Testosterone: Dude! Who stole my sex drive?

Testostetrone levels
Things that restore testosterone levels.

Lecture notes from Nature’s Health Shoppe 1/24/13

What causes a testosterone drop?

Male testosterone drops by up to 2% a year after age 30. Men whose levels of testosterone are below normal often lose their spare tire when treated with testosterone.

“Most of the studies show there’s a reduction of abdominal obesity in men who are given testosterone,” says Adrian Dobs, MD at Johns Hopkins. According to a recent report in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, men’s testosterone levels have been dropping substantially since the 1980’s.

Moobs (man boobs), sexual failure, diminished sexual desire, a soggy midsection are some of the more common symptoms of the male form of menopause brought on by a reduction in the body’s internal testosterone production and/or a rise in cortisol levels.

For men and women another cause of thinning hair has to do with your genetic predisposition to turn testosterone hormones into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which clogs and blocks the hair follicle both under and on top of the scalp. The hair growth cycle also shortens with age, so already blocked follicles don’t have the chance to sprout fully developed strands like they once did, which collectively causes hair loss.

Testosterone Killers

Testosterone levels begin to decline and cortisol levels rise. When you’re under stress, your body releases cortisol – “the stress hormone.” And cortisol has an antagonistic relationship with testosterone. For men, that’s a problem… In fact, when researchers gave 72 men cortisol, it completely wiped out their normal nighttime rise in testosterone levels. But don’t reach for the testosterone replacement therapy. It doesn’t overcome the cortisol imbalance.

  • Researchers found that lack of sleep decreased testosterone levels by 10 to 15%. Because of this, scientists have long suggested that sleep loss causes testosterone drop. But a new study suggests it’s the other way around: decreases in testosterone lowers the high synchronization required between brain cells, affecting sleep. Some of this is caused by the ingestion of BPAs found in plastic containers.
  • Soy contains phytoestrogens which mimics true estrogen. Soy is a natural feminizer for men and boys. With so much soy in a child’s diet, early-onset puberty has rocketed the past few decades. Estrogen overload from soybean products are also known to drive cancer, infertility, decreased sexual libido and uterine fibroids.
  • Statin drugs ruin your cholesterol based hormones and cause thyroid dysfunction along with a drop in all sex hormones. Low thyroid levels directly related to statin drugs leads to low energy,
    sleepiness, irritability, dementia and depression. Researchers found the direct connection between statin drugs and low thyroid and testosterone after studying data on nearly 3,500 men. Cholesterol is the “raw material” for your sex hormones. Without it, you can’t manufacture testosterone and women can’t make estrogen. Statins also tell the pituitary gland that the body
    doesn’t need any more testosterone, effectively shutting down production. Unfortunately, drug companies and makers of cholesterol-free foods make billions of dollars from the myth that low cholesterol will save you from a heart attack. As little as 500 mg of Vitamin C a day kicked statin drugs butts in university studies.
    Read also: Cholesterol: Exposing the Myth What is cholesterol and what is all the fuss about statin drugs?
  • Phthalates soften plastics, and are in everything from shower curtains to plastic wrap to food containers. They are also used to stabilize scents – which means, you find them in fragrance-
    based products like perfume, shampoo, plastic tubing, soaps and lotions. Phthalates are pervasive in the environment and have increasingly become associated with changes in development of the male brain as well as with genital defects, metabolic abnormalities and reduced testosterone in babies and adults. Multiple studies have linked phthalates to suppression of normal thyroid function and birth defects, mostly affecting the genital
    development of young boys and low sperm counts in adult men. Phthalates, which are used in everything from vinyl floors to plastic tubing and soaps and lotions, are pervasive in the
    environment and have increasingly become associated with changes in development of the male brain as well as with genital defects, metabolic abnormalities and reduced testosterone in babies and adults.
  • Mercury in vaccines are feminizers. A study in Precocious Puberty, “Thimerosal Exposure & Increasing Trends of Premature Puberty in the Vaccine Safety Datalink”, confirms a significant association in our children between the increasing rates of premature puberty and the increasing exposure to mercury from childhood vaccines. This goes with I’ve said all along.
    Recent attention has been focused on the role of endocrine-disrupting and feminizing metals and chemicals on the timing of puberty. The CDC reports that mercury is a known endocrine disruptor and it adversely affects the steroid synthesis pathway in animals and humans. It can actually feminize a child.
  • Polysorbate 80 is associated with blood clots, stroke, heart attacks, tumor growth, immune compromise and is a feminizing chemical.
Natural treatment for low testosterone and male sex health
  • Yet another reason to eat and be healthy: Findings in some studies are that testosterone levels did not fall significantly with age in exceptionally healthy men.
  • The old saying is that eating oysters will make you a better lover. What isn’t so old is the discovery that oysters actually can make you a better lover! The power of oysters is backed by solid science. You see, oysters contain lots of zinc. In fact, just 6 medium oysters contain 40 mcg of zinc – almost three-quarters of a man’s Daily Value. Zinc prevents testosterone from being converted into estrogen. Plus, zinc itself turns estrogen into testosterone. Zinc helps produce healthier sperm and higher sperm counts. Low levels of zinc can cause low testosterone levels.
  • In clinical studies, garlic’s active ingredient enhances testosterone levels and inhibits cortisol, a hormone that competes with testosterone, limiting its actions and breaking down muscle tissue.
  • Maca is stupendously wonderful! Its action on the body jogs the pituitary into producing the precursor hormones which ultimately end up raising estrogen, progesterone and testosterone levels, as well as helping to balance the adrenal glands, the thyroid and the pancreas. But this occurs naturally, not with time-bomb drugs which throw the entire body into a dangerous state of confusion.
  • Diindolymethane or DIM for short is an incredible compound that is found in all cruciferous vegetables – like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage. DIM helps balance the male/female sex
    hormones (testosterone and estrogen). DIM stimulates your body to more efficiently metabolize estrogen into estrogen metabolite. DIM has no effect on the “good” or necessary estrogen that men’s bodies create naturally as an anti-oxidant for brain and heart health. A recent university research study on the effects of DIM showed estrogen levels dropping in the test subjects by a whopping 64% in just one week! Researchers also found that not only were estrogen levels depressed when the test subjects were given DIM, but testosterone levels were up – and as a side bonus they noticed that their prostate health had also significantly improved.
  • Vitamin C has been shown to lower cortisol levels allowing your body to make more Testosterone and like Zinc – Vitamin C reduces the armostase enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen. Vitamin C is shown in a recent study to prevent benign prostatic hyperplasia in men and also helps prevent prostate cancer cells from proliferating.
  • Saw Palmetto works for the prostate and more: Saw Palmetto is a natural steroid source herb with tissue building and gland stimulating properties that tonify and strengthen the male reproductive system. It is a primary herb for treating male impotence, low libido and prostate health. The body uses Saw Palmetto in the hormone pathway as the body needs it – unlike
    pharmaceutical testosterone which unbalances the system.
  • DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is called the “mother of all hormones” because it fuels the hormone pathways. As we age, DHEA levels begin to decline. Stress also plays a big factor in plummeting DHEA levels, causing the adrenal glands to work overtime. While the adrenals are pumping out large quantities of cortisol and adrenaline, they can’t produce enough DHEA. Low levels of DHEA can cause: fatigue, weight gain, depression, aching joints and the dreaded low libido. Most people only need about 5-10 mg in the early morning and another 5-10 mg before
    lunch. There are no food sources for DHEA as it manufactured in the adrenal glands.
  • Tribulus Terrestris – more commonly known as Puncture Vine. Tribulus has been used for centuries by ancient healers as a natural performance enhancer and testosterone booster. By naturally boosting your testosterone levels, Tribulus increases your body’s red blood cell count, resulting in better oxygen transport throughout the entire body.
  • Astragalus, ashwaghanda and rhodiola are adaptogenic herbs that support normal adrenal functions.
More info and sources

Authored by Cancer Nutritionist Craig Stellpflug NDC, CNC
Dayspring Cancer Clinic Scottsdale, AZ
Copyright 2012 Craig Stellpflug© Permission is hereby granted to copy and distribute this article but only in its entirety

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