Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to testosterone support.
Testoprime is a dietary supplement for testosterone support. The brand claims their supplement can can “stop low-T in its tracks,” and that it can "increase mental and physical energy on demand."
But does Testoprime contain research-backed ingredients for supporting optimal testosterone levels? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? Why do we take issue with some of the brand's health claims? And is Testoprime better or worse than popular T-boosting supplements like T-Hero?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Testoprime to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective for supporting testosterone (T) levels, and whether or not it's healthy.
We'll also share some concerns about the product's manufacturer, highlight some health claims on the brand's website that we strongly disagree with, and compare Testoprime to other popular T-boosting supplements to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains at least one active ingredient at an effective dose
- Green tea extract can cause liver damage in some individuals
- Highly questionable health claims on brand's website
- We do not currently recommend Testoprime
Ingredient Analysis
The vitamin and mineral ingredients in Testoprime are shown below:
image source: https://testoprime.com/
It can be unsafe to take high doses of vitamins and minerals without a deficiency in those vitamins or minerals.
A medical review on zinc toxicity published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition documents that 100 milligrams (mg) of zinc per day may cause toxicity due to its effects on copper depletion.
Testoprime provides 40 mg in one serving, or 40% of what appears to be the minimum dose to induce deficiency, and consumers may get additional zinc from multivitamins and diet.
We would strongly caution patients to speak with their doctor prior to regularly taking such a high zinc dose.
The botanical ingredients in Testoprime are shown below:
image source: https://testoprime.com/
D-aspartic acid is included at a 2,000 mg dose.
A 2017 clinical trial on d-aspartic acid supplementation at a dose 3x higher than that in Testoprime found that this ingredient had no effect on testosterone levels.
A second trial actually found that d-aspartic acid actually decreased testosterone levels. We consider this a likely ineffective ingredient.
Panax ginseng was shown in a clinical trial published in the Nutrients journal to slightly increase T levels in women, but we can't find any research suggesting it has the same effect in men (though it may increase libido).
Ashwagandha root extract is the third-listed ingredient, and as we documented in our ashwagandha reviews article, is one of the few herbs that's clinically shown to increase testosterone levels.
Doses of ashwagandha extract vary significantly in clinical research, but the 55.68 mg dose is lower than the vast majority of studies we've come across.
Fenugreek seed extract was shown in a 2020 meta-study to increase T levels, and one of the clinical trials analyzed used a dose similar to that in Testoprime.
Pomegranate extract is a strange choice for a T-boosting supplement.
A 2020 clinical trial found that pomegranate juice decreased post-workout T levels, and the dose in Testoprime is only equivalent to 360 mg of pomegranate powder.
To give a sense of how low of a dose that is for a fruit, the USDA reports that one pomegranate has a dose of 282,000 mg.
This means that one single pomegranate has over 700 times the dose of the amount of pomegranate in Testoprime.
The good news is that the inactive ingredients in this formulation should be safe and non-toxic.
Overall, we consider Testoprime potentially effective for improving T levels given the research backing of some of its active ingredients, and the effective fenugreek seed extract dose.
We do not currently recommend this supplement due to our concerns about some of the vitamin and mineral doses, and due to the inclusion of green tea extract.
Does Testoprime Cause Side Effects?
Testoprime doesn't appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, so it's challenging to say for certain whether or not it causes side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
Green tea extract may cause liver damage according to a 2011 medical review, which is why we recommend extreme caution with supplements containing this ingredient.
The relatively high vitamin and mineral doses may also increase the risk of side effects.
As we documented in our review of Roman Testosterone Support, another wellness brand recently recalled some of their products from the market because the overfortification of vitamins was causing toxicity in some customers.
Overall, we don't believe Testoprime is likely to cause side effects in healthy adults, but we do believe it has a higher chance to cause side effects than the average supplement due to its ingredients and their respective doses.
Highly Questionable Health Claims
There are a number of strange and uncited health claims on the Testoprime website.
The brand suggests that their supplement reduces stress by over 70%:
image source: https://testoprime.com/
We don't understand how Testoprime can make such a specific health claim if their supplement has not been clinically proven to have that effect.
We have no idea where this number comes from, and the asterisk is not to any clinical citation but just to a disclaimer that this statement isn't evaluated by the FDA.
The brand also claims that their supplement can increase muscle strength by over 100%:
image source: https://testoprime.com/
Again, there is no proof provided for this claim.
We consider it to be a major red flag when a supplement company makes specific health claims without providing any proof of those claims.
On the same page, the following graphic is shown:
image source: https://testoprime.com/
We haven't seen any evidence that Testoprime, or any research published by Testoprime, has been confirmed by any of these organizations, nor does the brand cite any.
Why is Male Testosterone Dropping?
Male testosterone levels dropping across the developed world is a real trend, and appears to be caused primarily by environmental factors.
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 shown to have steadily decreased over a period of nearly two decades that the researchers tracked data.
As we detailed in our article on the bpa free meaning, plastics are made with chemical compounds like BPA and BPS which are endocrine disrupting and may decrease testosterone levels in men.
These compounds 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.
Why to Avoid Testoprime on Amazon
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.
One of the top “Testoprime” products is sold by a brand named “Fyvus” which is designed to have a similar coloration to Testoprime but has different ingredients:
image source: https://amazon.com/
The brand doesn't appear to sell on major online retailers like Amazon or GNC, and so there are other brands selling products on Amazon called “Testoprime” with totally different ingredients.
Testoprime vs. Popular T-Boosters
Here's how Testoprime compares to other popular T-boosting supplements in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:
T-Hero
Contains diindolylmethane, which is clinically shown to be an anti-androgen.
We don't consider T-Hero to be effectively formulated, but it's a safer choice than Testoprime, because it's free of green tea extract and any vitamin and mineral dosing issues.
Winner: T-Hero
Vintage Muscle
Vintage Muscle is the most dangerous men's health supplement brand we've reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.
At the time of our most recent review, the brand was selling illegal anabolic steroids on their website.
We consider Testoprime to be the safer choice.
Winner: Testoprime
Test Boost Max
Poor formulation from a potential efficacy standpoint.
However, we consider this brand to be a safer choice than Testoprime because it's free of green tea extract and vitamin and mineral dosing issues.
Winner: Test Boost Max
Our Testosterone Support Picks
MBG Vitamin D3 Potency+ is our top value testosterone support pick.
Vitamin D3 supplementation has been clinically shown to increase total testosterone levels by over 25%.
Performance Lab Magnesium is our top mineral testosterone support pick.
Magnesium is a mineral that is clinically shown to increase free and total testosterone in athletes and in sedentary individuals.
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients that we consider unhealthy.
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Testoprime Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Large number of research-backed ingredients
- Fenugreek seed extract is effectively dosed
- Inactive ingredients are safe and non-toxic
Cons:
- Contains high vitamin and mineral doses
- Contains green tea extract
- Doesn't appear clinically tested
- Brand doesn't clearly publish Supplement Facts label on product page
- Extremely low pomegranate dose
- Brand makes questionable and uncited health claims
- Less healthy than some competitors
