“BALLS IN DANGER”:WHY TESTOSTERONE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MEN’S HEALTH

If you are obese, have diabetes, a chronic medical condition or hormonal disorder, you might be affected with low testosterone. Normally, people with low testosterone levels witness a change in sleeping pattern as well as changes in the physical body (that can include more fat or less muscles). While it is true that there is general decline of testosterone levels as one age, it cannot really be a reason for your sudden drop in sex drive.

Another sign is depression or if you feel some heart problems. In a study by the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System and the University of Washington in Seattle, it was found that men who had low testosterone levels were four times more likely to be diagnosed with clinical depression.

Congestive heart failures have been reported as being an important sign of low testosterone levels as well. Tumors may also cause low testosterone levels. If you have a tumor in the pituitary gland, and there is a loss of peripheral vision, you might just blame it all on your testosterone.

However, one of the most important signs that can be associated with low testosterone levels and one of the most important causes is a sudden fall in your sexual desire or sex drive. If you are suffering from sexual dysfunction, that’s an immediate warning sign as well. In fact, if you are suffering from infertility, that’s a sure way to know that, something is wrong with testosterone levels.

How It Is Diagnosed

Doctors use a blood test to decide the testosterone level. Blood tests along with a look at the medical history of the patient form one of the most important ways by which doctors know if low testosterone levels are the cause of your problems. An interesting fact to note is that the problems like sleep disorders or heart failure can happen due to a myriad number of reasons and so doctors will really love to diagnose everything including blood tests before actually zeroing in on the cause.

If your range is below 300 ng/dL (the normal range is 300 ng/dL to 1000 ng/dL), there is a reason to worry about low testosterone effects.  Doctors usually advise you do a blood test in the morning as testosterone levels are the highest then. Doctors also predict the cause by performing a physical examination, which might include:

• Checking the size of scrotum and penis
• Examining the amount of body hair
• Examining any visible lumps in scrotum or penis
• Inquiring about any erectile dysfunction
• Inquiring about your sex drive and any past illnesses

 

Your doctor might carry out a MRI or CT scan if he believes it is a pituitary tumor that’s been causing the problems. He might even advise you to undergo some hormone tests.

Timely diagnosis and treatment will ensure that they are able to go back to their old self and are able to enjoy life and sex just like the old times.

Testosterone is very important for production of viable sperm. Testosterone has more responsibilities than reproduction; it is necessary for building muscle mass, and also for bone strength. In males, it, along with genes, is the primary reason for a man’s height and body mass, achieved during puberty.

 

Causes of low Testosterone

There are many causes of low testosterone readings; some of the more common ones are:

Injury

Injury to either, or both, testicles may result in a drop of testosterone production. Any male experiencing an injury to this area should see his doctor for treatment of the injury and to check his testosterone levels.

Cancer

Cancer, any form of cancer treated with chemotherapy or radiation, may cause low testosterone. Testicular cancer is certainly one of the causes of low testosterone levels, but any form of cancer may impact a male’s levels as he is treated.

Phytoestrogens

Males who resistance-train often uses a protein powder to help with muscle recovery after exercising, and to promote muscle growth. There are two primary types of protein powder for this function: whey powder and soy powder.

Soy powder is derived from soybeans; soy beans are a primary source of phytoestrogens – a plant-based source of estrogen-like substances. Phytoestrogens are used by females as a treatment for the symptoms of menopause because of their estrogen similarities.

Because soy powder is a phytoestrogen, it is processed by the body as though it were an estrogen; for females experiencing menopause, this is a good thing. For males, it’s a very bad thing indeed. An increase in estrogens in males leads to a decrease in testosterone.

Whey powder, derived from dairy, provides the resistance-trainer with the muscle recovery and growth he desires, and has no negative effects on his testosterone levels.

Hypothyroidism

The testicles and ovaries are not solely responsible for the production of testosterone; the hypothalamus, pituitary, and thyroid glands all get into the act. Hypothyroidism, or low levels of the thyroid hormone thyroxin, can have a significant impact on testosterone production as well, and is one of the causes of low testosterone levels.

Many of the symptoms of low testosterone are the same for hypothyroidism – weight gain, low energy, and depression, to name a few. Unless you have other evidence of low testosterone side effects, such as low libido, have your thyroid level checked first.

 

Statins

Statins are the class of allopathic medications prescribed to lower cholesterol levels. They are not necessary, as a proper diet and exercise program will keep your body’s cholesterol levels in the normal range. However, they will be prescribed by allopathic physicians if your cholesterol levels fall outside the allopathic normal range.

Statins do little good and much harm. One of the ways they do harm is to lower a man’s testosterone levels. The mechanism is not fully understood, but the link is there; further studies are underway to determine the relationship.

You can control your cholesterol levels with diet and exercise.

Exercise, one to three times a week, will also help keep your cholesterol in check. A combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercises are needed; so walk briskly three times a week, and do some resistance training.

 

Stress

We experience high levels of stress everyday; unfortunately, our bodies still react the way they did when the stressor was a tiger about to pounce, instead of your boss. The stressors we deal with on a daily basis keep our ‘Fight or Flight’ responses working overtime; this results in adrenal fatigue and high levels of cortisol.

 

Cortisol, the stress hormone, lowers testosterone levels, among the many other negative impacts it has on the body. A response to stress was life-saving in the early years of mankind’s tenure on this planet; with the constant level of stress we all experience in today’s world, it results in high levels of inflammation, and subsequent ill-health.

 

Excess Weight

The number-one health issue we face today is obesity. Why are we, as a nation, plagued with this problem? There are many reasons, but the primary ones are the agricultural industry. Our misguided understandings of nutrition and how our bodies work is a major challenged. The agricultural industry is responsible for processed foods, and for genetically modifying the foods they grow (GMO).

Obesity is not just from our diets, although this is the main problem. Obesity is also the result of hypercortisol levels (Cushing’s disease) and hypothyroidism. Low levels of thyroxin and high levels of cortisol also cause obesity.

Obesity impacts testosterone levels, especially excess belly fat. Losing weight is the first step anyone should take if they suspect low testosterone levels.

These are the main causes of low testosterone; this is not a complete list, but addressing these causes will certainly boost your testosterone levels naturally.

Naturally raising your levels is preferable to artificial hormone therapy; the body has many nasty reactions to testosterone injections, and these are to be avoided at all cost.

 

Why Low Testosterone Side Effects Matter

These side effects – indicators of androgen deficiency in males – include low libido, depression, weight gain, irritableness, loss of muscle mass and tone, and low energy, as well as others. The average male will tell you these are just signs of getting old, but they’re not. They are signs your testosterone level is dropping.

Again, most men will say low testosterone is unavoidable as they age, but they’re wrong; a male’s testosterone level does not have to drop to the point of experiencing these side effects. In fact with proper diet and exercise, and possibly some supplementation, a man can retain his youthful vigor well into old age.

Sperm are continuously produced by the male, whereas the female undergoes a complete loss of fertility. Nature does this for a reason: childbearing, and successively child nurturing, are hard on the female body, and at a certain point the risk to the female becomes intolerable, so Nature by itself shuts down the system.

As men age, their testosterone levels begin to decline, starting in their thirties. This drop is viewed by traditional Western medicine as inevitable, and as men begin showing low testosterone effects, they are treated symptomatically, instead of addressing the root cause. The concept of a male menopause is aggressively questioned; whether or not males experience the same symptoms as menopausal women does not rate the creation of a new condition in the eyes of most in the medical community.

 

What To Do about Low Testosterone

The pharmaceutical companies want men to supplement their levels with prescription hormone replacements. This is a bad idea on several levels; synthetic hormones are not good for your body and have their own list of side effects.

Most men experiencing signs of low testosterone don’t have levels low enough to warrant hormone replacement, and using the hormone replacement therapy when it’s not needed messes with your body’s hormone regulation. There are lifestyle changes a man can make to raise his testosterone levels without resorting to drugs, and he can add herbal supplements if necessary.

Diet

There are chemicals in processed foods that lower your testosterone levels. Bypassing these chemicals and additives by eating fresh, organic fruits and vegetables is one way to fight the battle. Another is to restrict your intake of sugar; type II diabetes also lowers testosterone levels, so keeping your sugar intake under control is advisable.

Exercise

Exercise can raise your testosterone, but not all exercises fit the bill. Brief, intense exercise has been shown to have the most benefits. Slow jogging has no testosterone-boosting effects, so you will need to change your exercise regimen if running is your exercise of choice.

Weight-lifting will boost your levels; you will need to exercise as many muscles at one time as possible, so research this as well.

Supplementation

Saw Palmetto is a great way to boost your levels, but be sure to buy from a trusted knowledgeable source.  Another is the Tiger nuts and others.  With this testosterone decline comes an increase in body fat, usually around the belly. Belly fat is bad because it compresses your organs, restricting proper functioning. Also with the decline come other changes, such as irritability and depression, loss of energy, low sex drives, and a drop in mental cognition.

Lower testosterone levels are associated with aging, but a man doesn’t have to take this as an inevitable part of growing older. Males can move into their middle and golden years with testosterone levels nearly as high as when they were in their twenties, and without using artificial steroids.

 

Lose Weight

It seems like everyone is telling you to lose weight, for one reason or another. If you’re like most of us, you’re tired of hearing it. However, there is a direct correlation between body fat and testosterone levels; the higher your body fat, the lower your testosterone. Losing body fat, especially belly fat, is a primary method for how to increase testosterone naturally.

Watch out for the final part

 

Dr. Raphael Nyarkotey Obu: PhD is a research Professor of Prostate cancer and Holistic Medicine at Da Vinci College of Holistic Medicine, Larnaca city, Cyprus and the National President of the Alternative Medical Association of Ghana(AMAG). He is also the President of Men’s Health Foundation Ghana.. 

If you are obese, have diabetes, a chronic medical condition or hormonal disorder, you might be affected with low testosterone. Normally, people with low testosterone levels witness a change in sleeping pattern as well as changes in the physical body (that can include more fat or less muscles). While it is true that there is […] Read Full Story