What to recommend instead

A useful role for pharmacy teams is helping customers to focus on evidence-based lifestyle measures that genuinely support general health and normal hormone production.

“Regular exercise, good sleep and a healthy, balanced diet with enough protein have much stronger evidence for supporting normal testosterone levels and overall health, with a multivitamin and multimineral supplement useful where there are dietary gaps or a busy lifestyle,” says Dr Derbyshire.

“Customers can be encouraged to eat a healthy, balanced diet that includes sufficient protein intake, in line with UK healthy eating guidance. 

“Good sources of protein include lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans, lentils, tofu and nuts. Extremely restrictive diets, crash dieting or very high protein ‘bulking’ approaches promoted online are not usually necessary.”

If someone’s diet is inconsistent because of a busy lifestyle, shift work or dietary gaps, Dr Derbyshire stresses: 

“A standard multivitamin and multimineral supplement is a reasonable nutritional top-up, but pharmacy staff should explain that supplements are intended to support overall nutrition rather than directly increase testosterone.”

Where genuine testosterone deficiency is suspected, diagnosis requires proper medical assessment and blood testing rather than self-diagnosis from social media content.

“Customers are often best served not by ‘miracle’ products, but by realistic support around sleep, nutrition, exercise, long-term health habits and appropriate medical assessment when needed,” Dr Derbyshire concludes.