Kidney stones form when substances like calcium oxalate, struvite, and uric acid crystallize in your urinary tract,1 often resulting from hormonal imbalances or metabolic disturbances.
Left untreated, kidney stones not only cause severe discomfort, but also trigger urinary tract infections (UTIs) and obstruct urine flow that eventually lead to kidney damage. Now, researchers have identified one significant risk factor linked to their formation — low testosterone levels.
Your Testosterone Levels Predict Kidney Stone Risk
In a study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research (IJIR), researchers examined how low testosterone affects your likelihood of developing kidney stones, especially as you age.2
The team followed 3,234 healthy adult males (primarily middle-aged) participating in health screenings over a 10-year period, specifically from 2010 to 2020. Each of them was tested for total testosterone along with scans to detect kidney stones, allowing researchers to analyze the relationship between the two variables.
• There is a threshold where kidney stone risk is dramatically increased — Findings revealed that once your testosterone levels drop below 3.33 ng/mL (nanograms per milliliter), the risk of kidney stones spikes by approximately 65% compared to men whose hormone levels remain within a normal range. Furthermore, this was regardless of age, body weight, cholesterol levels, or blood pressure.
This means that even if you’re otherwise healthy and physically fit, having low testosterone is already enough to put you at risk for kidney stones. As noted in the study, “low serum testosterone levels (<3.33 ng/mL) were significantly and independently related to kidney stones in men.”
• Other common factors ceased to be important — Low testosterone alone is uniquely capable of influencing kidney stone formation compared to other typical health biomarkers, such as blood pressure or cholesterol levels.
• Age impacts risk more than others — The strongest increase in kidney stone risk occurred among participants who exhibited the lowest testosterone levels coupled with older age. Specifically, the study found a pronounced jump among men over 50 who were simultaneously struggling with severely low testosterone.
The takeaway here is that older men, already naturally prone to hormonal decline, will benefit greatly by managing their testosterone to prevent kidney stone issues from complicating their health down the road.
The Link Between Age and Testosterone-Related Kidney Stones
In an earlier study, also published in IJIR, researchers explored how age influences the relationship between testosterone levels and kidney stone formation. They tested whether the risk of developing kidney stones associated with low testosterone changes across different age groups in men not using testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).3
The researchers combed through electronic health records and eventually selected 263,557 men across multiple health care institutions in the United States. All participants had documented testosterone levels below 300 ng/dL (nanograms per deciliter) and had never undergone TRT. This allowed the team to analyze the natural relationship between untreated low testosterone and kidney stone risk across various age groups.
• The impact of age — This factor (alongside low testosterone) dramatically affects your kidney stone risk. While young men between 18 and 24 years old with low testosterone showed virtually no increased risk, it climbed steadily with age.
Meanwhile, men aged 34 to 44 years old experienced the most significant spike, with a 29% greater likelihood of developing their first kidney stone compared to men with normal testosterone levels in this same group.
• Testosterone declines as you age — In relation to the point above, the study pinpointed how risk varied across different age groups. Younger adults, surprisingly, did not seem immediately vulnerable, which indicates hormonal influences likely require prolonged interaction with other factors to trigger kidney stone formation.
As you approach middle age, however, the body’s declining hormone levels begin to amplify the vulnerabilities.
• The risk plateaus past a certain age — Another notable discovery was how the danger for kidney stones declined again as men reached older ages. Although still elevated, the increased likelihood diminished somewhat among men over 55 years old.
Researchers theorize that this action occurs because older men often have other competing health factors or lifestyle changes that overshadow testosterone’s direct impact, making age-specific awareness particularly valuable if you’re currently navigating your mid-30s to early 50s.
• How kidney stones form isn’t still known — According to the authors, there’s no solid research explaining the formation of kidney stones. However, they are certain that men are “two times more likely than women to develop a kidney stone.”4
The Testosterone Threshold Leading to Kidney Stones
In a study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology, researchers investigated the range wherein testosterone levels influence kidney stone risks for men. They used a nationwide dataset database involving 6,633 adult males to define the range associated with the lowest likelihood of kidney stone formation.5
The researchers focused exclusively on adult men without preexisting hormonal therapies or prior kidney stones. From there, the analysis revealed a clear number — maintaining testosterone levels above approximately 360 to 422 ng/dL sharply reduces kidney stone risk. Conversely, dropping below this range will be bad for your health.
• The link between testosterone and kidney stones is clear — The authors divided testosterone measurements into four quartiles, effectively categorizing men into groups (lowest to highest hormone levels). Men with testosterone levels above 360 ng/dL — those in the highest quartile — experienced a significantly lower likelihood of developing kidney stones.
In contrast, men in the lowest testosterone group faced a nearly 47% increased risk compared to those whose levels exceeded the mentioned cutoff point.
• The protective benefits of higher testosterone are not evenly spread — Younger men between 20 and 40 years old did not see significant changes in kidney stone risk related to their testosterone levels.
Instead, the protection became most pronounced in men over the age of 40. Within this group, men whose testosterone remained above the 360 ng/dL threshold enjoyed the greatest advantage, highlighting that managing testosterone effectively in middle age significantly reduces your long-term kidney health risks.
• Testosterone’s effects on other common factors — The findings emphasize that while obesity and poor diet independently increase your risk for kidney stones, having low testosterone compounds these problems considerably. Other factors that interact with low testosterone include vascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Maintaining optimal testosterone levels supports your body’s metabolic health, making it easier to regulate body weight, which, as mentioned earlier, is a risk factor for stone prevention. To add, men with healthy testosterone levels typically have fewer metabolic disturbances, translating into fewer kidney-related complications down the road.
• A theory on how stones form — In previously published literature cited by the researchers,6,7 they noted that testosterone influences the production of glycolate oxidase, a liver enzyme that catalyzes “glycolate to glyoxylate and glyoxylate to oxalate, a key metabolite in kidney stone formation.”8 However, this is just an educated inference:
“As far as we know, the rat ethylene glycol model of urolithiasis relies on artificial mechanisms that are not comparable with the pathophysiology of naturally occurring stone disease in humans … However, in natural human stone formation, no evidence exists to show that stones form secondary to oxalate-induced renal injury and calcium oxalate crystals are deposited in the renal interstitium.”9
Natural Ways to Raise Your Testosterone Levels
After examining the research, one finding is clear — your testosterone levels influence your risk for developing kidney stones. Considering this, it’s important to be aware of the signs of low testosterone, such as fatigue, reduced libido, loss of muscle mass, and mood swings.
I recommend that you have your blood tested.10 Now, what’s a healthy range? In a previous article, I mentioned 300 to 1,000 ng/dL as a baseline. Having said that, how do you begin to raise your testosterone? In the video above, I share nine tips you can implement right away. Additional strategies are outlined below:
1. Reduce exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) — Your first step is to minimize your exposure to chemicals known to disrupt hormones, which are commonly found in plastics, nonstick cookware, personal care products, and pesticides.
Switch to glass or stainless steel containers instead of plastic, choose organic, sustainably produced food as often as you can, and look for personal care products labeled “paraben-free” and “phthalate-free.”
2. Start KAATSU training for hormonal balance — If you’re unsure where to begin exercising, I recommend KAATSU training. This approach temporarily restricts blood flow with specially designed bands, stimulating muscle growth and testosterone production without over-stressing your joints or muscles.11
3. Consider taking a niacinamide supplement — Also known as nicotinamide, this nutrient is important for optimal mitochondrial function. Moreover, research has shown that increasing intake helps with issues related to declining testosterone levels.12 In light of this, I recommend taking this combination for maximum effect:
- 50 milligrams (mg) three times a day
- 5 mg to 10 mg of DHEA orally once a day
- 50 mg of pregnenolone once a day
4. Prioritize sunlight exposure — Sun exposure does far more than boost vitamin D levels. It directly enhances your cellular energy health, a foundational step in supporting testosterone levels and even overall health. As noted in a study published in Cureus, vitamin D influences calcium balance. Moreover, participants with low vitamin D levels have also been found to have low testosterone levels.13
For optimal results, it’s important you get around one hour of exposure during solar noon (12 noon or 1 p.m.) during daylight savings time. However, there’s one caveat to this recommendation.
If you’ve been eating a diet high in linoleic acid (LA), you’ll need to avoid sunlight during peak hours (usually an hour before and after solar noon) for two to six months while following a low-LA diet. It usually takes two to three years to remove most of the LA in your skin, but there is a way to speed up the process.
5. Add raw, grass fed milk to your diet — I’ve recently discovered that C15:0, a special fat found in raw milk, helps flush out LA than just following a low-LA diet.
Specifically, increasing your C15:0 intake to 2 grams per day allows the keratinocytes in your skin to incorporate this healthy fat instead of LA within four weeks. This means that if you continue with this approach, the total LA should go down by 25% to 30% within three to four months.
When you keep it up for 12 to 18 months, the LA in your adipose tissue will go down by 80%. After doing this, whatever remaining ultraviolet risks on your skin come from direct DNA damage and can’t be fixed by your diet.
6. Incorporate a natural anti-estrogen like progesterone — Testosterone and estrogen must remain balanced to ensure optimal health, especially if you’re a middle-aged man experiencing hormonal shifts. In this case, progesterone is a natural hormone that safely counteracts excessive estrogen buildup. To administer it correctly, read the following sections.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Testosterone and Kidney Stones
Q: What causes kidney stones and how are they linked to testosterone?
A: Kidney stones form when substances like calcium oxalate crystallize in the urinary tract. While the exact process is unknown, studies show a strong link between low testosterone levels and an increased risk of developing kidney stones. Specifically, testosterone levels below approximately 360 ng/dL significantly raise the risk.
Q: Does age affect how testosterone influences kidney stone risk?
A: Yes, age greatly impacts the relationship between testosterone and kidney stone risk. Men under 30 years old typically see less immediate risk from low testosterone, while middle-aged men (ages 34 to 55 years old) experience a dramatic increase in kidney stone risk if their testosterone is low. Interestingly, after age 55, the risk plateaus slightly, though it remains elevated.
Q: Can maintaining normal testosterone levels protect against kidney stones?
A: Maintaining testosterone levels at approximately 360 ng/dL can significantly reduce kidney stone risk, particularly for men over 40. Research identifies this as a safe threshold.
Q: How does testosterone interact with other kidney stone risk factors?
A: Low testosterone exacerbates the effects of other conditions like obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome — each already known to increase kidney stone risk. Men experiencing both low testosterone and one of these conditions face a substantially higher risk than those with just one issue alone.
Q: Are there natural methods to boost testosterone and reduce kidney stone risk?
A: Yes. Natural ways to boost testosterone and lower kidney stone risk include reducing exposure to EDCs (found in plastics and pesticides), practicing blood-flow-restriction exercises (KAATSU training), prioritizing safe sunlight exposure, and balancing estrogen levels naturally, such as with progesterone.
