Olive Oil and Testosterone: What Has Actually Been Measured
Search for olive oil and testosterone and you will find a confident figure — 17.4% — repeated from page to page. The figure is real. It comes from a single three-week study of healthy young men in Morocco, and it is the only human trial we have been able to find in which men were given olive oil and had their testosterone measured. What that study can and cannot tell you depends on details the summaries leave out: there was no group that stayed on its usual diet, the men were healthy rather than low in testosterone, and the result has not, as far as we can find, been repeated. Everything else in this area is either about dietary fat in general or was done in animals.
For our own oil, see our cold-pressed organic Marrakech olive oil.
The Short Answer
- The only human trial we can find that gave men olive oil and measured testosterone is Derouiche A et al., Natural Product Communications 2013;8(1):51–3 (PMID 23472458): 60 healthy Moroccan men, three weeks, with serum testosterone up 17.4% in the extra virgin olive oil arm.
- That study compared two oils (olive and argan) after a two-week period on butter. No group stayed on butter, so the rise cannot be separated from the change of diet, the passage of time or other factors.
- A 2021 meta-analysis of six diet studies (206 men) found testosterone somewhat lower on low-fat than on higher-fat diets — but it is about total fat intake, not olive oil (Whittaker J and Wu K, PMID 33741447).
- The remaining "olive oil raises testosterone" findings come from rats and rabbits, sometimes using an isolated olive compound rather than the oil itself.
- Olive oil is a food. If you think your testosterone may be low, the right first step is a blood test arranged by your GP, not a change of cooking oil.
- Sidr & Stone's extra virgin olive oil is single-estate, rain-fed and cold-pressed within hours of harvest on our own farm outside Marrakech — facts about how it is made, not a claim about hormones.
The One Human Trial: Moroccan Men, Two Oils, Three Weeks
Derouiche A and colleagues at Université Hassan II in Casablanca published the study in Natural Product Communications in 2013 (8(1):51–3, PMID 23472458). Sixty healthy men aged 23 to 40 ate butter as their fat during a two-week stabilisation period, then were randomised to virgin argan oil or extra virgin olive oil for three weeks. Serum testosterone, luteinising hormone (LH) and DHEAS were measured at the start and at the end of each period.
Testosterone rose by 17.4% in the olive oil group and 19.9% in the argan oil group (p<0.0001), and LH rose by 42.6% and 18.5% respectively. DHEAS, body weight, body mass index, blood pressure and daily energy intake did not change significantly in either group. That is the whole of the direct human evidence on olive oil and testosterone that we have been able to locate.
| Study | Who | Design | Testosterone result | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derouiche A et al., Nat Prod Commun 2013;8(1):51–3 (PMID 23472458) | 60 healthy men, 23–40, Morocco | 2 weeks on butter, then randomised to olive or argan oil for 3 weeks | +17.4% (olive), +19.9% (argan) | No group stayed on butter; healthy men; short; not replicated |
Why the 17.4% Figure Needs Careful Reading
The study has a genuine strength: it was done in people, with a measured blood hormone. But both groups changed their fat, and no comparison group carried on eating butter, so a rise in both oil arms cannot be pinned on olive oil rather than on leaving butter behind, the passage of three weeks, or simply being in a study.
The men were healthy and not selected for low testosterone, so the result says nothing about men with a diagnosed deficiency. A 17.4% rise within the normal range is a change in a lab value, not evidence of any effect a man would notice. It is a reason for a larger, properly controlled trial — not yet a finding to build a diet around.
The Wider Evidence Is About Dietary Fat, Not Olive Oil
The study most often quoted alongside Derouiche is a meta-analysis by Whittaker J and Wu K in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2021;210:105878, PMID 33741447). It pooled six intervention studies with 206 participants and found total testosterone lower on low-fat than on high-fat diets (standardised mean difference −0.38, 95% CI −0.75 to −0.01). The authors concluded that low-fat diets "appear to decrease" testosterone but that more randomised trials are needed, and a corrigendum to the paper was published in 2025 (PMID 41139558).
This is evidence about how much fat men eat, not about olive oil in particular. An older correlation study adds a similar signal: Volek JS and colleagues (Journal of Applied Physiology 1997;82(1):49–54, PMID 9029197) kept food records for 12 men and found resting testosterone correlated with monounsaturated fat intake (r=0.79) — but also with saturated fat (r=0.77). Twelve men and a correlation cannot show that one kind of fat causes anything.
The Animal Studies: Rats, Rabbits and an Isolated Compound
Much of what gets summarised as "olive oil boosts testosterone" is animal work. Oi-Kano Y and colleagues (Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2013;24(5):887–93, PMID 22901687) fed rats oleuropein — a phenolic compound found in extra virgin olive oil — for 28 days and reported higher testicular testosterone, but only in rats on a very high-protein (40% casein) diet. This was an isolated compound in rats, not olive oil in people.
Funes AK and colleagues (Andrology 2023;11(6):1203–1217, PMID 36695747) fed rabbits a high-fat diet for a year, adding extra virgin olive oil for the final six months. Serum testosterone was among the measurements, but the headline findings concerned testicular cholesterol handling and semen in an animal model of diet-induced damage — not a human hormone result.
| Study | Model | What was given | Reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oi-Kano Y et al., J Nutr Biochem 2013;24(5):887–93 (PMID 22901687) | Rats, 28 days | Isolated oleuropein in the feed | Higher testicular testosterone on a 40% casein diet only |
| Funes AK et al., Andrology 2023;11(6):1203–1217 (PMID 36695747) | Rabbits, 12 months, high-fat diet | Extra virgin olive oil added for the last 6 months | Testicular cholesterol regulation recovered |
| Derouiche A et al. (PMID 23472458) | Humans — 60 healthy men | Extra virgin olive oil or argan oil, 3 weeks | The only human testosterone measurement we can find |
What Olive Oil Is Better Evidenced For
None of this makes olive oil a poor food; it means testosterone is not where its evidence is strongest. The one EU-authorised health claim specific to olive oil polyphenols concerns the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress, and it applies only to oils meeting a minimum hydroxytyrosol content. Most of the research sits around the Mediterranean dietary pattern and heart health — see our article on olive oil and heart health.
If you want to understand the compounds behind that research, our guide to olive oil polyphenols explains what oleocanthal, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol are, and why they fade in refined and old oil.
The Objections Worth Taking Seriously
"A 17.4% rise is still a rise." It is, and we are not dismissing it. But when every group changed its diet, a rise tells you something changed — not what caused it. The argan arm rose too; a genuine olive oil effect and a "stopped eating butter" effect would look identical in this design.
"It can't hurt to add more." Olive oil is a sensible everyday fat, but it is also energy-dense, and adding large amounts on top of your usual diet adds calories. If you are thinking about more olive oil because you suspect a hormone problem, the more useful step is to find out whether there is a problem at all.
If You Are Worried About Your Testosterone
Tiredness, low mood, low libido and reduced muscle strength have many possible causes, and low testosterone is only one of them. A GP can arrange a blood test — usually taken in the morning, because testosterone levels vary through the day — and look at the result alongside your wider health. Changing your cooking oil is not a substitute for that conversation, and nothing in the published olive oil research suggests it should be.
We have written a similar evidence review on black seed oil and testosterone, which reaches a comparable conclusion by a different route.
Why Sidr & Stone
An article that separates findings from claims should not close by inventing one, so here is what we can say plainly about how our oil is grown and made. Sidr & Stone's olive oil is an extra virgin oil from our own single-estate farm outside Marrakech, where we control every step from tree to bottle.
- Single-estate — our own family-owned farm on the plains outside Marrakech, Morocco; no blending across origins
- Rain-fed — no irrigation; the trees take what the season gives
- Organically grown — no synthetic fertilisers, pesticides or herbicides (not yet certified; certification in progress)
- Single harvest — a small, limited batch; when it is gone, it is gone until the next harvest
- Cold-pressed within hours of harvest — to protect flavour, aroma and polyphenols
- Unfiltered extra virgin — minimally processed, and natural sediment is normal
- 100% natural — a single ingredient, nothing added
- Dark glass with a gold label — packaging that protects the oil from light
- 10% of profits to charity
- Fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US
We will not tell you Sidr & Stone is the best olive oil — that would be the very kind of claim this article warns against. What we will say is that our oil is single-estate Moroccan, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest, and that the evidence of that care is in the taste, the colour and the small single-harvest batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does olive oil increase testosterone?
The evidence is too thin to say so. The only human trial we can find (Derouiche A et al., 2013, PMID 23472458) reported a 17.4% rise in 60 healthy Moroccan men over three weeks, but every group changed its diet and no group stayed on butter, so the rise cannot be attributed to olive oil itself.
Why would dietary fat affect testosterone at all?
Testosterone is a steroid hormone made from cholesterol, and pooled diet studies suggest men's levels run somewhat lower on low-fat diets. That concerns total fat intake, not any particular oil.
How do I find out whether my testosterone is actually low?
Speak to your GP. Diagnosis rests on symptoms plus a blood test, usually taken in the morning, and the cause matters as much as the number. A food cannot tell you whether you have a deficiency.
Is olive oil better than butter for testosterone?
No study we can find has tested that directly. The Moroccan study moved everyone off butter, with no group left on it, so it cannot answer the question.
How is Sidr & Stone's olive oil different from supermarket olive oil?
It is single-estate, rain-fed, organically grown and cold-pressed within hours of harvest on our own farm outside Marrakech, and it is unfiltered extra virgin. Our guide on how to choose quality olive oil explains what to look for in any bottle.
What about argan oil?
In the same Derouiche study, testosterone rose by 19.9% in the argan oil group over three weeks. The same design limit applies: without a group that stayed on butter, the rise cannot be credited to argan oil either.
Where can I buy Sidr & Stone olive oil?
Our single-estate Marrakech olive oil is available to pre-order as a limited single-harvest batch, with estimated shipping from November 2026 and fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Is olive oil a medicine?
No. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine. It has a long traditional history — including being honoured in the Prophetic Sunnah — and a substantial body of modern research, particularly around polyphenols, cardiovascular health, and the Mediterranean diet pattern. It can be a worthwhile part of a healthy routine, but it does not cure diseases and is not a substitute for medical care. Be cautious of any olive oil marketed with specific disease-cure claims.
Final Thoughts
The 17.4% figure is not invented, and it is fair to find it interesting. But it rests on one small, short study in healthy men, with no group left on the original diet, and it has not been repeated. The broader diet research is about how much fat men eat rather than about olive oil, and the rest is rats, rabbits and an isolated compound. That is an early signal worth a proper trial, not a reason to treat olive oil as a hormone product.
If testosterone is the real worry, the answer starts with your GP and a blood test. If what you want is a well-made olive oil whose origin and processing you can trace, that is a different and entirely reasonable thing to want.
Our cold-pressed organic Marrakech olive oil — single-estate, rain-fed and cold-pressed within hours of harvest — is available to pre-order now, with fulfilment in the UK, EU, and US.
Our extra virgin olive oil is grown organically on our own single-estate farm on the plains outside Marrakech: we control every step from tree to bottle, and no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilisers are used. It is not yet certified organic — certification is in progress, and we will publish it as soon as it comes through.
Pre-Order Sidr & Stone Organic Marrakech Olive Oil — Limited Single-Harvest Batch →
Disclaimer: This article describes published research on olive oil, dietary fat and testosterone at the time of writing; research findings may change, and readers should check current sources. Olive oil is a food, not a medicine, and is not a substitute for medical treatment of any condition. For any health concern, including concerns about hormone levels, consult a qualified medical professional.