medical review published in 2007 documented a decline in serum testosterone levels in American men. The study authors noted that the decline “does not appear to be attributable to observed changes in explanatory factors, including health and lifestyle characteristics such as smoking and obesity.”
A more recent medical review found the same. The testosterone deficiency rate by 2021 had jumped to 20% in adolescent and young adult males in the U.S., and T levels were proven to decrease over a period of nearly two decades that the researchers tracked data.
There are many more medical studies with similar results across developed nations. Researchers haven’t conclusively determined what’s causing this phenomenon. Our guess is that environmental pollution is the cause, given that standard factors such as obesity and poor diet don’t explain the drop in T levels when controlled for in research studies.
As we detailed in our article on the bpa free meaning, plastics are made with plasticizing compounds like BPA and BPS which are endocrine disrupting and may decrease testosterone levels in men. They have documented estrogenic effects in the body, and we know from medical research that humans are unintentionally consuming more microplastics than ever because they’re so pervasive in our environment.
Testoprime Ingredient Review
Testoprime contains 12 active ingredients. The first is D-aspartic acid, at a dosage of 2,000 milligrams (mg). The brand claims that this product “helps to increase healthy levels of testosterone” with no citation for that claim.
A clinical trial of d-aspartic acid supplementation at a dose 3x higher than that in Testoprime found that it had no effect on testosterone levels. A second trial actually found that it decreased testosterone levels. We will conclude this is an ineffective ingredient.
Panax ginseng is the second active ingredient, at a dose of 8,000 mg. A medical trial found that this herb at a lower dose than in Testoprime slightly increased testosterone in women. A separate animal study found that ginseng increased T levels in rats. We cannot locate any studies suggesting that ginseng increases T in men, but we will consider this a potentially effective ingredient inclusion and dose based on the above-linked research.
668 mg of ashwagandha root extract is the third-listed ingredient. Ashwagandha may be effective for improving T levels, and is one of the more promising herbs for treating low-T. A medical trial published in the American Journal of Men’s Health found that ashwagandha extract at a lower dose than that in Testoprime increased the T levels of overweight men by 14.7%. This is a statistically significant and impressive result, and one of the few medical studies proving efficacy of an herb for improving testosterone levels in human trial subjects. We’ll consider this an effective ingredient inclusion.
Fenugreek is the fourth ingredient and is included at a dosage of 800 mg. A meta-study of fenugreek supplementation for testosterone found that the herb was effective for improving serum testosterone across 4 individual medical trials. The dose used in all trials was less than the dose in Testoprime, so we will consider this an effective ingredient and dose.
Green tea extract is the next-listed ingredient. Its dose is quite high at 4,000 mg. We do not believe this is a safe ingredient especially at this dose. A medical review of green tea extract outlined its potential hepatotoxicity (liver-damaging-potential).
We don’t believe this ingredient makes sense for a testosterone formulation, especially since most medical studies on green tea extract and testosterone revealed no change or a decrease, according to the linked review. Consuming whole green tea is a healthy practice and one we recommend, but we do not recommend the more concentrated green tea extract.
Pomegranate extract is the 6th ingredient, and we don’t understand its inclusion. The only medical trial we could locate on pomegranate extract supplementation and testosterone found that it slightly decreased T levels. Testoprime doesn’t even claim this ingredient boosts T, just that it can “help fight chronic feelings of fatigue.” That it may, but that makes no logical sense for a T-boosting formulation, so we will consider this ingredient ineffective.
Vitamin D is another active ingredient. While it’s been associated with T levels in medical research, it’s illogical to randomly supplement Vitamin D. If you have a deficiency, supplementing with Vitamin D makes sense. But taking Vitamin D without a documented deficiency doesn’t make sense and may be unsafe because it’s a fat-soluble vitamin.
We recommend that patients with low T get a Vitamin D blood test from their doctor and follow their supplementation instructions if levels are low. This may help normalize testosterone, but we don’t believe that patients taking Vitamin D who already have normal levels will see any benefit. Further, Testoprime doesn’t specify which type of Vitamin D their product includes which is a sign of a low-quality brand. There are different types (Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3) with somewhat different health effects. Brands should specify which type of Vitamin D they’re using.
Zinc, Vitamin B5 and Vitamin B6 are also included in this formulation, and our comments on these vitamins and minerals is the same as our comment on Vitamin D: we don’t believe it’s logical or beneficial to randomly supplement vitamins and minerals without a documented deficiency, and we believe the practice may be harmful. As an example, we haven’t come across any medical research that suggests Vitamin B6 supplementation in adults with normal levels of Vitamin B6 increases testosterone levels.
Garlic extract is the 11th active ingredient in Testoprime. Some animal studies found that garlic had a negative effect on T levels, while others found that it increases T levels. Due to the conflicting animal studies, and the apparent lack of human studies on garlic and T, we will consider this an ineffective ingredient.
The final active ingredient is black pepper extract, and we can’t find a single study even testing the effects of black pepper extract on T, never mind proving it’s effective. Testoprime claims that this ingredient improves the absorption of other ingredients in their formulation, but doesn’t specify which ones, or link to any research backing that statement.
Overall we consider this to be a decent formulation in regard to efficacy but we don’t recommend it overall. We cannot find medical backing for many of the ingredients, and we don’t recommend that consumers consume green tea extract at such a high dose regularly.
No Inactive Ingredients or Supplement Facts Label
Testoprime doesn’t appear to publish a Supplement Facts label on their website, or at least we cannot find one after trying to locate it. This is a major red flag in our opinion. A Supplement Facts label is necessary for consumers to get the full information about every ingredient in the product.
Most supplement formulations contain both active and inactive ingredients. Sometimes the inactive ingredients are potentially harmful such as artificial flavorings. Consumers also may have allergies to inactive ingredients, thus this information is vital.
Potentially Testoprime contains no inactive ingredients and that’s why they don’t reference any on their site, but we find it unacceptable that they don’t make a Supplement Facts label easily accessible on their site for this information to be transparent. It’s important for consumer safety, which is why the vast majority of brands publish this critical information.
Where to Buy Testoprime
While we don’t recommend Testoprime, we would recommend that consumers intent on purchasing this product do so through the manufacturer’s website and not on Amazon.
Often, when brands don’t sell on Amazon, other companies will sell products under the same name. This is an entirely unethical practice that Amazon should ban because it’s unsafe for consumers.
This appears to be the case with Testoprime. They don’t appear to sell on Amazon, and so there are other brands selling products on Amazon called “Testoprime” with totally different ingredients. One of the top “Testoprime” products is sold by a brand named “S.O. Labs” which is clearly a different manufacturer from Testoprime.
Testoprime User Reviews
One of the most popular reviews of Testoprime is from a YouTube creator called “Male Supplement Reviews.” Their review of the supplement is favorable, and they claim that Testoprime is effectively formulated.
They have an affiliate link to Testoprime in their video description, and we note that they have affiliate links in the majority of their videos so we don’t see this creator as a very reliable source, but their information may be valuable to some consumers:
Testoprime Pros and Cons
Here’s our overview of the benefits and drawbacks of this supplement:
Pros:
- Some effective ingredients and dosages
- Relatively positive user reviews
Cons:
- Contains green tea extract at a questionable dosage
- Some ingredients may be ineffective
- Unnecessary vitamin and mineral inclusions
- Questionable health claims
Better Alternative
We would recommend supplementing with ashwagandha root extract alone for the potential to naturally increase testosterone. As we highlighted in the ingredient review section above, this herb has legitimate research backing for its efficacy in improving T levels, and is one of the few herbs proven in human trials to do so.
We believe that taking this supplement would be a safer and more effective choice than taking Testoprime, which has a number of ingredients and dosages that we disagree with.
We recommend looking for an ashwagandha root extract supplement at a dosage at or above 600 mg daily. Ashwagandha may affect thyroid function, so we recommend that patients with thyroid disorders or a family history of thyroid disorders speak with their doctor prior to supplementing with ashwagandha.
Ashwagandha is typically grown outdoors in countries with high levels of environmental pollution (often India), so it’s beneficial to seek out a brand that will publish testing results proving that their ashwagandha supplement is low in contaminants like heavy metals and pesticides.
