Home Cures That Work for Low Testosterone

Last week, Mitchell and Tracy came in for their test results.  They are both in their early 50s and wanted to take a look at their hormone levels.

• She was having some symptoms of menopause.
• He was concerned about being angry all the time, and super aggressive.  He described getting angry over nothing. For example, he had just experienced “road rage” a few days before the appointment and purposely crashed into a car that cut in front of him!

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he results of their tests were very surprising:

• She had very high male hormones and no detectable female hormones.
• He had no detectable testosterone (low testosterone), and very low DHEA.

She should have been growing a beard, and he should have been growing breasts!

Role of Testosterone

Testosterone is an essential hormone for male development. Long-term studies in American GIs indicate that the healthiest levels of testosterone range from 400-600 ng/dl, which is just above average.  Testosterone levels peak in the early 20s and decline by about 1% per year after 40.
But, signs of low testosterone can appear at any age. These signs of low testosterone include:

• A decline in physical energy, strength, and stamina
• More aches and pains in the bones and joints
• Less initiative and mental aggressiveness, or even depression

Interestingly, erectile dysfunction doesn’t seem to correlate well with testosterone levels.  Testosterone has very little effect on erection and only about a 25% correlation with libido (sexual or desire).

Testosterone and Sexual Desire

Daniel was quiet, thin and unassuming.  He came to see me for some minor health issues, and incidentally, I found that he didn’t have any testicles.  He explained that he was a literal thinker. So, when he read in the Bible, “If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out,” he did just that.  He was having problems with sexual behavior, so he did what cowboys do to make bulls into steer.  Later, he was surprised when he got married that he and his wife had a normal sexual relationship (but they didn’t have any children).

The psychiatrists tell us that the brain is the largest and most important sex organ.  Therefore, the most important effect on libido is emotional.  On the other hand, erectile dysfunction – or impotence – is partly emotional, but mostly related to the blood vessels.  This is evidenced by the fact that Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra work so well. They work on the vascular system, enlarging the arteries and allowing more flow and pressure for stronger erections.
Having said that, why do people want their testosterone higher?

Higher testosterone is correlated with:

• Greater strength
• More muscle mass
• Fewer heart attacks
• Less diabetes
• And better mental focus

However, there is a balance – too much testosterone causes men to be overly aggressive.

What causes Low-T?

Aging

Most men’s testosterone declines over time from about 40 years old.  This is not inevitable; it happens mostly for other reasons, like the causes below.

Fat

The most common cause of low testosterone today is having too much fat.  Fat, especially in the abdomen, has an enzyme that converts testosterone into estrogen, the female hormone.  This causes men to be less aggressive and more feminine.  More fat and a man usually loses muscle mass, which increases their risk of diabetes.  The more fat cells you have, the more testosterone is being converted to estrogen, leading to lower testosterone levels.

Injury

Trauma to the testes or a twisted testicle that cuts of the blood supply can slow or stop the gland from making testosterone.  Tumors of the pituitary gland, head trauma, or concussions lower the pituitary hormones even years later, which then affects testosterone production.

Drugs and medications

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, pain medications like codeine and morphine, or anabolic steroids to enhance performance in athletes all directly lower testosterone production.

Inflammation

Many conditions and diseases that produce inflammation, such as sarcoidosis, histiocytosis, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS can lower testosterone production.  Too much iron in the blood (hemochromatosis) is not uncommon, and can cause damage to both your testes and pituitary gland. In addition, mumps directly affects the testicles and may cause sterility.

Nutrient deficiency

Several nutrients can affect testosterone production, such as the minerals zinc, copper and selenium.  Deficiencies in these nutrients are very common in those with low testosterone.  One study showed zinc supplementation alone could increase testosterone production in bodybuilders by 40%!

Home Cures That Work for Low Testosterone!

Get the fat off!

If you have “love handles” around your waist, then it would help to lose the belly fat.  Contrary to what we were told in medical school, you can take the belly fat off.  This is done by lowering cortisol and insulin.  The simplest way to lose belly fat is to:

• Avoid sugar
• Avoid starch
• Avoid carbohydrates (but NOT fiber)
• Avoid artificial sweeteners

A “whole foods” diet works very well for this.  Don’t eat any food that is processed, or anything that comes in a box or has a list of ingredients.

Stop the drugs!

Many men are taking pain medications regularly for their aches and pains.  Instead, use exercise, acupuncture and natural anti-inflammatories such as:

• 

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  Curcumin
• White willow
• Bioflavonoids
• And DLPA

Decrease inflammation!

Inflammation is caused by too much energy production, or oxidation.  This is why we are told to take antioxidants, so we can decrease the damage done by oxygen free-radicals.  However, the other option is to decrease the amount of energy we take in.

The best way to decrease inflammation is to:

• Eat larger amounts of high-nutrient and low-calorie foods such as green vegetables.
• Avoid low-nutrient and high-calorie foods such as pizza, ice cream, and fried foods.
• Eat small amounts of meat.

Also, certain herbs and spices can improve testosterone, probably by decreasing inflammation.

• Ginger was shown to double the testosterone in rats, for example.
• Turmeric is also a potent anti-inflammatory.

Take your vitamins!

Low doses of nutrients taken daily have not been shown to help low testosterone, however high doses have.  But, taking high doses of vitamins and minerals every day can cause problems because of absorption and competition with other nutrients.  Because of this, the best way to take your vitamins is to take larger doses on a weekly schedule.

Take the following minerals with food:

• Zinc – 200mg once per week
• Copper – 100mg once per week
• Selenium – 200mcg – take 5 (1mg) once per week

It can also be helpful to take NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine) 500mg per day on an empty stomach.  This lowers inflammation by increasing your body’s production of glutathione – a powerful antioxidant.

Mitchell and Tracy were actually pretty normal.  We found that the lab had mixed-up their blood specimens.

• Tracy was in menopause, which we helped with a little bio-identical hormone replacement.
• Mitchell had a little too much testosterone which we balanced with estrogen giving them both good results.

The moral of the story is—consider lab error if you find your blood tests are out of range beyond your symptoms.

Note: Low testosterone can be managed for most without the need for shots or gels.  However, in some cases men may need some supplementation which must be prescribed.  You can determine your needs by your symptoms, and through testosterone level blood tests.