Before we tackle the numerous
causes of low testosterone (low T), I'd like to go over the symptoms of low T? Men usually equate low libido and
sexual dysfunction with low testosterone. But long before sexual issues arise, men may experience poor sleep, loss
of strength and decreased vitality. If you feel over the hill, consider that it may be due to low
testosterone. Severe fatigue (especially after exercising) and muscle weakness could be due to low T.
Irritability, feelings of being overwhelmed, sadness, poor concentration and
even memory lapses are also symptoms of low T. If a man is experiencing sexual
dysfunction, he probably has a lot of other symptoms from low testosterone.
Low testosterone is also associated with high cholesterol,
hypertension, accelerated heart disease, bone loss, prostate cancer and
prostate enlargement. If you have
any of these illnesses you need to be screened for low T.
Low testosterone is increasingly common. In fact, studies
have shown that, on average, men's testosterone levels have dropped
dramatically over just the past few decades. In 2002, 65-year-old men had testosterone
levels approximately 15 percent lower than 65-year-old men in 1987. That same
age group would have even lower levels today. There are many different reasons
why men experience low testosterone, and it's not just a matter of age.
Disturbances throughout the body can result in lower
testosterone levels in men of any age. It helps to think of the testosterone
production in your body as a company, where each employee and division's role
is critical to completing the final product: healthy testosterone function.
When the CEO Can't
Communicate
It may surprise you to learn that problems of low
testosterone can sometimes start in the brain rather than the testicles. Over
the past decade, neurosurgeons have noticed a connection between head injuries,
like concussions, and low testosterone.
Head injuries may bruise the underside of the brain where
the hypothalamus is located. It controls basic functions like hunger, thirst
and sleep. And on the very bottom of the hypothalamus sitting right on the inside
of the bottom of the skull, is the CEO of testosterone production in the body. This
portion of the brain decides how much testosterone will be made and gives the
order to middle management...the pituitary gland.
If CEO is bruised or damaged, it will send a weak signal to
the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces a number of endocrine
hormones—including luteinizing hormone (LH), which is required for testosterone
production. Because this hormone middleman receives its marching orders from
the CEO, it may produce lower LH when the brain is injured. And if the
pituitary gland makes less LH, the testicles will not get the orders to
manufacture sufficient amounts of testosterone.
As mentioned, the CEO can be damaged by a head injury. In
the case of major head trauma, a drop in testosterone can come on fairly
dramatically over a period of weeks or months following the injury. However,
the effects of minor head trauma, perhaps experienced when a young man is
playing football or falls, can build slowly over time—sometimes not showing up
until a man is older.
Trouble in Middle
Management
As mentioned, the pituitary gland is another critical area
in testosterone production. The CEO in the hypothalamus may be giving the
correct orders, but it's possible that the pituitary gland isn't receiving the
signal. This happens when a man has a tumor in the gland.
The most common pituitary tumor is a benign one called a prolactinoma. Fortunately, these tumors are relatively rare. But if a man
has one, it means that his pituitary gland is sending a weak signal down to his
testicles, which results in lower testosterone production. Other symptoms a man
may experience if he has a prolactinoma are blurred vision, headaches, weight
gain and milky discharge from the breasts.
When the Couriers
Can't Deliver the Memo to the Factory
Your testosterone CEO in the hypothalamus might be in top
shape. And your pituitary gland, middle management, may be receiving its orders
and running smoothly. That doesn't mean there still can't be problems with the
appropriate message getting to the testicles.
LH, which is produced in the pituitary gland, must be able
to communicate to the testicles the need to manufacture testosterone. Normally,
the message penetrates through the cell wall, but if the cells aren't healthy,
the message won't make it past the outside of the cell. This can happen when a
man doesn't have sufficient amounts of fish oil. Think of fish oil as WD-40 for
cells, it lubricates and opens the door for LH (the messengers) to pass through
the cell's membrane.
If this is a problem in your body, it won't just apply to
testosterone; it will affect your sperm count too. Men who have very low levels
of fish oil are unlikely to receive the appropriate message from FSH (follicle-stimulating
hormone) that also comes from the pituitary gland. FSH knocks at a different
door in the testicles, but if it can't get its massage through, it cannot give the testicles
the go-ahead to produce sperm. Both sperm and testosterone can be made in such scenarios,
but they are usually produced in very limited amounts because the testicles
don't have clear orders to manufacture testosterone or sperm.
Testosterone
Manufacturing Plant
Testosterone is made in the Leydig cells in the testicles
once clear orders are received. Since testosterone is made from cholesterol,
too low cholesterol results in low testosterone. Zinc, Vitamin A and D are all
essential in the manufacturing process and deficiencies of any of these will
reduce production. Numerous toxins interfere with production of testosterone.
Testosterone Delivery
to the Body
Testosterone ultimately increases the vitality of all cells.
If it's a heart cell, testosterone helps the heart pump better. If it's a brain
cell, testosterone makes the brain sharper. If it's a muscle cell, testosterone
makes the muscles stronger. If it’s a skin cell, the cell will fatten up and
make more collagen to make stronger skin that doesn’t sag, wrinkle or tear
easily. However, there has to be enough fish oil in those different kinds of
cells for testosterone to have the desired effects.
If all of the other cells in the body don't have enough fish
oil, their cell walls will be more rigid and less pliable. Testosterone and other steroid hormones
are small enough to slip through cell membranes without going through a
specific doorway. But the membranes have to be “permeable” and pliable. Fish
oil keeps these membranes healthy so that testosterone can get though into the
cell and join with its receptor. This coupled unit then goes into the nucleus
to turn on DNA to help the cell regain vitality.
Other Problems in the
Testosterone Delivery Process
Because a number of problems can cause low testosterone
levels within the body, it's important to take a comprehensive look at a man's
health to see what other areas may be impacting his production of testosterone.
Estrogens: Estradiol is made from testosterone, and all men
have some of it in their bodies (although healthy men make less of this hormone
than women). This conversion can be increased by a number of factors, such as
too much alcohol intake, trunkal obesity or a zinc deficiency. If a man is
making too much estrogen, it reduces his testosterone production. Abdominal fat
cells convert testosterone to estradiol the fastest because they have higher
than normal levels of an enzyme, aromatase, that convert testosterone to
estradiol. So beer bellies are bad for testosterone.
Damage to the Testicles: There are many things that can damage
the testicles. You can lose a testicle in an accident. Maybe you got hit in the
crotch with a hard ball when you were a little boy. Any type of injury in the
testicles can affect testosterone production. Other things that can cause
damage include mumps, varicocele (a varicose vein in the scrotum) and
vasectomies*. Such factors and events compromise the functioning of the
testicles and result in higher estrogen production and lower testosterone
production.
*Note that not all men will experience a reduction in
testosterone following a vasectomy. However, studies in
lab animals, and observations by individual physicians, suggest that
anywhere from 10 percent to 40 percent of men can be affected.
Undesirable Protein Levels: Testosterone doesn't just float
around in the blood by itself, it's carried on proteins. The primary proteins
involved are albumin and SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin). If a man has too
much of these proteins, his testosterone is going to be bound up on the albumin
and SHBG and very little is going to drift off as free testosterone. And free
testosterone is the most active testosterone in the body. A number of things
can increase the production of these proteins, including excess estrogen
production, estrogenic toxins and liver problems.
Participating in Strenuous Activities: While not always
permanently damaging to the testicles, strenuous activities like long-distance
running and cycling can lead to lower testosterone. Regular exercise is fine,
but do it in moderation. If you like to run for fitness, keep it under 15 miles
a week.
Not Enough Cholesterol: Eating a vegan diet with too little
cholesterol in it can contribute to lower testosterone. The body is supposed to
make enough cholesterol to produce all of the steroid hormones, including
testosterone, but it doesn't always. In some people the delivery can't keep up
with the demand. So eating an animal protein-based diet can enhance the
production of testosterone.
Diet: In addition to a lack of animal protein, other types of
poor nutrition can affect testosterone function. A diet that is high in sugar, high
fructose corn syrup, trans fats, grains and alcohol are more likely to
contribute to obesity resulting in increased estrogen production, which
interferes with the production of testosterone.
Certain Medications: There are more than 250 prescription,
over-the-counter (OTC) and illegal drugs that can cause problems with testosterone
production and function. There are medications that can negatively impact the
hypothalamus (the testosterone CEO), the pituitary gland (the middle managers),
the message delivery process in the cells (couriers), and the testicles
themselves (the factory). In addition to affecting how testosterone is
utilized, there are also many drugs that increase estrogen production. If you
have low testosterone and you're taking any prescription or OTC medication, you
have to consider the possibility that your medication might be contributing to
your lowered testosterone levels. (See the sidebar for a list of medication
categories known to cause low testosterone.)
Stress: If a man is under significant emotional stress, it can lower
his testosterone levels. The reason is that the stress hormone, cortisol, is
made from cholesterol too. And if a man is experiencing a lot of stress, the
body has a choice: it can make more cortisol or it can make testosterone. The
body is always going to choose to produce cortisol because it keeps you alive.
Without it, you die within three days. You can live a much longer time without
testosterone. That's why, with abrupt, intense stress, such as that experienced
during a period of grief or sudden life change, one can experience an immediate
drop in testosterone. Generally, after a short-term period of stress, a man’s testosterone
levels will recover if you're otherwise healthy. However, if you're chronically
stressed, your testosterone will gradually drop over a period of time.
Toxins: There are many environmental toxins that damage all
aspects of testosterone production, delivery and response. Most men would
benefit from a cleanse since the average American has 90 different chemicals in
the body. Many of these are xeno-estrogens or environmental estrogens from
petroleum products and plastics. A
cleanse and a daily supplement to enhance liver detoxification may help
increase a man’s low testosterone. Many toxins including bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, chlorine, toxic metals, hormones in dairy
products and animals we eat, and estrogenic drugs in the drinking water just to
name a few lower testosterone in a variety of ways.
Finding the Cause
With an increase in poor diets resulting in greater
abdominal waistlines and lower omega 3 fats, chronic stress and exposure to
toxins, it's easy to see why men today are more likely to have lower
testosterone levels than men in the past. Fortunately, most of these causes are
easily treatable.
If you suspect you have low testosterone—or if you've
already been diagnosed with it—there are a number of things you can start doing
right away to raise your levels. These actions include improving your diet, reducing
alcohol intake, reducing your exposure to toxins, consuming more fish oil, and
reducing your stress levels. If you've made these changes and you're still
suffering from low testosterone, see a physician and have appropriate testing
performed.
The important thing is to get it checked out. Testosterone
levels aren't simply a matter of male pride. They affect every single organ
system in a man's body. Inadequate testosterone function leads to weight gain
and increased risk for diabetes, premature heart disease, osteoporosis and
depression. Basically, testosterone impacts everything related to being a
healthy male, and long-term low levels of the hormone will shorten a man’s life.
Get your testosterone checked today!
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