Alcohol consumption lowers testosterone levels in men.

Is it true that alcohol consumption lowers testosterone levels in men?

Partly. A 2024 meta-analysis of 17 human studies found no statistically significant overall difference in testosterone between alcohol-exposed and non-exposed men, though subgroup analyses showed differences at moderate and low intake. Other reviews and an animal study report that alcohol decreases testosterone, but the human evidence is mixed and does not settle the general claim.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 3 sources for, 1 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Rivier, C. (1999). Alcohol Rapidly Lowers Plasma Testosterone Levels in the Rat: Evidence that a Neural Brain‐Gonadal Pathway May Be Important for Decreased Testicular Responsiveness to Gonadotropin. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1530-0277.1999.tb04021.x

Moosazadeh, M., Heydari, K., Rasouli, K., Azari, S., Afshari, M., Barzegari, S., Nikaeen, R., Kardan-Souraki, M., Khani, S., Motafeghi, F., & Hoseini, A. (2024). Association of the Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Luteinizing Hormone (LH), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), and Testosterone Hormones in Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_81_24

RA, Z. & AK, R. (2025). Contributions of testosterone to excessive alcohol drinking in males: Potential role for interactions with the HPA axis.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.09.005

Alcohol’s Effects on Male Reproduction - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6761906/